45 Pros You Should Be Following on Twitter
If you love the Twitter like I love the Twitter, you know that it is much more than just a work diversion or a way to practice your editing skills. Part non-stop news feed, part networking luncheon/happy hour, part social commentary; Twitter is where the pros are hanging out. And you can learn a lot simply by reading and observing their Tweets.
Ready to fire up your TweetDeck or Whirl? Then consider following these Pros—they come from various industries and have different styles, but they all personally update their accounts on a regular basis, and provide both interesting information, humor, and personal insights in their individual fields.
Techies, Entrepreneurs, and Biz Folk
Name: Robert Scoble
Handle: @Scobleizer
Why Follow: Widely regarded as one of the biggest (and most social) geeks on the internet. Scoble is a prolific Twitterer!
Name: Guy Kawasaki
Handle: @GuyKawasaki
Why Follow: Marketing guru who earned his chops at Apple in the 1980’s. He is now enjoying success as a venture capitalist, author and blogger.
Name: Shel Israel
Handle: @shelisrael
Why Follow: A social media writer and blogger, Israel has teamed with Robert Scoble to co-author a book and is currently writing a new book about Twitter which he regularly tweets about.
Name: Sumaya Kazi
Handle: @sumaya
Why Follow: Senior Social Media Manager at Sun Microsystems and award winning entrepreneur, Sumaya is only 26 and has a bright future ahead of her. Her website empire facilitates social and professional networking among diverse ethnic groups.
Name: Penelope Trunk
Handle: @PenelopeTrunk
Why Follow: A career columnist at the Boston Globe and blogger for her own site Brazen Careerist which helps companies find talent. Trunk is full of excellent career advice and personal insights that can benefit you even if you’re not looking for a change.
Name: Al Kreuger
Handle: @alkrueger
Why Follow: Founder/Co-Principal of Comet Branding. MKE Advocate. Brander. Writer. Strategic Storyteller. Digs Marketing, PR 2.0, Cycling. Hosts Weekly Internet Radio Show.
Name: TimFerriss
Handle: @tferriss
Why Follow: Author of #1 NY Times bestseller The 4-Hour Workweek, Japanophile, tea drinker, tango world record holder, and language learning fanatic.
Name: Kevin Rose
Handle: @kevinrose
Why Follow: Founder of social media site digg.com. Random ideas, entrepreneur, climber of rocks, video blogger, & tea drinker.
Name: Pete Cashmore
Handle: @mashable
Why Follow: The face of Mashable.com, a blog and online community dedicated to everything and anything to do with social networking/Web 2.0.
Name: Biz Stone
Handle: @biz
Why Follow: Co-founder of Twitter and all-around colorful personality.
Name: Freda Mooncotch
Handle: @fredamooncotch
Why Follow: Founder and engine behind AlphaWomen.com; Mooncotch is one of the most personal and expressive Twitterers—sharing all the highs and lows of starting up her young company.
Name: Tannette Elie
Handle: @telie
Why Follow: Social media enthusiast and business columnist for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. I focus on how small businesses and start-ups are using networking to grow.
Name: Om Malik
Handle: @om
Why Follow: Founder of GigaOM & a Venture Partner at True Ventures; his blog GigaOm.com covers all aspects of modern business.
Name: Darren Rowse
Handle: @ProBlogger
Why Follow: Full time Blogger, Author, Social Media Participant. Sharing Blogging and Twitter Tips (and a little life). Rowse has what may very well be the most popular blog on the subject of blogging.
Name: Tony Hsieh
Handle: @zappos
Why Follow: Zappos.com is one of the most successful online retailers, selling hundreds of thousands of shoes each year. But Hsieh doesn’t just Tweet boring CEO stuff. He also shares his thoughts on antihistamines, mannequins, and spicy pork rinds.
Name: Frag Dolls Gaming Team
Handle: @FragDolls
Why Follow: Ubisoft’s all-girl professional gaming team. We’re passionate about video games and geek culture, and love to see more women playing and making games.
Name: Adam Toren
Handle: @thebizguy
Why Follow: It’s Yours Truly!
