There are many changes on the horizon here at xtra xtra, including the loss of our Marketing Coordinator, Cooley Horner, who is leaving to attend law school. Cooley started at xtra xtra in June of 2009, just after she graduated from Boston College. Cooley was xtra xtra’s second full-time employee and has helped the company grow and mature into what it is today.

The original xtra xtra team--Jamie, Steph, and Cooley (plus friend-of-the-site Christine!)--at a Red Sox game. We'll miss these fun times together!

In her time here, Cooley has represented xtra xtra at various conferences and events, created lasting networking relationships, managed interns, completed multiple research projects, composed a tireless amount of copy, and acted as the voice of xtra xtra on our blog, Facebook, and Twitter accounts.

In addition to her professional contributions, Cooley brought us her Southern charm, pop culture knowledge, and ability to come up with a fitting television or movie quote at the drop of a hat. Cooley will be attending the University of New Hampshire School of Law in the fall, and we couldn’t be more proud. Congratulations Cooley! You will be missed!

Best,
The xtra xtra staff

Paul Rooney, xtra xtra’s founder and CEO, was recently interviewed for “In Business,” the official newsletter for the Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce. In this article, Paul shares his vision for xtra xtra while also outlining his goals and aspirations for the company. We thought you might like to get to know the man behind the idea for xtra xtra, so we’re sharing this article with you today.

Download (PDF, 548.59KB)

If you have any additional questions for Paul, please share them in a comment. He’s always eager to share his opinions and ideas for the company.

We’ve hired four interns to help us in marketing xtra xtra throughout the Boston area. Meet the new members of our team and find out what makes them tick, and be sure to look for them in and around Boston as they venture out to local communities and spread the word about xtra xtra. Each intern is assigned two communities where they’ll be attending events, visiting local businesses, and talking about xtra xtra, so keep your eyes peeled for these friendly faces in your town!

Name: Josiane Bailon
Communities You’ve Called Home: Westchester County, NY; West Hartford, CT; Cambridge, Ma.
Schools You’ve Attended: Conard High School, West Hartford, CT, 2009; Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University, Boston, MA, 2013
Interests and Activities: I love long walks on the beach and candlelit dinners. (I’M KIDDING!)…I love art– creating, looking and learning about it. I enjoy spending time with friends and family since I’m very family-oriented. I love going out to eat- trying new foods, exploring new places, watching movies etc. I like photographing the world and people around me and constantly being motivated and inspired.
xtra xtra Communities: I am in charge of Cambridge & Somerville.
A Memorable Milestone from Your Life: During my last two years of high school I was already sure of what I wanted to do for the rest of my life and that I wanted to be a Photography major in an art school. So I spent those years extremely driven and focused by constantly developing work and concepts. My teachers recognized my eagerness and change from my earlier years as a student so the faculty and staff awarded me with a scholarship at the end of my senior year for my vast turn-around and academic achievements. It was such a great and memorable way to leave high school and it also drew me closer to the teachers and staff that were really involved in helping me succeed throughout those four years.

Name: Mimi Alperovich
Communities You’ve Called Home: I was born in Boston and grew up in Newton, Mass. I stayed very close to home for college and even work in Newton!
Schools You Attended: Newton South High School; Simmons College; University of Massachusetts–Boston
Interests and Activities: I enjoy all sorts of exercise, from a group fitness class to hip hop dancing. I love spending as much as possible time outside during the Summer. My family has a house at the Cape and I try to go every available moment!
xtra xtra Communities: I am responsible for Newton ( my hometown! ) and Brookline
A Memorable Milestone from Your Life: A huge milestone for me has been the birth of my two nieces and one nephew. Family is very important to me and I love watching mine grow!

Name: Laura Valley
Communities You’ve Called Home: I lived in Watertown, MA until 2000 when I moved to Newton, MA
Schools You Attended: I graduated from Newton North High School in 2010 and I am a current student at UMass Boston
Interests and Activities: I love to shop and watch movies.  I also ski with my family and I have always played soccer.  Every weekend I watch the Patriots, I am obsessed with football and hockey!
xtra xtra Communities: Natick and Framingham
A Memorable Milestone from Your Life: Graduation back in June was amazing. I was so proud of myself and my friends. It was great to be surrounded by family, friends, and faculty who have supported me though high school.

Name: Jeff Capuano
Communities You’ve Called Home: Ludlow, MA; Springfield, MA
Schools You Attended: Wilbraham & Monson Academy, Lasell College
Interests and Activities: SCCA, Cars, Motocross, Soccer, Football, H.A.L.O. Jumping, Zorbing, Camping, Rock Climbing, Cooking, Fishing, Hunting, Boating, Scuba Diving, MMA, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muy Thai, Whitewater Rafting, Guitar, Drums, Reading, Poker, Billiards, Parkour
xtra xtra Communities: Waltham & Lexington
A Memorable Milestone From Your Life: A memorable event that happened in my life is when I went H.A.L.O. Jumping at the West Tennessee Skydiving Center outside of Memphis, TN. It was an exhilarating experience and I will never forget free-falling through the clouds and being suspended in the air for minutes.

