SPEAKER INTERVIEW: Tori Molnar

This is a series of interviews with the speakers of Digital Family Summit, June 29-July 1.
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Tori Molnar  is the fifteen year old President and CEO of Utoria, LLC. Utoria is a unique business opportunity where young women can come to earn money and develop essential business skills. Tori also founded She Can Make Change, an organization that empowers women to put change not only in their pockets but in the world around them. Overcoming Cerebral Palsy and the early death of her father were challenges, but she didn’t let that stop her. Now she travels all over the country talking about how she took the two events that could’ve ruined her life and turned them into positive experiences. Tori’s motto is “Inspiration, Motivation, Determination” and that’s exactly how she plans on rising to the top!

twitter: @myutoria, @shecanmakechange
websites: My Utoria , She Can Make Change
session:  The Next Steve Jobs?  Meet the Teen Entrepreneurs, Saturday, June 30, 9:30 AM

How did you get involved with blogging?

When I founded Utoria, I started to have all of these amazing experiences, and I was looking for a way to document and reflect on them all. As I started searching, I found that blogging would be the best way for me to do so. When I began blogging, I tried to position my posts so that the readers could almost experience it with me. It was a really awesome introduction into the Blogosphere

What’s your favorite technology to help you blog/write/tweet/edit?
Bit.ly is GREAT! It allows me to shorten my links for blog posts and tweets and then track the traffic that they’re attracting. It’s by far my favorite tool.

What blogs do you read regularly?
I look at Forbes.com way more than once a day. I like to describe my learning style as sponge-like, so Forbes is like food for my soul. The thoughts, ideas, and information that they publish is mind-blowing. I could be reading an article about gas wells and get a new marketing idea for Utoria. It’s great.

shetakesontheworld.com is a really great resource for young women entrepreneurs. There’s constantly new, relevant content. Sharing content from STOTW normally gets me the highest engagement rates.

Sparkandhustle.com is another really great resource for entrepreneurs. Tory Johnson is an awesome business expert, and knows her stuff. Just like Tory, the site is very straight-forward. She loves raw, “no-fluff” information and that’s exactly what you find on Sparkandhustle.com I also peruse the site for new connections. They feature successful entrepreneurs through Daring Doer profiles, and these women are powerhouses. I love connecting and working with them.

If you could travel back in time and send yourself a message, what would it be?
Two years ago I would’ve told myself to listen more, and have more patience. Would’ve helped me a lot.

Any advice for young bloggers?
I love this Steve Jobs quote that I recited in this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXcmOCdWO4E
It holds true for every entrepreneur and just about anyone pursuing their passion.

What do you think is the greatest opportunity for digital teens today?
Product development. It’s a lot easier today than it was 20 years ago. Book, seminar, event, consumer merchandise. Find a product and run with it. The most important ingredient when you’re developing a product as an extension of your brand is being STRATEGIC.

What’s next for you after the Digital Family Summit?
After the DFS, I will be visiting a few cities on the Spark and Hustle tour, including my hometown of Pittsburgh. If you’d like to join me, register here and tell them Utoria sent you! www.sparkandhustle.com We’re also getting ready to relaunch Utoria which will happen in August and kick off with a bang at our exclusive launch party in September.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 Adam Gertsacov is the co-founder and co-organizer of Digital Family Summit.  He wears many hats, including those of a professional clown, an author and publisher, an artist/educator, a non-profit administrator, a P.T. Barnum impersonator, a flea circus impresario, and the esteemed hat of the Clown Laureate of Greenbelt, Maryland.