Entertainers, Artists and Athletes
Name: Shaquille O’Neill
Handle: @The_Real_Shaq
Why Follow: One of the most popular celebrity Twitterers, Shaq says of himself that he is “Very quotatious, I perform random acts of Shaqness.”
Name: Lance Armstrong
Handle: @lancearmstrong
Why Follow: 7-time Tour de France winner, full time cancer fighter, founder of the Livestrong Foundation, and inspiration to all.
Name: Rainn Wilson
Handle: @RainnWilson
Why Follow: Actor, writer and co-creator of SoulPancake and his son, Walter. Best known for his role as Dwight K. Schrute on NBC’s hit comedy series, The Office.
Name: Bob Saget
Handle: @bob_saget
Why Follow: New account of this well-known comedian and actor. He’s not the G-rated guy you remember from Full House.
Name: John Hodgman
Handle: @Hodgman
Why Follow: John Hodgman is a self-proclaimed “expert” on everything. He’s also a writer, actor, and television personality best known for his role as a PC in the Apple commercials.
Name: Snoop Dogg
Handle: @snoopdogg
Why Follow: Rap artist and television personality, Snoop Dogg has taken to the internet and tweets live from his MTV television show Dogg After Dark which is on each Tuesday evening.
Name: Eddie Izzard
Handle: @eddieizzard
Why Follow: Hilarious, legendary UK-based comedian keeps you updated on hi gigs and other globe-trotting adventures.
Name: John Lithgow
Handle: @John_Lithgow
Why Follow: Brilliant actor who tweets about hanging out with famous people and book recommendations among other things.
Name: Jimmy Fallon
Handle: @jimmyfallon
Why Follow: SNL alum and the host of The Late Show with Jimmy Fallon, he’s full of current events, humor and mendacity.
Name: Tony Hawk
Handle: @tonyhawk
Why Follow: Professional (legendary) skateboarder, dad, videogame character, husband, ceo, and kid chauffeur.
Name: Ashton Kutcher
Handle: @aplusk
Why Follow: Surprisingly hilarious tweets from Mr. Demi Moore. Kutcher is one of the most prolific celeb tweeters and he seems to really enjoy it.
Name: P.Diddy/Sean Combs
Handle: @iamdiddy
Why Follow: Hip-hop guru, mega-producer, and gazillionaire; P.Diddy tweets about being in the studio, hanging out with his famous pals, and everything else having to do with being wildly successful.
Name: Jon Favreau
Handle: @Jon_Favreau
Why Follow: Actor, producer and director of the upcoming Iron Man 2; Favreau’s tweets are a fascinating look behind the scenes of movie-making.
Name: David Lynch
Handle: @David_Lynch
Why Follow: Provocative director, screenwriter, producer, painter, cartoonist, composer, and performance artist. Lynch is renowned for his creative and (often disturbing) storytelling abilities.
Name: Trent Reznor
Handle: @trent_reznor
Why Follow: Nine Inch Nails frontman and passionate internet user, Reznor has been on the front lines of the digital music revolution for the past decade.
Name: “Weird” Al Yankovic
Handle: @alyankovic
Why Follow: He’s weird. And really, really funny.
Reporters, Writers and Info-Geeks
Name: Anderson Cooper
Handle: @andersoncooper
Why Follow: CNN’s silver fox tweets live from the news desk, and he’s always got tweets about the freshest news stories and current events.
Name: Rachel Maddow
Handle: @maddow
Why Follow: Wildly popular anchor of MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Show; she combines news and humor in her own unique way.
Name: Neil Gaiman
Handle: @neilhimself
Why Follow: Neil Gaiman is the winner of 3 Hugos, 2 Nebulas, 1 World Fantasy Award, 4 Bram Stoker Awards, 6 Locus Awards, 2 British SF Awards, 1 British Fantasy Award, 3 Geffens, 1 International Horror Guild Award and 1 Mythopoeic.
Name: Arianna Huffington
Handle: @ariannahuff
Why Follow: Editor-in-Chief, The Huffington Post; This is Huffington’s personal Twitter account and gives you both links to her HuffPo blog posts and personal commentary.
