Welcome to the 27th edition of the Hive Community Spotlight! In this series, we shine a light on some of the most active and engaging members of the Hive community. Today, we are excited to feature another interesting user, @zekepickleman.

Who is @zekepickleman

@zekepickleman is a digital marketer and business consultant who discovered crypto and blockchain in 2017. Initially drawn to the potential financial gains, he quickly became captivated by the community aspects of the platform, starting with Steem and transitioning to Hive. Known for his unique username inspired by a stage name from bands he played in, @zekepickleman balances professional expertise with a passion for photography, beer brewing, and storytelling. His journey on Hive reflects a commitment to content creation and community engagement

Summarized Information about @zekepickleman

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you first got involved with the Hive community?

@zekepickleman: I am a digital marketer and business consultant who discovered crypto and blockchain in 2017. Honestly, a few friends decided to learn as much as we could about the technology and currency for the potential financial gain and one of those opportunities was Steem. We were just going to post once per day for a year and see what the results were, aiming to stack up 1000 of each token to see which ones would moon. From there, I couldn't help but be drawn in by the community and make many friends across the globe.

What inspired your username, Zeke Pickleman?

@zekepickleman: That name is just a stage name from some of the bands I played in over the years. It seemed like the perfect brand for a blog and pen name to maintain a little anonymity.

What was your initial experience like when you joined Hive, and how has it evolved over time?

@zekepickleman: It was Steem back in the day and I felt like a minnow swimming in an ocean of unlimited big fish. I crawled the trending page to see how the successful people were doing it, searched for the ones who engaged and commented actively, got to know so many cool people through their blogs, and never quit. Hive was a fork in the road for me and it seemed that most people I followed walked from Steem to new yet familiar lands called Hive. Back to the original plan, I left 1000 tokens there and packed it all up to join what seemed like a consolidated group of active, constructive, and engaged people I wanted to be a part of.

Are there any specific projects or initiatives on Hive that you are particularly proud of?

@zekepickleman: There are so many innovative and exciting projects on Hive that it is hard to pick a couple and I believe we are still just getting started. I am really proud of @khaleelkazi and all that @inleo has become. He was one of those guys on Steem that seemed determined to innovate and build, lead by example and was all in. Seeing the progress made from blogger and investor to blockchain champion building a platform that constantly gets better just makes you feel good for the community and future. Besides that, I have a soft spot for @actifit as a rewarding way to transact with the blockchain, get active, and promote a healthy active lifestyle with people from every corner of the globe. The #beersaturday community with our friend @detlev is among the most fun and persistent groups of people and I love the #gardenhive community of growers.

What type of content do you enjoy creating the most, and why?

@zekepickleman: I was never a blogger before Hive and just wanted to post daily, not knowing what I would post about. So, I just took pictures and told stories till I found themes or subjects I enjoyed and felt I could present well enough not to get downvoted. Being a branding guy professionally, I guess my content brands would be Beer and Brewing, Canadian Lifestyle, outdoors, gardening, and thoughtful conversation sharing insight and learning from others in comments. A little aggrandizement with adventures of a boring white guy doesn't hurt and it is a lot of fun. ;)

Are there any Hivers who have particularly influenced or inspired you?

@zekepickleman: There are so many influencers and leaders that I have about 400 I follow to choose from. Khal and Detlev as mentioned earlier. @slobberchops and @davedickeyyall have never failed to entertain and showed me how to write and produce authentic content with a sense of humor. I love following people like @sanjeevm, @gooddream, and @ace108 for their neat perspective and stories, the KPs (@galenkp and @tarazkp) for their experience sharing, and fellow hosers @leaky20, @shadowspub and @daveks representing for so long.

How has being a part of the Hive community impacted your personal or professional life?

@zekepickleman: Hive has helped me directly with my writing and given a purpose to my love of photography. Proper grammar is a good base but practice with social copywriting was something I never thought would be a benefit that serves me very well in marketing. Besides that, learning from people all around the world makes me feel more worldly and connected even in years where travel and big vacations are not in the budget.

If you could give one piece of advice to new Hivers, what would it be?

@zekepickleman: The abundance available for everyone willing to put in the work is such a virtue of Hive. Having earned every fraction of my stake on Hive through content creation and curation (never buying/selling Hive on exchanges), I am a good example of how you don't have to invest any money and can build a wonderful network and a residual income no matter who you are. My advice all along has been Content + Networking + Time = Success on Hive. Pretty simple and you can get in as deep as you want and enjoy beyond that.

Is there anything else you'd like to share with the Hive community?

@zekepickleman: I guess just to appreciate how powerful Hive is with the original purpose of taking all the middlemen out from between us. This alone is a superpower we each can leverage to improve our lives together no matter who we are. It is a gift and a responsibility we have to cherish as stewards of this global community. Choose your leaders carefully and connect with them directly to help propel Hive to the level it will become to distribute wealth to all who find a home with us.

Anyone else you suggest would be good for this interview?

@zekepickleman: I would suggest connecting with @godfish and @incublus as active, engaged, progressive, and interesting people.

Community Highlight

@zekepickleman is actively involved in several communities and projects on Hive

Thank you, @zekepickleman, for sharing your insights and experiences with the Hive community. It's an honor to have you in the spotlight and we've benefited a lot from your story and advice. We look forward to seeing more of your contributions and wish you continued success.

Special thanks to:

@thekittygirl
@wesphilbin
@snook

For their valuable support. See you all in the next edition 🤗

View Previous interviews here 👇