Stephen Thornton (Steve) helps small, large and mid-sized businesses understand how to leverage Internet technologies, search and online advertising, Web site design and application development, CRM and e-Commerce integration and more to build lasting business value. For more information, please contact Steve directly or download his resume to learn more.

Bio

While in college in the 1980s Steve bought an Atari 800XL and then a Commodore64, teaching himself programming languages such as BASIC, FORTRAN and, eventually, a bit of Assembly language. As he tells the story, “It wasn’t until about 1993 when I first saw Mosaic and the WWW that I figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up! The integration of computer coding, visual communication and new media marketing was a perfect fit.” Steve found that he could combine his interests in business, computer programming, photography and writing, learning to apply his new media skills to bring businesses online.

It was immediately obvious to Steve that the Internet and Web browsers would forever change everything. So, he soon began to learn HTML, CGI, Perl, Tcl/Tk, JavaScript and other technologies and began developing Web sites for small and medium-size companies. Steve found himself employed by a couple of “dotcom” startups in San Francisco, which, in the late 1990s he says, “Seemed like being at the center of the universe.”

Soon Steve was recruiting and managing ever-larger teams of developers, business analysts and other IT professionals for employers including LookSmart, Kight-Ridder and others. His enthusiasm for emerging technology and business leadership led to increasing management responsibilities information technology management and software product development roles, eventually promoting him to the role of Chief Information Officer, working for a $100 million marketing and print media services company with locations across the western US.

After moving with his family from the Bay Area to Portland, Oregon Steve decided to go back to his entrepreneurial roots and founded a portfolio of online marketing and e-commerce businesses and providing Internet technology consulting services to client companies.

Philosophy and Business Model

1. Experiment and Succeed from Failures
The Internet changes at light speed; if you aren’t continually experimenting and exploring new marketing strategies, you might as well change careers. Putting all your eggs into a single basket is a sure path to business failure. Capitalize on what works and find ways to repeat your successes. Learn from your failures and move on. Embrace new trends and constantly find ways to exploit change. Steve has learned by experience that even small changes can make a huge difference in many businesses; clinging to a business model or business processes “because that’s the way we’ve always done things” sooner or later leads to big trouble!

2. Love What You Do and Do What You Know
The surest path to misery is to do something you hate. If you focus on your innate abilities and passions, your chances of success are 1000 percent greater. Steve’s natural inclination to information technology, Web design and Internet marketing provide satisfaction far beyond merely making a living. As he continues to focus on emerging technology and marketing trends, the journey expands and new avenues are continually opening. Give up what you don’t truly enjoy and make the necessary sacrifices to focus on what you’re passionate about.

3. Help Others and Reap the Rewards
Too many marketers focus on what they want and how to “trick” others into buying their products and services. By shifting the emphasis to “How can I help you?” companies like Southwest Airlines have quickly found that social media marketing works. When the US Airways plane crashed into the Hudson River in January, 2009, for example, Southwest immediately posted updates on Twitter, providing information and extending sincere well wishes to all involved, while US Airways doesn’t even have a corporate presence on Twitter. It’s not just the blog, but the holistic approach to social media that Southwest has mastered, giving them a platform from which to converse with customers. It takes a substantial effort to build reach online, but the results are substantive once that reach has been established.