Welcome to our interns! We can’t wait to see what they’ll achieve this semester!

xtra xtra is hiring interns for the fall semester. Specifically, we’re looking for college students in and around Boston to join us for some exciting and innovative marketing projects. This is a great opportunity to gain experience, hone new skills, and earn some money.  Here are a few of the projects our interns will be working on…

• Helping to generate local content by venturing into local communities
• Hyperlocal brand development
• Develop and implement marketing campaigns
• Build relationships with local content sources
• Represent xtra xtra to new partners and contacts
• Work outside the office at events and projects throughout Boston

This is a results-driven marketing position with the possibility of bonus pay, and it’s a great fit for students of marketing, communication, and journalism (other majors are also welcome to apply). Hours are flexible, but enthusiasm is required!!

If you know someone who might be a good fit for our team, encourage them to email Cooley at cooley@xtraxtra.com for more information!

The xtra xtra team ventured out of the office last night to see “Ovo” on the Boston waterfront. Jamie and Cooley had never been to a Cirque du Soleil show, so they certainly enjoyed the experience. The show was fantastic—who knew people could be so flexible?—and it was fun to spend some time together outside the office.

Steph, Jamie, and Cooley at "Ovo"

“Ovo” explores the colorful adventures of the insect world, so it’s no surprise that the production company placed great emphasis on being eco-friendly. We were impressed that the snack area, for example, featured neatly-labeled receptacles for trash, recyclables, and compostable items. It was great to see an organization making such a strong statement about helping the environment!

Do you want to go green? Check out a few of our suggestions and save a tree by creating a paperless xtra xtra announcement next time you have something to commemorate!

Til next time,

The xtra xtra Team

A while back, we introduced Hon, the mother of xtra xtra’s founder, Paul Rooney. Hon is a life-long resident of South Boston, and she’s also the mother of 11 children. Her experiences have given her a unique perspective on family and community, and we’re excited that she’ll be sharing those insights with our readers at the xtra xtra blog.

Hon will now be a contributor to the xtra xtra blog. You can count on her for advice, opinions, and commentary on a variety of issues and ideas. To introduce her to our readers, we asked for her point of view on a few issues. Find her answers below.

• You’ve spent a large portion of your life in South Boston. How has your community changed over the years?–I have spent all my life in South Boston, and like any place or community, changes do take place.  What was once comprised of mainly “three-deckers” is now a community of condominiums, and there are more automobiles than ever before as a result of this.  Many buildings that were once used as schools or churches have been sold and developed into condominiums. The community has also become much more diverse, especially in the three public housing units.
• As the mother of 11 children and grandmother to 26 grandkids, you’ve celebrated many milestones. Can you share a memory that’s particularly unique?–I guess you might not call this memory “unique,” but the thoughts of it never leave my mind.  Our son Joe experienced a grade 4 brain aneurysm at the age of 28, and how he is living and doing so well has everyone surprised. He will be 37 in August, and to be where he is after all that he went through almost seems like a miracle.
• How has the idea of “staying in touch” changed over the years? Why is it important?–Keeping in touch is difficult sometimes, but our sons do a pretty good job of calling or visiting without interfering with their own commitments.  I personally like to communicate one way or another, and e-mail has made it a little easier, especially if I want to send the same message to all 11 sons or 10 daughters-in-law or even my grandchildren. Of course my telephone rings off the hook some days.  As long as I know they are healthy and happy I can accept a “lull” occasionally.
• What do you think of women like Nadya Suleman (known as “Octomom”) and Kate Gosselin (of Kate Plus Eight)? Both are famous for having many children and raising them in the public eye.–“To each his own” has always been my motto.  No matter what one does it should be done for the “right” reason.  Having one or twenty-one children is fine if you have the necessary provisions and are able and willing to give them a good example.  Being raised in the public eye may not be beneficial for them. Children do not ask to be born, so it is a parent’s responsibility to raise them to the best of his or her ability.

Please feel free to ask Hon some questions in the comments section. You can also learn more about Hon’s experiences by reading her personal blog.

Hello xtra xtra blog readers!

Stephanie here; I want to introduce myself as a second voice on the xtra xtra blog. I will be joining Cooley to bring you the latest milestone related news, tips, and all things xtra xtra.

Exciting times are ahead for us: newspaper and other partnerships, industry relationships, and of course…BlogHer ’10. I will be travelling to NYC in August to attend the BlogHer conference this year. This will be my first time at the conference, and I am both nervous and excited! (Any and all advice from past attendees would be greatly appreciated!) I will be chronicling my journey to BlogHer here, so stay tuned.

I will keep you up-to-date on our exciting partnerships, and introduce you to some of the impressive companies and bloggers that we are working with. I will also chime in on our regular blog topics, as we help you celebrate the milestones that matter.

Here’s to many happy milestones!

Stephanie

It’s very challenging to “talk to” a website. You can have a great idea for how it should look, what it should do, and how it should work, but turning ideas into results can be tough. When you’re setting out to build a website, you need an interpreter who can translate your ideas into the computer’s language.

