Meet Tim, SparkPeople's Social Media Expert

By , SparkPeople Blogger
Editor's Note: By popular demand, our Behind the Scenes at SparkPeople feature has returned.

Name: Tim Metzner (SP_TMETZNER)

Position at SparkPeople: Marketing and Business Development

Age: 28

Family: Amazing and beautiful wife Kristy, our yellow lab mix Canyon, and Carson, our overly snuggly cat.

How long have you worked for SparkPeople? Started as a co-op in June of 2001 and came on full-time in 2005 (so almost 10 years)!

Tell us your proudest accomplishment at SparkPeople or a fun fact about your job: I'm probably most proud of how early on I got to join the company and the crazy range of things that I've done in my time. Some of my wide-ranging tasks have included: property management in our early days (whether fixing toilets, painting, or showing up in the middle of the night to check on alarms going off), helping sell and flight/traffic ads on our websites, managing all of our marketing, and creating and managing partnerships with other great companies.

I also was responsible for creating and executing our social media strategy and am probably best known by our members as the guy behind our posts on Facebook and Twitter (love interacting with our members there!).

How do you stay in shape? By varying my workouts all the time; it's pretty rare that my routine is the same from one week to the next. Some regulars on my list include walking, running, or hiking with the wife and pup, basketball, and weight training.

What's your favorite food? This is really hard for me as I enjoy so many different things. Some of the things towards the top of the list are stuffed peppers and sautéed onions/veggies of all kinds.

What's your favorite indulgence? This is easy, love ice cream!

How do you feel when you exercise? I'm not always super excited and motivated to get going, but almost always feel energized and a great sense of accomplishment when I'm done.

What do you do to de-stress? Exercise (a good lift or basketball), go for a ride on my motorcycle (when weather permits), or just spend some time in the great outdoors.

What is your passion in life? It may sound cliché, but I really do enjoy helping others. Whether that's through my work at SparkPeople or by getting involved around the community or with other organizations doing great things, it's something I've always enjoyed.

I also love traveling with my wife, anything outdoors, and connecting with entrepreneurs and others chasing their dreams.

How has working at SparkPeople affected your life? SparkPeople was my first real job and I always tell people that being a part of such an amazing organization with great co-workers, so young in life has completely spoiled me!

Have you gained or lost weight since starting here? I have actually gained weight. When I first started I was a pretty scrawny guy who had always hoped to be able to put on some muscle mass while staying fit, but had never been able to figure it out. Within a year of working for SparkPeople I put on 20-30lbs of muscle and was easily in the best shape of my life.

What's your favorite breakfast cereal? Honey nut cheerios for breakfast and peanut butter Cap'n Crunch is my go to snack cereal (I could eat cereal any time of day).

What did you eat for dinner last night? Barbeque pork chops, sautéed onions and squash, and mac & cheese.

Do you have any hidden talents? I have hops. While the vertical leap isn't quite what it was 10 years ago, at only 6'1", I can still dunk a basketball.

What are some of your goals? Continue to keep health and fitness a priority no matter how busy life gets, be a lifelong student (always make time for reading, learning from others, self improvement, etc.), and in the short term, run the Thanksgiving Day Race (10k) with Kristy.

What's your favorite SparkPeople feature? I'm a bit biased since I initially suggested it, but I'm a big fan of SparkStreaks (and have several weekly streaks that are currently approaching 100 weeks)!

What do you like best about working at SparkPeople? The people (this includes both co-workers and SparkPeople members)!

Is there anything else readers should know about you? I'm a big fan of our local sports teams; love the Cincinnati Reds, Bearcats, and Bengals (in that order).

What would YOUR dream job be?