I’ve had one of those weeks that I thought, “It’s OK, Gin. Just get through the week and you can write the top five on the plane Friday morning.” But then the plane didn’t have WiFi and then I had a small fire to put out so now I’m writing this under serious pressure. Come on! I can do this! I have 20 minutes.

With no other introduction, following are the top five stories from the week that, if you haven’t already, are a must read!

5. Klout & Critics: Time to Close the Door or Kick It Wide Open? I belong to a Facebook group through which I was introduced to Lisa Thorell of Off the Grid PR and found this blog post. Coupled with a comment someone left on Facebook that his friends and family have no clue what his Klout score means and this begins to educate you on what is important and what is not.

4. How to Stop Being a Victim of Your Own Life. Yep, I love Harvard Business Review and this one comes from their blogs. While it talks about managing work/life balance as an executive, it’s applicable to all. There are four tips for taking control and not letting email and meetings and phone calls drive your productivity.

3. Social Media Gurus Feed My Mind Not My Body. One of my favorite tweeters, commenters, and bloggers is ex-pat John Falchetto, who is living in France. Recently an A-list social media blogger wrote about how to lose 20 pounds in one month, which was so far off his normal message (not to mention unhealthy) that lots of people are up in arms. I like John’s approach to the discussion.

2. Ten Questions Internet Execs Should Ask and Answer. Another story written for executives, but a good one to read if you work for a .com, have a .com client, or sell online. Really smart questions and things to consider in our day-to-day lives.

1. Google Launches Their Version of Groupon. Of course, this is the big news of the day…and really, is anyone surprised? If I were Groupon, I’d be sprinting to IPO before Google takes over.

With that, I wish you all a great weekend. And…

GO BEARS!!!!!!!!!!

Gini Dietrich

Gini Dietrich is the founder, CEO, and author of Spin Sucks, host of the Spin Sucks podcast, and author of Spin Sucks (the book). She is the creator of the PESO Model and has crafted a certification for it in partnership with Syracuse University. She has run and grown an agency for the past 15 years. She is co-author of Marketing in the Round, co-host of Inside PR, and co-host of The Agency Leadership podcast.

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