More than a year ago, a bunch of my worlds began to collide and Jeannie Walters was in the middle of them. Having met some of her Vox colleagues, then discovering she was the college roommate of a friend I worked with in Kansas City, then realizing we ran in the exact, same circles and knew all of the same people, it was fate. Now my soul sister, bosom buddy, and (hopefully) a soon-to-be Global Domination partner, Jeannie’s fabulous blog, 360 Connext, is today’s #FollowFriday.

360 Connext is Jeannie’s business, which just celebrated it’s one year birthday, and focuses on the user experience, from a customer perspective. Really smart and wickedly funny, Jeannie draws upon her expertise, her life, and her clients to bring you a service-oriented user experience. Continue Reading »

I realized last Friday that the past few #FollowFriday recommendations have been men. Nothing against you, guys, but I gotta get some women in here! As luck would have it, I got to see Rieva Lesonsky live, and in person, last night, so it makes perfect sense that she be today’s recommendation.

Where to begin? I met Rieva, by chance, at a TweetUp at the International Franchise Association show nearly two years ago. We immediately hit it off and, through social media, have become good friends. She is one of the smartest women I know, both offline and online. You can’t help but mention her past when you talk about her – she was editorial director at Entrepreneur Magazine. So I’m not the only one who thinks she’s smart! Continue Reading »

This kind of seems like a no brainer, but today’s #FollowFriday is Jay Baer. The author of Convince and Convert, a serial entrepreneur, a fellow lover of food, and a coach to not only Fortune 500 companies, but also PR and advertising firms, Jay is one person I would actually use the term “expert.”

I first met Jay last year when he spoke at Counselors Academy in Palm Springs. He was so good then that we invited him back to speak in Asheville (and likely will invite him to speak again in Las Vegas). When he speaks, he gives you valuable information you can take back to the office and actually implement with confidence. When he writes (which is every day), he gives you tools and tips that he has tried himself. I love his philosophy of trying new tools, testing their strengths and weaknesses, finding practical applications for them, and then telling all of us how we can use them, too. He’s a walking encyclopedia of online know-how, tips, and tools! Continue Reading »

Today’s #FollowFriday is for Arik Hanson, the man who created the PR Readers Choice awards and HAPPO (with the uber-charming Valerie Simon) and who is a huge proponent for 12for12K and 30 Under 30. Continue Reading »

Today’s #FollowFriday is Danny Brown. If you’re in PR and/or marketing and don’t already know him, change that immediately! He is the one person that, at least three times a week, I read his blog and think, “Dang! I wish I’d thought of that first!”

I first met Danny nearly 18 months ago when he worked to launch 12for12K, a community that raises $12,000 for a different charity each month.  I started reading his blog voraciously and soon I felt like I’d known him all my life. Continue Reading »

Today’s #FollowFriday recommendation is Mark Schaefer, a marketing and communication professional who owns Schaefer Marketing Solutions in Knoxville. I don’t remember how I “met” Mark; I think it was through my crazy friend Shelly Kramer (who, BTW, is definitely worth following on Twitter). Continue Reading »

One of the things I love about Twitter is it truly flattens out the world. One example of the global reach it’s provided me is access to Jon Buscall, a communications professional in Sweden. And he is today’s #FollowFriday blog recommendation.

I subscribe to a zillion blogs, but Jon’s is one of the few I read daily (the others I save for “downtime” at airports or on planes). A fantastic mix of tips and tools, as well as very high-level strategy opinion, you’ll not only learn something, you’ll begin to really like the guy.  And, if you’re not sure about your own content – what to write, how to write it, what to say – he gives phenomenal advice in getting started, writing headlines, using tools other than just blogging.

So go check out Jontus Media now, subscribe, read, comment, and if you’re really lucky, he’ll tell you who the pup is on his home page.

It’s time for #FollowFriday, which (in my book) means it’s time for the recommended blog of the week!

About a year ago, I received a direct message on Twitter from Scott Hepburn. He mentioned that our mutual friend, Amber Naslund, suggested he connect with me. We talked on the phone and immediately hit it off. He is, without a doubt, one of the smartest communication minds around.

This becomes pretty evident when you read his blog, Media Emerging. Continue Reading »

It’s #FollowFriday, which means the never-ending list of Twitter handles in your stream. Last week, Chris Brogan wrote about using your blog to recommend people to follow instead of just sending handles in 140 character bytes.

As many of you know, we did that for most of last year and it really was a lot of fun. (and we still think it’s a great idea!) In fact, quite a few people are still doing it, including Kat Jaibur, Julio Varela, and Gabriella Sannino. If you are on Twitter and you want reasons to follow new people, I recommend checking out their blogs (no pressure to the three of you!).

This year we’ve decided to take #FollowFriday to another level by recommending just one blog for you to read each week. The author may or may not be on Twitter, but the blog is one we read and find extremely valuable. We hope you do, too! Continue Reading »

Are you ready?

@PatrickReyes Patrick works at GM and is the furthest thing you would think when you think marketing and automaker. If he gets his way, he’ll change the way the auto industry communicates…for the better. On top of his demanding job, he blogs at Salt and Light, and quite consistently. AND, his New Year’s resolution was to commit to exercise. He’s on day 31 of P90X and loving it. He talks about his progress and it’s fun to watch. His only negative? He’s a Lions fan.

@dietcokeluvah You know how you meet people who are not scared ONE BIT to jump into a conversation, engage, and endear themselves to you? That’s my Diet Coke friend, who (for some reason), has an avatar of My Little Pony today. She has just started her blog, but I’m already intrigued. Note the Web sites/blogs she has listed…see a common theme? Continue Reading »