About Mig

I’m an internet marketer with my eye on the ROI.

I cut marketing costs and boost sales online. I’ve built, scaled, and optimized pay per click advertising campaigns for a well known ecommerce retailer in Las Vegas that is ranked as one of Fortune magazine’s best companies to work in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. Internet marketing is something I’ve learned from mentors at work, collaborating with vendors and coworkers, watching online videos, reading blogs and books, and talking to people smarter than me.

Two things I love about the internet are search and social media.

My career path has grown from doing search marketing to building an online membership community. Over four years ago, I worked on the retail side of direct marketing optimizing PPC and comparison shopping engines. Now I create content, work with social technology, and search optimization. I really enjoy creating strategy to bring these various disciplines together for a holistic approach to online marketing whether it’s having digital conversations, sharing stories, branding, or boosting sales.

I’m passionate about technology and connecting people.

I actively participate in, moderate, and manage online communities. A couple of times a month, I organize an ethnic dining Meetup for young professionals working in the Las Vegas valley. The community I created attracts like minded people whose interests are in travel, culture, and food. The group has over 111 members and its growing. The purpose of our Meetup is to support the local restaurants their slow nights as well as build a community professionals that can help each other out. Check it out here.

I’m also a Couch Surfer. I host strangers from all over the world at home for culture exchange and they leave becoming a friend. This concept may sound weird to many people, but I’ve learned so much from all the interesting people and their life stories. Couch Surfing is a project that helps make this world a better place by connecting world travelers to local communities that they visit. I moderate the “Vegas Baby!” forum on www.couchsurfing.org which has over 2,092 members and growing. Last March 2010, there wasn’t much participation in the forum, but I’ve been able to turn the community around in less than six months by answering questions for members, participating in online discussions, and organizing events or gatherings where travelers and locals can meet in person.

Community and nonprofit involvement
In the past, I was a council member and ambassador for the Vegas Young Professionals, a division of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, to welcome people into the community as well as promote the organization to recruit members. I advised New Global Citizens, a non profit organization which mobilizes a generation of young people to take action for global change on their online marketing efforts. I taught at risk homeless youth in a rehabilitation program how to use social media as a learning tool. I believe in giving back the community, volunteering, and helping others succeed.

I’m from Chicago and moved to Las Vegas over three four years ago. I like it here since I don’t have to deal with the snow and its only four hours from the beach.

Personal goals accomplished and random fun facts:

  • Working at the #23, #15, #6, #11 best company to work for rated by Fortune Magazine.
  • I’ve built, flown, crashed, and repaired remote control airplanes as a hobby. I learn from my failures and can built stuff with or without blueprints.
  • Turned a high school dream of dee-jaying into a business that helped pay for college. It was a start to get me thinking like an entrepreneur. Today, I’m happy being an intrapreneur.
  • Negotiated my Lonely Planet travel book from three guys who mugged me in Rio de Janiero. I can work well under pressure.
  • Hiked on the Inca trail to Macchu Picchu (2005) and in the Colombian jungle to Ciudad Perdida (2011).
  • Walked on 2000 degree hot fire coals at a Tony Robbin’s “Unleash The Power” event. See pic.
  • Skydived 15,000 feet above sea level. I’m adventurous and take calculated risks. See video.
  • Ran 26.2 miles in Las Vegas Marathon (2009) and 13.1 miles for the half marathon (2010). I have stamina to keep going to get things done.
  • Traveled to over 16 countries and 53 cities throughout North and South America, Europe, and Asia. See pics.
  • Visited 24 UNESCO World Heritage sites. I have global experience and can interact effectively and work with people from different cultures.
  • Taught friends how to leverage the internet and social media to find a job as well as how to write their resumes to land interviews.
  • Was invited to speak to a group of 200 high school students from my alma mater to share insights into careers in marketing and education.

Languages
Conversant in Spanish and speak basic Filipino and Portuguese.

Education
Northern Illinois University, Bachelors of Science, Marketing
International Sales Program (intersession) Fachhochschule Wiener Neustadt, Austria

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