myAlgoma.ca welcomes two new faces to the team!
Steve Filioglou is our new Client Sales and Marketing Specialist, and Riley Smith is on board as our new Multimedia Reporter.
You will be seeing both of them around town, and we’d like you to get to know each of them a little bit first…. So what better way to introduce themselves to everyone than by having them interview each other!?
Up first is Riley interviewing Steve!
Riley: Hi, nice to meet you. That’s a tough last name, how do you pronounce it exactly?
Steve: Nice to meet you, too! It is pronounced ‘Fill-eee-o-glue’
Are you from the Sault?
Yep, born and raised here, love the Sault. Went to St Basil’s, and then Lakehead University, where I completed a Business Admin degree.
Why are you interested in working in this line of work?
I’m a go-getter that loves to meet new people and network. I love being out in the community and I believe in the products and services that I’m offering clients. I am passionate about assisting businesses to grow and succeed in the Sault. I started working here two weeks ago and I’ve brought in about, hmmm, a dozen new clients already.
Wow, impressive, sounds like you were born to be in marketing! What do you think the hardest part of your new job is?
I think the hardest part is rejection. Every person in my line of work will get turned down at some point, it’s inevitable, it’s just part of the job. If you have a problem handling rejection, don’t go into this kind of business.
Absolutely. I heard you have a big interest in sports?
I’m a huge Detroit fan… Lions, Red Wings, Tigers, Pistons, love them all. I also love to play sports. I was Quaterback in high school at St. Basil’s. I’m an avid golfer, I play baseball in the summer and love to work out in the mornings at the YMCA.
Craig Huckerby: Okay, time to switch places, take it away Steve….
Steve: You have a lot of schooling under your belt, tell me about it.
Riley: Well I have a double Honours Degree in History and Political Science from Algoma University, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Public Relations and Event Management from Sault College. I also have a Google Marketing Fundamentals certification, and am working towards a Certificate in Diversity and Intercultural Relations, which I take online part-time. I love school!
I hear you have done a lot of travelling, where have you been?
Oh wow! Ok, I’ve been to France, Cuba, Peru, Ecuador, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, and a little closer to home I’ve been to California, Nevada, Florida, Alberta, British Colombia, Nova Scotia, and Quebec! Of course, I love exploring our own backyard, Michigan and Ontario, as well!
Where haven’t you been that you would like to go to next?
Next on the list is Poland and the Czech Republic! I have that trip booked for May 2018 with a good friend of mine, and I’m very excited for it!
So, this is your first day on the job at myAlgoma? Why are you interested in reporting?
Yes, my first day is today! I am interested in reporting because it encompasses all of the things that I am passionate about – researching, writing, editing, events, current issues, community engagement, and all things local. I love getting out in the community and meeting people, just like you! The Sault is a great place and we need to focus on that, and share the stories of all the amazing, forward-thinking people and organizations who are working so hard to make the Sault a force to be reckoned with, a safe and comfortable place to live, and a hub of the North.
That’s awesome, I love the Sault too, and totally agree with you. Where did you work before coming here?
I was working as the First Nations and Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator for the Missanabie Cree First Nation. Primarily, I was working on the Missanabie Cree-led initiative to restore passenger rail service on the Algoma Central Railway between Sault Ste. Marie and Hearst. It was a really interesting job, and I got to learn a lot about Indigenous politics, culture, and the history of our local region.
Well, I have a sales meeting in 10 minutes- so one last question, do you have any pets?
Yes, we better get back to the grind! I LOVE pets, and have been trying to convince my partner that we NEED (not want – NEED) a dog at our place! However, my parents have a golden retriever that I know and love as my own, his name is Oliver, and he is a sweetie pie!
Well, that wraps up today’s interview. Keep an eye out for these two new faces out in the community.
