AMY JO MARTIN

I've never isolated role models based on gender. I have more male role models due to the mere fact that I've done business with more of them and they're leaders within the verticals I work. Of those, Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com, is an entrepreneur and personal friend that I have a great deal of respect for.

I was with Shaq at his home the day he retired. It was innovative for him to become the media and announce via social media that he was retiring.

Shaquille and I kind of joke we were the Christopher Columbus of social media. We're kind of out on a boat by ourselves going through these uncharted waters. But it's become more understood, embraced and accepted, and now it's pretty much expected by fans for athletes, leagues and teams to be there.

We all have personal brands and most of us have already left a digital footprint, whether we like it or not. Proper social media use highlights your strengths that may not shine through in an interview or application and gives the world a broader view of who you are. Use it wisely.

I'm happier and a better person when I work out, especially if I work out outdoors.

Universities want to recruit the students that they believe will best represent the university while in school and beyond. Students with a robust social media presence and clearly defined personal brand stand to become only more influential.

Governments can no longer control 100 percent of the story. Time and geographical boundaries disappear. In places like China and all over the Middle East, social-media outlets are being used to expose and hold accountable public officials that don't want to be held accountable for corruption and human rights abuses.

Social media is the ultimate equalizer. It gives a voice and a platform to anyone willing to engage.

Instagram has become one of my favorite platforms because of its simplicity.

Social media is changing the way we communicate and the way we are perceived, both positively and negatively. Every time you post a photo, or update your status, you are contributing to your own digital footprint and personal brand.

I'm addicted to change and therefore I get bored easily. Results have always motivated me, which has led me to developing ways to measure things that historically have not been measurable.

I've been known to do lunges down hotel hallways. I also like to use the ice bucket in the hotel room as a medicine ball.

It's a dialogue, not a monologue, and some people don't understand that. Social media is more like a telephone than a television.

Social media provides an avenue to build relationships with media outlets and have an ongoing relationship with reporters.

Bridging the virtual world with the physical word is really when social media channels come to life and the magic happens. Because whoever coined the term 'social media' didn't do us any favors. It's not really media. It's more like the telephone, less like the TV.

By providing memorable social media customer service, companies not only create deeper connections with consumers, but they glean valuable insights on how to improve their products or services.

There are many benefits to a sports entity breaking news directly to their recipients: the entity has full control over the message and how it is shared versus previously relying on a media outlets to translate or distribute as they choose. Also, there's no quicker place for valuable information to spread than Twitter.

I realized that social media can be powerful force for good in the world and that acts of kindness can be scaled globally.

We don't like what we don't know or understand. Parents don't like the thought of their kids embracing social media because they don't fully understand the benefits and dangers.

Just as we teach our children how to ride a bike, we need to teach them how to navigate social media and make the right moves that will help them. The physical world is similar to the virtual world in many cases. It's about being aware. We can prevent many debacles if we're educated.

A nice quick workout is the stairs; it takes me five minutes to do 24 floors.

Individuals who are out there to make transactions with pay-per-tweets, it's a turnoff for their fans, rightfully so.

We'll continue to see more and more brands integrate social causes, charitable components and environmental issues as underlying themes to their campaigns and messaging. Humans connect with humans after all, and brands are using this as a point of connection to engage with their audience, especially charity-minded Generation Y.

When choosing between two similar applicants, hiring managers are increasingly turning to social media outlets to supplement information they are unable to glean from applications or interviews.

While strides are being made in the social-media space, the newspaper and news business should continue to embrace social media.