Maverick Mom

Follow Friday brings up such mixed feelings for me. While I like catching the names of awesome tweeps to follow, I also know some people (some VERY FAMOUS people) game the hashtag to be at the top of something called Top Follow Friday - or something like that.  That combined with the serious traffic clogs and tweets filled with nothing but a list of @’s has made me think seriously about how to best participate in the day.

Lucky me - I have a tribe that is waaayyy smarter than I am. Most of them have started a blog post for their follow friday recommendations that they add to every week. So, that’s what I am going to do, too.

Each week, I’ll add 10 of my favorite people to the list. Yes, I know that isn’t many but I want to be able to write about each person and 10 is about all I can manage.

So here we go:

@JohnHaydon - John is first on my first list because if it weren’t for him, I would never have invested as heavily as I have in Twitter - or social media in general for that matter. John, on top of being a dear friend, is an AMAZING source of information and strategic coaching in how to leverage the power of this virtual community we all inhabit. Plus, he plays great tunes - his own and others - and makes me laugh ALL THE TIME. Oh - and he got me involved in one of my greatest twitter passions - http://www.12for12k.org.

@ginidietrich- Gini is the savviest PR person I know - which is a good thing considering she helms the Chicago PR agency Arment Dietrich. Aside from making me laugh so hard I snort (you’ll notice that laughing is a running theme in my rec’s), Gini also teaches me every single day that taking a hard stand for what I believe in is what passion is all about. She models it in her unwavering believes about the power and the importance of social media in the world of Public Relations. (She also adores my son - the young turk - and that gets her serious bonus points.

@Missive - one blog post isn’t enough room to describe my first Hooligan friend on twitter. If I need cheering up or a serious partner in crime or a good SNORT to shift my perspective, Jen is my go to girlfriend. Smart, savvy, sassy - and an excellent writer to boot, she makes my day - every single day.

@DrMollieMarti- My Rockstar Sister! I am blessed to be co-leading an amazing coaching program with my colleague - and my friend, Mollie. She has a one-two ninja coaching punch that leaves others in the dust (and leaves me in awe). What I love most is that Mollie can pretty much finish each others sentences - a rare thing in my world. 

@ColinLewis - my day simply would not be the same without tweets from Colin. Though he lives halfway around the world - in Warsaw - his wisdom lands in my twitter stream at precisely the right moment every single time. Follow him and you will see what I mean. Brilliant mind, gigantic heart - and a solid card carrying member of the Hooligan Tribe.

@AdrianDayton- A super smart lawyer who is on a mission to teach the legal world that Twitter - and all social media - are critical to it’s future. (He is SO smart - that he has a book coming out on that very topic.) And those are VERY good reasons to follow him. But the reason I REALLY follow him is his enthusiastic willingness to support his friends in whatever hairbrained scheme we come up with (TweepleTuesday - he’s in. Trip to Chicago - yep - he’s in!). 

@Julito77- Another serious Hooligan - I don’t really know what Julito does - but he and I have the same taste in music (All 80’s, all the time.) Plus, when I need help or support or a really good laugh, I can count on him to deliver. Being able to count on someone - that and making me laugh - get my attention and my loyalty in the Twitterverse!

@lizmarshall- Quite simply, Elizabeth Marshall is the most well connected person I know. She helps people like Seth Godin, Keith Ferazzi and Michael Port launch their books to the top of the bestseller lists - that’s how well connected she is. Plus, she is generous with up and coming authors, too - getting them ready to join the ranks of Seth, Keith and Michael. Oh, and did I mention she is one of my very best friends?! As I say all the time - lucky me!

@launchgum and @trontastic - There is no way to talk about half of this dynamic duo without talking about the other. (Plus I take full credit for creating this comic team!) Both of these guys have BRILLIANT business minds - one created a product from scratch and has taken it to the national playing field. The other knows more about SEO than anyone I can think of. And you’ll just have to check them both out to find out which is which.  But what I love about them both is a) they make me laugh even when they aren’t trying to and b) they have HUGE hearts that I admire and aspire to. And I can’t believe I just wrote that somewhere where they can see it!

So, there you have it, my first Follow Friday List! You won’t regret following each and every person here - that I can promise you.

Oh, and check back next Friday, because I’ll be adding more!

So, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about my Plan to Escape Mediocrity. I swear it feels like I am masterminding a breakout from Alcatraz. (Cue Mission Impossible music!)

Seriously, I think if I - and anyone else who wants to come along - will ever break free from mediocrity and into a life and business filled with authentic adventure, we need a plan, a map, a blueprint so we can tell if we are on the right track.

I want to share what I have come up with so far. These are in no particular order because no one is going to have the exact same escape route. But I think we can at least use them to stake out where we need to begin digging the tunnels.

My plan now is to write a blog post for each one of these so we can elaborate and discuss them.

My rucksack is packed - have a compass, a shovel, and a canteen. Anyone else coming?!

Blueprint for a Kick-Butt Escape Plan

1. Accept Responsibility, or Not. (wrote blog posts about this here and here.)
2. Define and Defend Your Integrity.
3. Check Your Assumptions.
4. Consider Your Choices.
5. Pay Attention.
6. Get Into Gratitude.
7. Secure Your Spiritual Core.
8. Play to Your Strengths.
9. Seek Wise Counsel.
10. Protect Your Priorities.

***Emergency Plan for when you get totally lost: Go find someone who needs help and help them.***

Original Art uploaded on May 23, 2008
by phill.d

Many of you who follow me on twitter know that I call my six year old (”I’ll be seven at the end of August, Mom!) son The Young Turk. He is fiercely independent, his own self - and a total anarchist. Gee, I can’t imagine how he turned out like that.

The other day we had a conversation that left me proud, teary and in complete awe of his grasp of entrepreneurship. Let me share it so you’ll see what I mean:

Young Turk: You own a business, right Mom?

Me: That’s right sweetie, I do.

Young Turk: And Dad owns his own business, too, right?

Me: He does.

Young Turk: (after a long, uncharacteristic pause): Well I own a business, too.

Me: Really? Tell me about your business. What’s the name of it?

The Young Turk: It’s called “Great Wolves”.

Me: That’s an awesome name. I really like it. What does your company do?

The Young Turk: (and I swear this was completely unprompted by me in any way shape or form): We make toys for children who don’t have any.

Me: <blinking back tears of pride> Wow honey. That’s a really awesome company. You do great things in the world.

The Young Turk: I know. Can I have some ice cream?

Ok - aside from just the overwhelming heart my son demonstrated in that short little conversation, here’s the thing I really admire: He knows the mission of his company. He can articulate it simply, succinctly and clearly. You know what he is about; I know what he is about. It’s a statement that inspires. It’s a statement worth getting up for every single day and giving all you’ve got.

I don’t have a mission statement like that - at least not yet - so I’ve got some work to do.

What about you?