@TheRealPRMan Steve tweets the BEST information I’ve found from one person. When I need a blog idea, I always go to his Twitter stream. He always finds the best industry news that is worth sharing. Plus I think his Twitter handle is funny…I asked him once, “Why not ‘TheFakePRMan’?” He rolled his eyes at me.

@GauravBHargava Gaurav, like Steve, is a Silicon Valley whiz. He’s always cheerful and makes me laugh. The first time I read his blog, the description “I’m not perfect” stuck out to me. I even commented on it! I love people like Gaurav…super smart, very funny, but doesn’t take himself too seriously.

@LizMarshall Wow. Where do I begin with Liz? She is one of those people eveyrone should know. A ton of my friends kept saying, “You have to meet Liz.” And then we started to run into one another in Twitter circles. Finally we decided it was time for a chat. She is everything, and more, that everyone says about her. She works with authors. And when I say authors, I don’t mean just anyone. Think Guy Kawasaki, Chris Brogan, Chris Anderson, Robert Scoble, and many others! She is a force to be reckoned with…and someone you should know.

@AlinVasilas Alin is one of my Canadian contingent (may have to take @julito77’s advice and do a #FollowFriday just for Canadians) who has that easy-going sense of humor of my other Vancouver friends. He’s a professional resume writer and he also is a career coach. He’s one of my friends that also wishes we had more hours in the day…even though no one seems to want to grant that wish.

@nomadnp Damon is a tech consultant who lives in Rockford, so we keep thinking he’s going to show up for a beer one of these days. Perhaps if you follow him, you can talk him into driving to Chicago to see us! It’s not that far, Damon!!

@PilarIglesias Pilar is ANOTHER of my Canadian contigent, but she’s in Toronto. She is a communication professional and a Slinky Internationalist (ask her what that means!). We’re trying to talk her into flying down here for #epicmeetup next weekend! So help us encourage her to get here!

@krzimmer I know Kate in real life and she is such a treat! She’s a woman after my own heart…she works out like I do. Too bad she’s a runner, not a cyclist, or I’d have someone to compete with every morning! She is the marketing and communication manager at the PTA. Ask her about it – it’s fascinating to hear what’s happening to the PTA we knew as kids with the entree of the PTO (which are NOT the same!).

@spinspun How could you NOT like Denis? He’s a wine lover. That’s enough for me, right there! But he’s also a PR professional who believes there are ethics in our business and we don’t “spin” for a living. If you’re reading this blog, you know I have a pretty strong opinion about that, as well! He’s just getting started on Twitter, so give him a follow and see what you learn!

@TroyCostlow I’m pretty sure Troy is ALWAYS smiling. Could be his avatar gives me that perception, but his tweets are always upbeat and funny. He’s getting his MBA so he needs as much help as possible to relieve his brain every once in a while.

@BobWarren You want an ego boost? Follow Bob. He’s GREAT at giving out compliments. Probably because he lives in San Diego, and how can you not be happy all the time, living in San Diego? He runs a business called Resume Bear, which is so much more than helping you write your resume. Read his blog. It’s FULL of great information on workplace issues, challenges, and opportunities.

@DavidHandler Somehow, like Canada, I have a great amount of friends in Houston. David is another Houstonian who is a professional business coach. He works with franchisees and with entrepreneurs to build their busineses. He writes a blog and a newsletter, both of which are very smart and thought-provoking.

@Area224 Even though I called Dave out in my very first #FollowFriday blog (because it was his idea and I stole it and ran with it!), I didn’t tell you why you should follow him. Dave is a communication professional who thinks about the profession exactly as I do. He is smart, he’s full of wisdom, he isn’t afraid to take risk, and he thinks spin sucks. Plus the name of his business and his Twitter handle are for his Chicago areacode, which I just find funny.

@Chad_Cohen Chad works with my friend @LorneFisher at Fish Consulting and, even though we’d be considered strong competitors, is one of my favorite communication pros. Start with his avatar. How can you not love someone who is drinking coffee in his photo? Then go to the fact that he used to work with the Florida Marlins. Hello? Dream job! Now he runs social media and blogging for Fish. He’s someone you’ll learn something from at least once a day.

@Scott217 I’ve just recently had the distinct pleasure to get to know Scott better. He lives in Springfield and has a TV background. But he’s smarter than most TV guys…he thinks about the bigger picture and how he can help grow businesses in Springfield. I love that about him. He’s inquisitive and smart. He’s strategic, but knows what he does and doesn’t know and is always willing to help or to ask for help. Follow him – you’ll learn a thing or two…I guarantee it.

@ScottHepburn Scott is a Charlotte-living friend, who I’ve never met, but have had such the pleasure of chatting with him on the phone. He’s the new social media manager for Ritz Marketing, which is a new position and he’s killing it! He’s one of those guys that can take a concept, mold it, make it better, and launch it out of the park.

@mconfes I’m trying to remember how/why Matt and I connected in the first place. He’s become one of my daily doses on Twitter (plus he thinks I’m “bombtastic” – how can you not love that?) because he’s so inquisitive that he makes me rethink some of my own opinions. I think he was pretty wary of social media, at first, but has become a true believer.

@SethBrewer Seth is new to Twitter so let’s help him get out there! He’s a skier, which I love, and he describes himself as a bald guy, which I think is funny! He does online marketing for The Hartford insurance company and seems to be creating social media believers out of their executive team. That’s huge!

@Aerocles I met David recently because of some blog posts I wrote that are similar to his own. He’s a corporate PR guy who believes in blogging and personal branding. Most CEOs would be scared of that, because they aren’t able to control what he says on his own time, but I love that! I think he has great thoughts on the industry and on social media. One other thing I love about his is he’s a self-described “closet science geek”, but I told him he’s no longer in the closet if it’s in his Twitter bio.

Past #FollowFriday recommendations:

July 10

July 3 (a compilation of the preceding five weeks)

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.

View all posts by Gini Dietrich