Last week’s blog post “WTH is FollowFriday” was very popular because people now have a reason to follow others on Twitter. Therefore, I’m making it a Friday tradition.
If you’re not on Twitter, get there and follow these people!
If you are on Twitter, following are my recommendations for today.
@wiskup I met Mark when he spoke to my Vistage group three years ago. He’s one of the best communication professionals I know…and really knows how to tell you like it is. Even though I spend all of my days communicating, he still knows how to help make me better. Plus, he has a new book coming out this fall, “Don’t Be that Boss,” that every manager must read!
@jonesdel Del is the leadership reporter for USA Today. But if that’s not enough, he’s one of the nicest reporters I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. Now PR people, that doesn’t mean you should go on and pitch him right now! He knows what is a story and he doesn’t want to be bothered by mundane stuff just because I said he’s nice. But if you do pitch him, and it is a story, he will get back to you…even if it’s not right when you send the email.
@CharPennyAnn Char did some work for us in 2008. Cold calling. Can you imagine a worse job? But she did it with a smile, with enthusiasm, and she introduced us to some great leads! She still does that…from her home office in Seattle, should you need a great cold caller!
@NatSlavin I met Nat almost accidentally at a TweetUp in Chicago a few months ago. Our mutual friend @SarahRobinson told me the day of the TweetUp that he was going to be there and I should look him up. He does marketing for law firms and is one of the smartest marketers I know. He’s a must…especially if you’re in the legal field.
@AbbieF I met Abbie through Counselors Academy a few years ago and she quickly has become one of my dearest friends. She’s a PR pro, a great business leader, and she’s just darn funny. Plus her dog @VivaDog is on Twitter, too!
@MelanieGreen Talk about a small world. Melanie is a client of Nat’s. She also is one of Abbie’s best friends. Needless to say, it was imperative we meet. Melanie is a chief marketing offier for a law firm and she lives in Indianapolis. She makes it Chicago every couple of months so, if you live here, follow her and you’ll get to meet her someday!
@Big_Teeth I recently was invited to a BBQ at Gregg’s business. He makes videos. Really good ones. And he won Super Bowl tickets (which I’m still trying to steal) in a poker tournament. If you ever need a video made, you must call them!
@SEOCopy Last week I forgot my favorite dual personality in Gabriella and @Level343. Somehow she’s managed to not only engage with @luiserpa and me, but also to endear herself to us forever. If you need help with search engine optimization, she’s your gal!
@Rieva I met Rieva in San Diego in January and became fast friends. She’s one of those women you automatically admire. Her resume is immpecable (think Entrepreneur editor) and she now freelances. Her biggest gig is with AllBusiness.com and she knows what she’s doing. She just launched the franchise blog there and is one to watch. Plus, if you ever need writing help, call her!
@Nylons I don’t know where to begin with Nancy. She is the funniest person I know in real life. She knows how to take an ordinary situation and make it extraordinary. She is the CEO of Clockwork, a Web firm she started with a couple of musician friends. Now the firm is the best in Minneapolis (maybe in the entire Midwest) and I’m proud to call her a friend, client, and partner.
@RickBakas Rick is one of those guys that has a zillion Twitter followers and when you meet him you think you’re going to get the distant “I don’t really know who you are” look. But he is a true engager, on Twitter and in real life. He’s entered in a contest to be the Murphy-Goode winery blogger/tweeter and you should vote for him here!
@KendallThiessen Kendall is one of the first “relationships” I developed on Twitter. You want to know why? He teased me about my Neil Diamond pick on blip. That endeared him to me immediately. He lives in Denver and I get to see him often, because I’m there so much.
@JazzLifeJunkie Other than wanting to take over Twitter with me (we know how to monetize it!), Kevin is a great wine friend. He sends me links to wines and is even bringing me a bottle when he crashes wine:thirty in a few weeks! Plus, he’s worth the follow just to read his blog post on the Twilight series.
@TimNagle I was immediately interested in what Tim had to say on Twitter because he’s a Duct Tape professional, which is very intriguing to me. Those guys came out of nowhere and then built a network of pros that teach their methodology. Turns out Tim IS very interesting, but also just an all around nice guy. If you’re nice to him, he’ll let you see video of his daughter playing basketball, which is to die for cute.
@FoiledCupcakes If for no other reason but that her cupcakes RULE! They are seriously the best I’ve had…AND she delivers to the greater Chicagoland area. Follow, follow, follow!
@LoisatVistage I somehow have friends with dual personalities because Lois also is @CaliLois. I haven’t figured out what the difference is between the two so sometimes I just rotate who I tweet. I met Lois because she’s a client, but she quickly became a very good friend. She’s a young lady who is going places. Keep an eye on her!
@AmberCadabra I’m almost afraid to tell people that Amber is a friend of mine in real life…even before she was a big deal on Twitter. Why, you ask? Because she’s such a celebrity, that people will innundate me asking for an introduction. So follow her. Engage with her. But make sure it’s smart, sarcastic, and witty…or she may not respond back. That or she’s traveling (I think she’s gone something like 25 days a month!) and just hasn’t had a chance to connect.
@ElizWeiland Another Denver friend who also loves cupcakes, baking, and wine. She is a friend of Kendall’s, which is how we connected in the first place. She’s an entrepreneur trying to change the world. See if you can help her!
@Nuk3Dawg Green Team! Roger is the leader of the green team and we win at everything! He’s worth the follow…if only because his bio is hilarious!
@WhenGrowthStall I had the immense pleasure of meeting Steve in person earlier this week. He gave the keynote at a conference I attended. He owns an ad agency in Albuquerque, he’s written a book (“When Growth Stalls“), and he’s a Vistage speaker. He’s one of those guys that is super successful, but as down-to-earth as they come!
@KelleyMoore My dancing Dallas friend who I met on Twitter because we’re both members of Vistage. She makes me laugh really hard because, like @modishplum, after 15 years of marriage is still undeniably in love with her husband. She is an entrepreneur and business owner – she provides tools for personal and professional success.
@ShirleyBrady I got to know Shirley via the old-fashioned way – EMAIL! She’s the BusinessWeek.com content editor and one of the nicest people I know…especially for a New Yorker. This one knows how to make you feel like you’re the only person important to her, which is saying a lot considering all of the egos she must deal with on a daily basis. Plus her daughter stories make me laugh really hard!
If you’re not on the first two lists, never fear! I’m OCD about keeping track of all of you so you’ll make it soon!