Name: George Stephanopolous
Handle: @GStephanopoulos
Why Follow: ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent and Host of “This Week”
Name: Tim O’Reilly
Handle: @timoreilly
Why Follow: Founder and CEO, O’Reilly Media. Watching the alpha geeks, sharing their stories, helping the future unfold.
Name: David Pogue
Handle: @Pogue
Why Follow: Tech columnist for the NY Times; CNBC tech dude; Missing Manuals creator, dad of 3! Loves to talk about family life as much as he does technology.
Name: Megan McCain
Handle: @McCainBlogette
Why Follow: The voice of the New Conservative Youth, Megan McCain is daughter of former Presidential nominee and Senator John McCain. She’s got moxie!
Name: Susan Murphy
Handle: @SuzeMuse
Why Follow: Writer, tv producer, media creator, teacher, singer, wizard, and pet mom and founder of www.12for12k.org?
Name: Natalie Abrams
Handle: @NatalieAbrams
Why Follow: Assistant to the TV Diva @ E! Online. Insider news and gossip from the heart of Hollywood, CA.
Name: Daryl Cagle
Handle: @dcagle
Why Follow: Cagle is one of the best known political cartoonists in the U.S. today. He is the cartoonist for MSNBC.com and has his own site www.blog.cagle.com/daryl.
Name: John Dickerson
Handle: @jdickerson
Why Follow: Journalist and blogger with impressive credentials that include White House Correspondent for Time Magazine.
Me 2.0
April 14, 2009 by Adam
Filed under Blogging, Business, Personal Development
This week saw the release of the new book by Dan Schawbel entitled Me 2.0; a comprehensive guide for young people (although anyone can benefit from it) as they enter the workforce and plot their careers and entrepreneurial endeavors. Personal branding is a relatively new concept—at least for the masses. But as the economy and traditional business structures change, the focus becomes even more on the individual. Each person must strive to find a way to define their strengths, network, and build their business using all of their talents—personal and professional. Employers look at their people as separate units and judge them on what unique skills and talents they are bringing to the table. Cookie-cutter job descriptions and form applications will simply not suffice for staffing the companies of the new millennium.
As a unique, personal brand you can make a name for yourself over and above the company you work for. Making a website, writing an ebook, and using social media are easy and fun; as you create your own following, it will add to your net worth as an individual and an employee.
In the groundbreaking book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t by Jim Collins, he describes one of the most important ways that a company can excel when others fail. Hiring the “right people” doesn’t mean hiring them to fill a job description; it means hiring extraordinary people and letting them contribute to your company in innovative ways. Corporations have begun to adopt more flexible, organic growth patterns which make them much more responsive to market demands and good old fashioned inspiration.
All this means that the focus must return to developing ourselves in the ways where we are naturally more suited to excel. Ironically, this will not only make us better employees and entrepreneurs; but we’ll be much happier personally as we align our work with our personalities.
Me 2.0 is not just about building a career based on your individual abilities, however. That is merely the first step. This book is for marketing yourself—the next part of the success equation. All the rules have changed, and that includes how you find work and promote yourself. Obviously, the biggest role played in modern networking is the internet; and young people have an advantage when it comes to adaptability online. They also have a much better grasp of how to use Web 2.0 effectively for marketing themselves and their products/services.
Me 2.0 is more than just an informative book, however. It is a guide for building a personal brand which includes case studies; development and strategic planning exercises; and technical instructions for creating and promoting your online presence. For anyone looking to succeed in the coming decades, it is a must-read.
Dan Schawbel is the leading personal branding expert for Gen-Y. He is the author of Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success as well as the publisher of both the award winning Personal Branding Blog and Personal Branding Magazine. You can stay up on Schawbel’s latest news and information on his popular blog: Personal Branding Blog.
