The year is over but the people of this year have left a mark on my life that goes beyond the turning of a calendar page. Support, encouragement, challenges, contests, and more were brought to me through and by these men and women.
I’d love to be able to break them down into a Top 10 list, or into distinct categories, or give each one a label, such as Top Pesterer. It won’t work. Each of these individuals has contributed in multiple ways to the course of 2008.
Simple messages across the void to in person meetings, these people shared and listened. This post is just to share a little bit about them, both to help remind me and to show respect. Join me please for this small bit of memory chasing.
In no particular order…
- Susan Reynolds and Connie Reece – These ladies, whom I met on Twitter, were two of my earliest encouragers and knowledge instillers. Susan is a complex person being artist, blogger, and business woman. Her hands on sharing about Twitter, Second Life and business were just a few of the things she brought to the table. She also introduced me to Connie Reece. Connie is a busy woman herself, being a leader of BlogHer, running a business, and also providing leadership for Social Media Club. Between them I was given a big head start in the social networking world and a spur to get serious about blogging. They lead me to the next folks on my list.
- Liz Strauss and Terry Starbucker – Liz and Terry uncovered me as a blogger and social networker. This was in big part from Susan and Connie spurring me on. Liz and Terry not only included me in their circles, but Liz nurtured my inner SOB potential. It didn’t stop there, when next they invited me to attend SOBCon08. This event was the most significant event of year of my blogging and social networking life. I’ve written about SOBCon elsewhere on the blog but these two did more than provide a conference. They challenged me to take my blogging game to the next level. Thanks to their push, I won all expense scholarship to SOBCon08 via my blog. SOBCon brings me to my next group of folks.
- Becky McCray, Chris Cree, Rick Mahn, and Sheila Scarborough – I could write all day about these folks, but let me tell you what they have in common. All of them run their own business, all are bloggers, all are experienced in social networking. Best of all, they are part of my SOB Advisory Team. Each has given up their time, resources, and more for me and each other. Introduced to me at SOBCon, the bunch shared a vision of doing more than just keeping fond remembrances of that weekend. That vision has lead us to team up, sharing ideas, encouraging, and when needed, badgering each other. I can’t express enough how much I appreciate them.
- Trish Forant, Tracy Lee Carroll, Christine Taylor, Marti Lawrence, Glenda Watson Hyatt – These ladies may not realize it, but they’ve got a lot in common. All are business women, all are bloggers and social networkers, and something else. They’ve all been like sisters to me. Trish, Tracy and Glenda have been there with me pushing me on to get to SOBCon, take me to new heights in networking but it didn’t end there. Each of them has shared highs and lows with me this year. They have listened to me whine, laughed with me, cheered me, and told me when I’m being a smart-ass. Oh, they are so different in personality and tastes, each brings a unique style and wit to my life. All of them have taken the relationship beyond 140 characters. I hope we are always friends.
- Duane Myers and Erin Kotecki Vest – These two are a pair. A pair of what I’m not saying. One’s a Conservative, the other a Liberal. One likes scotch, the other a good wine. Both are social networking, blogging, and offline networking gurus. I’ve had a chance to learn at their feet so to speak. Duane and Erin have shown me things that challenged my views, ticked me off, and yet spurred me on. Duane and Erin don’t let you rest on your laurels, heck, they don’t rest on theirs, or for that matter, rest much at all. Both demonstrated to me the need to keep moving, keep working, and keep influencing. They’ve schooled me on my attitude, as well as talked me up. Neither probably realizes their influence this past year, Erin especially. I couldn’t pass up acknowledging them though. You could do worse than to just listen to them.
- Vicky Hennegan, Michelle Vandepas, and Karen Putz – I met these three at SOBCon08. Thanks again to those that lead me there. Vicky and Michelle saw more in me than just another blogger or social networker. These women, like those above, are business savvy, bloggers, and more. All have another wonderful talent, that of encouragement. They have drawn together, though with my stumbles, to form another group to share support, advice, and just listen. These ladies aren’t just sitting on the side lines online or off. Vicky and Michelle, and Karen too are involved in projects for coaching and educating adults and children. Because of them I’ve been moved to a spirit of generosity I’d never known. That’s taken the form of giving to and support numerous charities throughout the year but it went beyond that. They told me to give time as well, in the form of guest blogging and directly supporting other bloggers and social networkers to success. If you like stuff I’ve done this year, you might want to thank these three personally.
There are so many more of you that I’d like to mention. One group though has a bunch of you in it, the St. Louis Bloggers Guild. The Bloggers Guild is a change making group in St. Louis. I was asked to get in on the ground floor and couldn’t pass it up. (thanks to all of you above) The guild gave me a chance to be a better blogger not just in the writing sense but in terms of responsibility to others. Responsibility for honesty, courage, and respect to those offline and on. It also gave me a chance to lead, instruct, and share that wasn’t open to me before. Cheers to all of you!
Insert the other 2,000 names here. Thats for the ton of you that came along side this year. You listened, you shouted, you danced, you laughed, and you shared. You brought your best, your worst, and tolerated the same from me. I had the chance to meet some of you in person and feel incredibly blessed by that. A strong desire of mine is to meet as many of you as I can, even if it’s just to shake hands or give a hug.
I promise not be be a stranger. I ask that you keep me in your thoughts.
Thanks for one of the best years of my life – 2008. Cheers to you all.
Yours,
