Q&A with Kate Kendall from The Fetch

The Fetch’s creator Kate Kendall shares her inspirations, social media rules to live by and tells Get Schmart why she loves answering Q&As. Tweet Kate and The Fetch crew @thefetch | @thefetchmelb | @thefetchsyd | @thefetchbris

Having previously worked in publishing, what inspired you to start The Fetch?
I was struggling to keep up with all the great stuff happening in Melbourne and couldn’t find a central place for the information. If I wanted to find out what was on, I had to click on 20 different websites and bookmark things for later. People were also starting and running exactly the same events without knowing each other existed. I decided to put all the information in an email and send it to my contacts. The response was promising and it quickly spread to other people and cities. The links are similar to what I’ve been sharing on Twitter for a while but more scalable and easier to digest. 

The Fetch has just launched in London, where do you plan to head next?
New York and Berlin.

What would you describe as your biggest success in your career so far?
Growing long-lasting, self-sufficient communities both online and offline, and being able to pick and choose what I work on each day.

What do you believe are the most important social media rules to live by?
1) Stop using the term social media and get back to thinking about people and the end result - aka a community

2) Remove all the baggage and consultant speak, and return to basics and common sense. Speak to your customer like you do your friend

3) Know when to lead and when to follow 

4) Integrate. It's not "social", "online", "offline", etc – it's one big mixed communication soup

Where do you see the future of The Fetch heading?
To be the global place where people go to discover events of any kind. 

What do you love most about The Fetch?
That I get to answer Q&A interviews. ;)

Do you see social media as improving or hindering personal and business communication?
Hindering a little but overall, a massive improvement. We're still developing the capacity and knowledge to deal with advancements in technology. We're only just getting our heads around how we connect on a personal front on platforms like Path right through our professional branding on our LinkedIns and blogs. It's an exciting time.

What do you believe is the most exciting aspect of social media?
It exposes what's real, what's good and what the true intent is.