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THe North shore weekend
12/21 – 12/22/13
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Shaffer is on the job at Yelp
Angela Shaffer
photography by joel lerner ■ by katie rose mceneely Highland Park’s Angela Shaffer is the North Shore community manager for Yelp.com, an online concern that connects people with local businesses. Reading: I don’t have a ton of time to read, but when I stop to think about it, I have two loves: anything and everything related to small business, and my second love is interior design. The whole front room of my house is a library for magazines dedicated to interior design. Listening: My radio is always tuned in to 98.7, WBEZ — I’m always looking for something that’s calm, to keep me focused. I have a background in the performing arts. Watching: I’m obsessed with “Shark Tank.” I love seeing how people form their businesses and what goes into it. It sucks you in! It’s really fascinating. And anything on HGTV, “Love it or List it” is probably my favorite. I love architecture and being able to see inside homes. Following: So, my job — I fall into a few different categories. One aspect of my job is event planning. I’m really tuned in to anything related to getting inspiration for events. I love Pinterest—I get so much inspiration for the events that I’m planning. Also, Etsy is really great as I follow small businesses. I’m also right now, as I’m getting ready for the firstever Yelp Holiday House, following window display design. On a personal level, houses will suck me in. I’m very crafty, I like to make things — the blog centsationalgirl.com has a lot of DIY and great ideas. I have
a huge love for textile design — howaboutorange.com. Activity: Around the world, community managers for Yelp opt to participate in Yelp Shops Local — Yelp is about connecting people with great local businesses, so it’s about challenging communities to get out and shop close to home. It’s usually a month-long endeavor, and we like to highlight some of the shopping events taking place on the North Shore. We also choose to partner with some of the larger events. I partnered with Winter Wonderland in Downtown for Highland Park. Being from Highland Park, I’ve worked [with the alliance] in the past, and this made sense to work together on. At the same time, I have had Yelp’s Holiday House, and we took over a very large space in Renaissance Place. We raised money for Washington, Ill., after their tornado disaster. It was a way to expose people to a brand that brings communities and businesses together. Eating: I’m a huge grazer. I guess it depends on the day — I would have to say I eat a lot of fruit and nuts, I drink a lot of coffee. My last meal on earth would be beef brisket or a good corned beef sandwich. What is your favorite mistake? I would have to say my favorite mistake is moving to the North Shore — I’m urban at heart, lived in the city for 16 years, and never thought I’d find myself up this way. And it’s opened up a new world of connections and opportunities. I couldn’t believe how immediately I became a part of the North Shore. ■