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Quickfire Q+A with Kirstine Stewart who is #lovingit at Twitter Canada

As managing director of Twitter Canada and one of our 2012 Top 25 Women Of Influence,Kirstine Stewart is no stranger to headlines and has earned a fair amount of ink since leaving her post as Executive Vice-President at CBC. Still, we think there are a few things you might not know about this night owl. (“I could win survivor,” she says, as a start.) By way of getting to know each other better, Stewart graciously agreed to finish a few of our sentences.


BESIDES FORMAL SCHOOLING, THE MOST EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE I’VE EVER HAD WAS…
Motherhood. Because you’re dealing with human beings who, ultimately, you have no control over, but in some ways, absolute responsibility for.

I AM MOST PROUD OF…
How I’ve treated people. It’s important in life, and business, to always be fair. It’s not always easy, but you have to be able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes.

2 WORDS THAT DESCRIBED ME WHEN I WAS 25 YEARS OLD ARE…
Very young.

WHEN IT COMES TO MY CURRENT JOB, I WOULD DESCRIBE MY MAIN RESPONSIBILITY AS…
Evangelizing. I am preaching the benefits and attributes of a fantastic new platform.

I KNEW I WAS GOOD AT THAT WHEN…
I was in an intensive 360 review years ago. You’re put in a room for a whole day and are given different challenges: you have to write and record an address to your company; there are financial questions to work through… It’s intense. At the end, you get an analysis of your strengths. I was told I could be a professional cult leader. And as long as I use that for good, I think it’s a good thing. Better than being a sociopath.

MY FIRST JOB EVER WAS…
Newspaper carrier. I was 10. It was a “pay what you want” paper, so I had to go door-to-door convincing people to pay. It was the only job I could get at 10 and I had it for two years. I’ve always liked the independence working gives me. I had three jobs in university.

ONE MEMORABLE FAILURE HAPPENED WHEN I…
Didn’t trust my own instincts. I didn’t speak up when something needed to be said.

I GOT OVER IT BY…
Learning to speak when it counted. You don’t want to speak too much or people don’t listen.

2 WORDS THAT DESCRIBE ME TODAY ARE…
Contented and excited.

I LOVE MY CURRENT JOB BECAUSE…
It’s a new beginning and there are so many places it can go.

THE WORST THING ANYONE CAN DO DURING A JOB INTERVIEW IS…
Not know enough about the job or the company. When I worked in television, I had people come to interviews saying, “I don’t watch TV.” You’d be surprised. It happens.

THE WORST THING I HAVE DONE DURING A JOB INTERVIEW WAS…
Decide too late that I didn’t actually want the job.

MY WORKDAY ENDS WHEN…
It’s a never-ending story.

I GO TO BED WHEN…
The birds are chirping.

2 WORDS I HOPE DESCRIBE ME 25 YEARS FROM NOW ARE…
Fabulous and still-blonde.

MY PHONE IS…
Always on.

I SEEM TO SURPRISE PEOPLE WHEN I TELL THEM…
That I can quilt, tat, knit, spin wool into yarn and cook molasses cookies on a wood stove. I could win Survivor. At university, I worked at the Living Museum as a 1820’s housewife.

I WISH I WERE BETTER AT…
Pacing myself.

I AM EXCELLENT AT…
Quilting and tatting.

IF I HAD A PERSONAL TAG LINE, A SLOGAN, IT WOULD BE…
#lovingit!

WHEN I WAS FIRST STARTING IN MY CAREER, I WISH SOMEONE HAD TOLD ME…
That I didn’t have to go so fast.

FIVE YEARS FROM NOW I WILL BE…
I don’t believe in five-year plans.