Image: Pinterest.com

Are you pinning? Have you seen Michelle Obama’s board filled with pics from “around the White House’? Perhaps you’ve pinned one of Madame Noire’s stories? (You can do that, you know.)

In a short time, Pinterest has grown into one of the most prominent social networks on the Internet. A place for enthusiasts and companies to post images of things they fancy, the site has grown to more than 20 million users and has been valued at more than $1 billion. It was founded in 2009, but has seen exponential growth over the past 10 months or so.

For individuals, Pinterest is a place to showcase your expertise or your passion. “Particularly for people in creative fields, Pinterest can be an enhancement to a portfolio,” a Pinterest spokesperson told us via email. We were in touch with Pinterest to learn some of the professional uses for the site. A Pinterest publicist passed our questions around to gather responses.

At first, Pinterest was populated overwhelmingly by women. And even now, judging by the brands and the content that populates the site, it’s obvious that women are still the driving force. However, the site says it’s seeing an increase in the number of men who are participating.

“For example, Pinterest is popular among designers and architects (still somewhat male-dominated fields) because it’s such a visual platform and pinning can be really useful for quickly representing an idea or concept with images,” Pinterest tells us. “Boards devoted to food, gadgets/products, home projects, design/typography, posters/art/photography, humor (ie: Internet memes, online comics, etc.), and activities or toys for kids are all examples of topics we’ve seen men pin frequently.”

The site has become a huge traffic driver, sending people around the Internet to and fro. And where there’s traffic, there’s a greater possibility of being noticed by an influential someone who’s active on the site, or prospective customers. Some of the top brands on Pinterest include Kate Spade, Whole Foods, and Real Simple magazine.

by Cortney Cleveland

Some people spend their whole lives waiting for their big break. But, some driven people – like Issa Rae and Aisha Tyler – have the initiative to create their own opportunities. For those individuals, digital technology can be a godsend that allows them to take their careers into their own hands.

Aisha Tyler is receiving accolades for her podcast “Girl on Guy”. The series was designated a Best New Comedy in the iTunes Rewind 2011 year-end roundup. Tyler, an established standup comedian, is currently known as the voice of the character Lana on FX’s animated hit “Archer” and co-host of CBS’ daytime show “The Talk.” Her podcast allows her to step outside of comedy to showcase her interview skills through poignant conversations with guests ranging from well-known actors and comedians to indie rock musicians, world-class athletes and wounded warriors.

The podcast may have started out as a hobby, but it has become a stepping-stone for her career, introducing her to new audiences and invigorating her brand. “I set out to make a little podcast about things and people I’m passionate about,” said Tyler. “It’s grown into much more, and I’m thrilled my enthusiasm for unvarnished conversation with compelling people is shared by my audience.”

Issa Rae; star, writer and producer of the hit web series “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl”; used digital to launch her career. The comedy debuted to 60,000 viewers on YouTube after its launch in January of last year.

When Rae found herself jobless and tapped out financially at the end the series’ sixth episode, she again turned to a digital solution. Rae and Tracy Oliver, a producer and writer on the show, launched a campaign with Kickstarter, an online funding platform, to crowd source financing for the show. They were able to generate over $50,000, nearly doubling their original goal, to complete their first season and produce a season finale, set to air this Thursday.

Rae’s success brought Hollywood to her. She recently signed with United Talent Agency and 3 Arts Entertainment, the same representation behind Tina Fey. But, Rae is not anxious to turn her product over to a big network.

(Wall Street Journal) — An onslaught of digital technologies has laid waste to traditional media. The new year will bring a clearer picture of what will emerge from the rubble.  Online games that piggyback off social networks are thriving. Publishers are increasingly chipper about the profit potential for digital books, newspapers and magazines, one example of how the historic rivalry between media and tech companies, while still intense, may be softening. Some sectors, like television, may have their toughest days ahead of them. There, a digital tide is rising as new ways to watch TV over the Internet begin to push aside traditional habits. How will TV networks and cable companies make up for the cash they will lose if viewers “cut the cord” and look for shows on the Web?

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