That’s why we have Chris Cochrane and the TDJ team working with xtra xtra.

Chris is one of our lead web developers for xtra xtra. He makes the site work and feel the way it should, and he’s always on hand to answer our questions and make things happen on the site. We asked Chris a few questions about his experiences with xtra xtra, and his answers are the next installment of our spotlight series!

Name: Chris Cochrane

Communities you’ve called home: I was born and partly raised in Peekskill, NY.  I moved to Lake Orion, Michigan for my teen years;  Ann Arbor, MI for college, then Millbury, MA and Manchester, NH as a (very) post-teen.  I went from the East Coast to the Midwest and back again; I still haven’t been anywhere long enough to develop an accent.

Schools you’ve attended: I attended Lake Orion High School and graduated from the University of Michigan with undergraduate engineering degrees in Computer Engineering and Electrical Engineering.  Seems like I was trained to build computers, but I’d much rather program them.

How long have you been with xtra xtra?–Since the first wireframes – you know, those ugly web site mock-ups that everyone pretends to like but no one wants to see a second time.  That would be April of 2008.

What do you do with xtra xtra?–Web site software development, focusing primarily on the back end and business logic.

What’s the most exciting thing about working with xtra xtra?–I truly enjoy the diverse programming opportunities presented by such an expansive site.  There’s just a ton of variety in everything we do:   server side PHP code, SQL database design, and Javascript/jQuery usability features.  Then there are 3^rd party APIs like Facebook and Twitter to code against, too.  It’s all fun and fresh.

You’ve been through a lot with the site. What’s a memorable challenge you’ve faced?–The site refresh in late 2009 was quite a challenge.  Although it might appear to be “new skins” to the casual user there was a lot of infrastructure work to be done.  It was also, in many respects, a validation of the development framework we use – symfony.  This tool set made it easier for multiple developers to contribute in an environment with rapidly changing requirements.

What’s your favorite part about working with xtra xtra?–xtra xtra has a great team.  Did I mention diverse programming earlier?  Well there is a good deal of diversity in the site development and administration staff as well.  That makes for lively planning sessions, innovative concepts and terrific collaboration.  The team comes in with ideas from many directions – youth and experience, national and international – all mixing together, and hopefully resulting the best experience for a site user.

xtra xtra is all about milestones, so tell us about a personal milestone in your life (i.e. graduation, wedding, getting a job, etc.)– I run 1200 miles per year and take 365 vitamins.  But enough about me!  I have 2 wonderful kids who seem to be creating new milestones every day.  And when I’m done driving them to and fro, I like to watch their school plays, athletic events, and holiday pageants.  My parents recently celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary and my wife and I are almost half-way to that mark ourselves.

Check out Chris’ work by visiting xtraxtra.com, and let us know if you have any more questions for him to answer!

Till next time,

The xtra xtra team

Working in a startup company is very exciting, but there can be a few days when it’s tough to keep going. That’s why every startup company should have someone like Shannon Kinney around. Shannon is one of our top consultants for strategy and marketing. Her fresh ideas and perspectives keep us on our toes, and she’s always quick with an encouraging word for our team. Shannon is also spearheading a partnership project that will revolutionize the future of xtra xtra. We’re continuing our series of spotlighting the xtra xtra team by asking Shannon a few questions about her work with the website.

Name: Shannon Kinney

Communities you’ve called home: I was raised in a small town in mid-coastal Maine called Spruce Head, and I have also lived in Bar Harbor and Portland, Maine; Beverly, MA; Chicago, IL; San Jose/Silicon Valley, CA.

Schools you’ve attended: I graduated with honors from Georges Valley High School in Thomaston, ME and with a Bachelors degree from the University of Maine, Orono.

How long you’ve been working with xtra xtra?--Wow….since the beginning.  Has it been three years?

How did you get involved with xtra xtra?--Paul asked me to come in as an outside expert to brainstorm ideas and validate the business plan.

What do you do with xtra xtra?–I help with business planning and strategy, support marketing efforts and online product development, and lead the effort to gain media company partnerships.

You’re one of the leaders in connecting xtra xtra to newspapers. What’s the idea behind newspaper partnerships? Where will they take xtra xtra?--Media companies globally, newspapers in particular, are seeking deeper connections with their audiences at a local level – and nothing is more local, viral, and appealing than milestones, events, and milestones. Newspaper content and their audiences compliment the xtra xtra content and platform so well in their power to reach people at a personal level that mutually beneficial partnerships between the two are a natural fit. Plus, working with xtra xtra costs nothing for a newspaper partner, in today’s economy how can they beat that?!

xtra xtra is all about milestones, so tell us about a special milestone in your life (i.e. graduation, wedding, getting a job, etc.)–My favorite milestone is the birth of my daughter, Rachel Louise Kinney, on 1/31/09. She’s my inspiration each day!

Ask Shannon a question in the comments below. You can check out her other professional work, too; she is a Client Success Officer with Capture Media Associates and a senior consultant with the AIM Group. You can also follow her on Twitter!

Till next time,

CH