Posts tagged connections

Technically, this should be Week Four. But since I was MIA the past couple of weeks prepping and performing for SNAP!’s seventh annual Spring Show, we’ll call it Week Two.

In the spirit of Follow Friday and connecting people, I thought I’d give a shout out to two people who are not only well-connected in the Columbus tech community, but also use their talents and resources to help connect others around them.

1.) @MissNatalieLynn: Natalie and I met through a mutual friend a few months ago.  Since that time, it has become apparent that she is one of the young rock stars of the Columbus business scene.  She is currently a Digital Content Writer at Egolabel, a web design and development agency that does some phenomenal work here in town and nationally.  But she doesn’t stop there.  Natalie has her hands in a number of different fun and promising projects, all of which align with her personality and passions.  If you’re looking to do some serious business networking or just want to grab a coffee, drop Columbus’s most accessible vegetarian a line.

2.) @Rockson: I connected with Rocky VanBrimmer VERY early on in my social media career.  In January 2009, I responded to this tweet: “Does anyone know of a non profit here in Cbus that could use a free storage unit? I have @ 20 I can give out for free.”  I followed up, Rocky stayed true to his word, and SNAP! has been utilizing one of his spaces ever since. Recently, I started attending Rocky’s monthly Skyline Chili Connoisseur Club (#SCCC), a real-world “meet up” for Columbus’s Twitter elite.  Aside from reuniting me with my alma mater’s most popular dish (the Cincinnati 3-way, “inverted”), Rocky has also introduced me to countless motivated, friendly, and inspiring Columbus entrepreneurs – many of which will probably show up on a future Follow Friday post.

While the concept of Follow Friday on Twitter seems like a great idea, I rarely follow anyone my “Followers” suggest.  It’s not that I don’t care or don’t want to follow anyone new (quite the opposite), but it often lacks the context I need to determine if those suggestions will be valuable to me.  To me, it makes about as much sense as going on a blind date without getting any background information on the person you’re about to meet.

For this reason, I’ve decided to dedicate a post each Friday to suggesting my favorite people on Twitter – and give the reasons why I think you might benefit from following them.  Not everyone on my list will be a good fit for you, but that’s kind of the point.

So without further adieu, here’s my inaugural list…

1.) @TMetzner: Tim was a college roommate of mine for five years at The University of Cincinnati.  While I spent most of my time at DAAP working on my design degree, he was highly involved with the Honors-PLUS program.  Today, Tim serves as the Marketing and Social Media manager for SparkPeople.com, the internet’s largest (and best) health and wellness website.  Aside from being incredibly motivated and sincere, Tim always has his pulse emerging technologies, market trends, and business opportunities.  (And did I mention he has a wicked jump shot?)

2.) @LynetteShy: I met Lynette at a karaoke bar in the summer of 2005.   Shortly after I became a member of SNAP! Performance Productions, and the rest, they say, is history.  Over the past 5 years, I have worked very closely with Lynette to develop and grow SNAP! into Columbus’s premier volunteer performance group.  She is one of those people who is passionate about everything she does and knows how to get things done.  She is also one of the most caring, personable leaders you will ever meet.  If you like quirky, funny, inspiring, sometimes-dance-related tweets – Lynette is your gal.

3.) @Christina_Lynn: Since using Twitter, I have been shocked at how many talented, connected, helpful people there are in Columbus – and Christina is no exception.  Wise beyond her years and eager to help people succeed, Christina uses her skills as the Digital Marketing Manager at a local non-profit.  She is a great source of information for Columbus residents and half-marathoners alike.