Ten Books on Blogging You Must Read This Year
April 13, 2009 by Adam
Filed under Blogging, Personal Development
Blogging amounts to a revolution in media and communications. For serious bloggers it is much more than just an online diary or a place to post pictures of our kids. If you’re a serious blogger, and you’ve already gone through all those “Blogging for Beginners” books, here’s a list of ten must-read books for you to chew on this year:
Hands-On Guide to Video Blogging and Podcasting: Emerging Media Tools for Business Communication
Author: Lionel Felix
Video blogging is the next step in the blogosphere. Already it is being adopted by the most savvy authors, and sites like YouTube which publish videos are insanely popular. You can increase your blog traffic exponentially when you start producing video blog posts. This excellent book is a basic but comprehensive look at the newest technology, tools and platforms for video blogging—and it’s cousin podcasting.
Author: Dan Gillmor
In this book, author Dan Gillmor discusses the rapidly blurring line between bloggers and journalists; and talks about the dangers and responsibilities both groups have to face when creating news and passing on information. Information is now freer than ever before and individuals have become much more critical in their thinking when it comes to world events, the political process, and economic issues. This book is an excellent look at the changing landscape of news and how it is reported.
Blog!: How the Newest Media Revolution is Changing Politics, Business, and Culture
Author: David Kline and Dan Bursetein.
Blogging is changing the way people stay informed and participate in politics, business, and culture. In this book authors David Kline and Dan Burstein take a “big picture” look at blogging and its impact on these very important parts of our society.
Blogging Heroes: Interviews with 30 of the World’s Top Bloggers
Author: Michael A. Banks
The best way to learn greatness is to listen to people who have achieved it themselves. This book interviews some of the brightest stars in the blogosphere, including Peter Rojas, Robert Scoble, Gina Trapani, Richard MacManus and many more.
Publish and Prosper: Blogging for Your Business
Author: D. L. Byron
This book discusses blogging from the perspective of a business person and gives specific information on how differentiate your site from ‘hobby blogs.’ Get the lowdown on how to create, manage, and network your blog all with the aim of increasing your business.
No One Cares What You Had for Lunch: 100 Ideas for Your Blog
Author: Margaret Mason
Standing out from the crown in the blogosphere means being creative not only in your writing, but in the way you approach your entire blog from concept to execution. This book offers unique ideas and a healthy dose of inspiration for individuals that are trying to make a name for themselves with their blog.
The New Influencers: A Marketer’s Guide to the New Social Media
Author: Paul Gillin
Marketing has changed, and those who cannot adapt will find themselves lost and confused in the new world of social networking and social media. This book helps traditional marketing people grasp the concepts that they need to make social media work for them; and gives specific examples of how to operate within this new system of marketing and networking.
The Corporate Blogging Book: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know to Get It Right
Author: Debbie Weil
Blogging isn’t just for the “little guy” any more. Now that they are convinced of the power of blogging, corporations are launching more and more blogs, many of them written by their CEO’s or other major players within their organizations. This book helps corporate bloggers understand the world they are entering, and shows this how to avoid some cliché pitfalls which will set them back as they take on this exciting new medium.
Author: David Meerman Scott
It is time for marketing people to give up their fast talking ways and get with the program. The new era of marketing is here and it is about three things: being genuine, providing information, and having a consistent online presence. This book helps redefine marketing and public relations based on the social media phenomenon.
Blog Schmog: The Truth About What Blogs Can (and Can’t) Do for Your Business
Author: Robert W. Bly
So many books have been written gushing about the joys of blogging that many writers feel a sense of letdown when their blogs don’t perform miracles for them. In this book, Robert W. Bly gives readers a realistic view of what blogging is all about, and what it can do for your business in the long run.
Do you have a recommendation that didn’t make our list? Leave a comment and let us know!
Ambition
April 10, 2009 by Adam
Filed under Personal Development, Productivity
am?bi?tion
[am-bish-uh n]
–noun
An earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honor, fame, or wealth, and the willingness to strive for its attainment.
Ambition is at the heart of all true success stories. That’s because success is based on one thing: achievement. Sure there are plenty of people with fame and money who have never had to work for it—but rarely are they considered a “success.” Rather, it’s the people who have had to make sacrifices; who have worked tirelessly and been resourceful who we look to as our icons of success. And the thing that drives those people is ambition.
