10 Questions with Becks Davis

Metro Detroiters who are active on Facebook and/or Twitter have probably heard of Detroit Moxie’s Becks Davis. If you are not familiar with her yet, well now is your chance to get to know one of Detroit’s most enthusiastic cheerleaders! Even if you know Becks, read on. She is another example of a Detroiter with a great story to tell.

Becks Davis

LW: What city did you grow up in?

BD: I grew up in Warren and moved to Bloomfield Township when I was in high school. I went to public schools in Warren and one year they didn’t pass the millage. I didn’t know what that meant except that in Junior High we had a ‘nutrition break’ instead of a lunch hour. It was at that point that my parents decided it was time for private schools. For the record, I’d like it to be known that I went to Beer Junior High.

LW: What was your first job?

BD: I started working when I was 11; I was a caddy at Red Run Golf Club and loved hanging out in the caddy shack playing video games. We would sneak out to the McDonald’s on 11 Mile & Main and an arcade on Woodward. I also worked at a few other Michigan-based companies when I was in high school: Olga’s Kitchen, Little Caesars and Art Van.

LW: Where did you go to college?

BD: I went to Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I always have to add that it’s in Milwaukee or people think I went to school in the U.P. My degree is in communications, but I was a theater major with a theology minor. Yep, highly employable! I worked as a professional stage manager for 10 years before leaving the theater business.

LW: Tell me about your business/company.

BD: I’m the founder and writer of DetroitMoxie.com. I explore the people, places, and events of Detroit and encourage others to get out and experience Detroit.

LW: What makes it unique?

BD: It’s unique because it comes from my perspective. I moved back to Detroit in 1999 and for 5 years I didn’t break out of a 5-mile radius. If it wasn’t in Birmingham, Bloomfield or Troy, I missed it. It wasn’t until I moved to the UK that I realized that there were tons of cool things happening in Detroit. I wanted to be a part of it and make a difference. I moved from the UK back to Detroit in December of 2008. Oh, and my husband is English and he’s my muse.

LW: What do you love most about what you do?

BD: I’m passionate about Detroit and Michigan so writing about it and sharing it with others is a dream. People reach out to me from all over the world and I find that fascinating.

LW: What is one thing most people don’t know about you (hidden talent, etc.)?

BD: That’s difficult. Definitely not singing or dancing! I do have mad memorization skills. Give me a paragraph or a list and give me a few minutes; I’ll repeat it back to you verbatim. And, because that’s not very impressive, when I was young I was the best female bowler in metro Detroit for my age.

LW: Outside of work, what are some of your passions?

BD: I love photography, design, and typography. I’m not good at any of those things but I appreciate when they are done well.

LW: What do you think is the biggest misconception about this state?

BD: I think that the rest of the country, and the world, assume that everyone that lives here is miserable and wants out. That’s SO not the case.

LW: What things draw you to downtown Detroit?

BD: That’s like picking a favorite child! The Guardian Building is magnificent and a great place to hang out. The Belle Isle Ice Tree is also one of my most favorite things ever. In winter, I visit it often to watch it grow and then melt.

Lighting Round:

MSU or U of M? U of M.

Ford, GM or Chrysler? Ford.

Lions, Tigers, Pistons or Red Wings? Red Wings.

Facebook or Twitter? Twitter.

Favorite local radio station? 96.3

Favorite local TV station? WXYZ (Channel 7)

Favorite local brand? Better Made.

Favorite restaurant? Roast for happy hour.

Favorite place to vacation in Michigan? Traverse City.

Favorite place to take out-of-towners? The patio at La Dolce Vita for brunch.

If you would like to suggest a Metro Detroiter for me to feature on my blog, do not hesitate to e-mail me at lindsay@lindsaywarren.com today!

Lindsay’s Facebook Etiquette List

I’ve been a member of Facebook for quite a while now.  I think I joined when it was still only open to folks with a university e-mail address. I spend a good amount of time on the site, both for fun and for my clients.  So as you can guess, I enjoy the site! And most of my friends know what an upbeat and positive person I am.  But despite me being a “glass is half full girl,” there are a few pieces of bad etiquette that drive me nuts that some folks do over and over.  Here are some examples:

-CONSTANT negativity

Some Facebook friends of mine have nothing positive to say EVER.  They hate their job.  They cannot get along with their mom.  Their kids are driving them nuts.  Life appears to suck for them.

While I understand that many of these people are simply looking for someone to reach out to, there has be a point when these people curb the negativity.  Facebook is not meant to be a soapbox to complain about aspects of your life that are not perfect. Why you ask?

Well, no matter how private you think your settings are, SOMEONE is reading your status update.  It does not matter if you have 5 friends or 500.  Your updates get broadcasted to them, whether you think they are paying attention or not.

Remember, just because someone did not comment on what you posted, does not mean they did not see it!  So if you complain about your fiancé not being the perfect man you want him to be, guess what?  He’ll find out what you posted.   And bitching about your job will very likely get back to SOMEONE at your company.

Oh and by the way, someone in this world has it worse than you.  Keep things in perspective folks!

-Bad grammar / spelling

We don’t all use Facebook as a way to network professionally, but if you want to be taken seriously, take a look at what you post before you post it!

A couple of common mistakes that drive me to want to break my laptop in half when I see them include:

-“To” vs. “too” – “Too” means ‘also’ – nothing else!

-“Your” vs. “You’re” – “your” implies possession, while “you’re” is a contraction for “you are.”

Get ‘em straight!  This is stuff most  5^th graders understand.

-Cryptic Posts

This I will never understand.  Why would you post something like “Wow.  So much has happened in the last week.  Not sure I can handle it” and then not tell anyone specifics when they ask how they can help?  If you are not willing to share, don’t write something so obscure.  This type of ‘stream of consciousness’ post is unnecessary.

-Copying others’ ideas/posts

While imitation may be the highest form of flattery, don’t steal an idea from one of your Facebook friends without giving proper credit!  The quote “Do onto others as you would have them do onto you” is so apropos on Facebook.  Enough said.

-Speaking of ‘Do onto others’…not so nice comments

Don’t post something on someone’s wall if you would not want someone to post something similar on yours.  If you’ve had a bad day, perhaps it’s time to log off.  Debates can certainly be fun, but they are better in person.  Emotion and intent can be easily misread online.

Like mom always said, “If you have nothing nice to say, then don’t say anything at all.”

So there you have them – Lindsay’s no-no list.  This is not a complete list of Facebook blunders, but these are the things that get to me the most.  Have something that bugs you?  Leave a comment!