The question I have for you today is: how ambitious are you? The answer will determine the level of success you will attain in your business venture, because it will define exactly what you’re willing to do to make it succeed. Obviously, unchecked ambition can be dangerous because it ignores everything else but the sought-after “prize” of money, fame, or whatever you’re after. But a strong, healthy sense of ambition is absolutely necessary if you’re going to overcome the obstacles that stand between you and your goal.
There are millions of people who start up a business each year; yet only a small percentage of them actually establish themselves and continue to grow after the first few years. Even less become more than just a steady source of income for the owner. Of course, there are some cases where disaster strikes and a business fails because of things outside of the owner’s control, and every once in a while there’s a business idea so ridiculous it is simply not sustainable. But for the most part, the failure of a business is about not having the chutzpah to keep it going no matter what comes up.
Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. The blood, sweat and tears that goes in to starting up a business are done so not for money, but for creative achievement that every entrepreneur has as part of their personality. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: not everyone can be an entrepreneur. It takes a very special person with not only talent, knowledge and ability but a powerful ambition to see their work take root and flourish.
Ambition requires that you have enough faith in yourself that you won’t back down in the face of criticism or discouragement. It means that you are resourceful enough to come up with solutions when all hope seems lost. It means you’re not above rolling up your sleeves and working all night, or asking for help when you really need it. Ambition means that you believe in your company enough that you are ready to talk about it any time you have an opportunity.
Throughout history there have been a small percentage of people—men and women—who have risen to the top, regardless of where they’ve started out in life; people who have taken the flash of inspiration and carried it through to a concrete reality; individuals with the ability to create their own vision so clearly that they manifest it in everything that they do. They are the ambitious. Are you?
Ten Excellent Freelance Resources
Whether you are a writer, web developer, graphic designer or virtual assistant; there are more and more online opportunities every day for freelancers who want to work from home–either full time or to supplement their existing income. Here is a list of 10 excellent online resources that you can use to start and operate a successful freelance career, regardless of your industry.
1. One Word: Google
You can literally manage your entire online business for free using all the apps provided by Google, including real time document sharing, blogging software, email and an interactive calendar. Granted, some of the stuff is simple and has limitations; but if you’re starting out and aren’t familiar with a lot of the other apps this is a great “one stop shop” for everything you need.
2. Taxes for Freelancers
A comprehensive tutorial for calculating the taxes you owe, including depreciation on your home office and protecting your losses.
3. Creative Commons
A site which lets you license your photography or graphic designs with various levels of permissions. Creative Commons is a non-profit organization and offers their licenses for free, making it simple to protect your work and share it with others.
4. You Send It
No need to take up space in your email when sending bulky files. You can instantly send files up to 2GB to your clients using this free service. They will receive an email with a safe link to download your file directly to their computer.
5. Protolize
Web designers and developers collaborate and rank the best web tools for their work.
6. Form Site
A service with several levels (including a free basic) which allows you to create web-based surveys and forms to gather valuable information or register your clients for services, appointments, etc.
7. Fax Zero
Free internet fax service to send signed documents to companies who require a paper fax.
8. Free Contracts for Freelancers
Includes free templates, how-to articles, and tips for drafting your own agreement, regardless of the type of work you do.
9. Freelance Switch
A massive freelance community that includes a job board and message board for making connections. Includes an informative blog that will keep you up on the news affecting the freelance market.
10. Zoho
If Google Apps had a big brother Zoho would be it. This service provides an enormous array of business management tools that Google does not (yet), including invoicing software, document management, presentation software, a database creator, a customizable wiki…and much more. Pricing is very reasonable starting at $12 a month for up to three users.
Most of the sites listed here are either free or available a nominal cost. However, for each item on this list, there are at least twenty more similar sites out there with a loyal following. I would love to hear some comparisons between these sites and the ones you are using. Do you have a favorite place to search for freelance job postings? Are you using another form-building site? Is there something you’ve used that you think everyone should know about? Leave a comment and let me know.
