Top 11 Besties of 2009

I’m one of those people that isn’t a fan of lists like the top 100 people you should follow on Twitter or the 30 blogs you should read to find a job.  This is one reason why I created the HR Blogger Directory.  I’m one of the hand holding folks that doesn’t like being the kid picked last for kickball.  I never was picked last since I was more of the nerdy jock type in high school but you know what I mean.  Anyway, what I have learned is that recognition is important and that people who have influenced you or had an impact in your personal or professional life deserve to be singled out.  It’s fun and gives those recognized for their hard work warm fuzzies.

And so I bring to you my top 11 besties of 2009. These are folks who have changed the way I view the world, helped me reach for the stars and do some pretty drastic things this year like leaving the corporate world behind and supporting me in my goal to become a published author (BTW, Tweet This!  Twitter for Business will be available for purchase late January 2010).  A couple of these people I have never spoken to in real life but they have forever influenced me.  Without further ado, here are my Top 11 Besties of 2009.

• Steve Boese.  Steve is an HR Technology guy and co-host of HR Happy Hour, the most popular Human Resource Blog Talk Radio show.  He is obviously very tech savvy in the HR world and has been a major player in leading the charge for Human Resource social media folks.  Because of Steve and number of others, we have had our coming out party and are showing that it’s okay to be a real, authentic person in the field of Human Resources. Steve is a very humble guy and I recommend checking out his website, Steve’s HR Technology Blog.

• Jennifer James.  You may know her as Jen X.  She is a fantastic blogger and PR mind.  Jen is someone I can talk to for hours and believe me we have.  She is an inspiration for so many reasons not only because she has great blog content but also because she is a mother and has more than supported my decision to be a mom first and break out of the box and take a chance in more ways than one.  Jen provides great perspective about being part of generation X at her website, JenX67 and on a lot of levels I can relate.  I believe that generational stereotypes transcend age.  Someone can be 55 and have a Generation Y mindset.

• Gerry Crispin.  I had the honor of meeting Gerry earlier this year at Recruitfest, a recruiting unconference and was able to talk with him one on one while we were both waited to board our planes in Toronto.  He is well-respected recruiting and HR strategist know for his well-researched and revolutionary ideas.  His advice and insight has been invaluable to me.  Gerry’s blog is located CareerXroads.

• Laurie Ruettimann.  I think most people in the Human Resource social media space are influenced by Laurie.  I love her candor and honest perspective.  It’s quite refreshing.  She has great insight into the Human Resources industry and is a leader for folks who are looking to follow their passions outside of the conventional corporate humdrum.  Laurie’s website is Punk Rock HR.  Laurie does an excellent job of engaging her audience and responds to most every comment on her blog which is quite well trafficked

• Becky McCray.  I first encountered Becky on twitter and had the honor of hearing her speak and getting to know her over this past year rather well.  Her website the Small Biz Survival Guide is a great resource for small and rural businesses.  She has been an amazing mentor and resource for me.  I’d recommend chatting with her if you are considering developing a blog among other things.  She is very talented with Blogger and I wish that I had spoken with her prior to moving my blog over to WordPress.

• Chris Wilson.  Chris is an Oklahoma blogger and a digital branding expert.  I’ve gotten to know Chris very well over the past year working with him on some projects including OKC Tweetup.  Our talks helped me understand that HR and Marketing have a large number of similarities.  He was one the inspirations for one of my most popular posts, HR is the New PR.  Chris’s blog, the Marketing Freshpeel is very well-written and insightful.

• Dan Schwabel.  Dan is the personal branding guru.  His book, Me 2.0 has been a great resource for me, and I recommend it to job seekers or people that are looking to develop and define themselves online.  I credit alot of my success this last year because of Dan’s book.  It was just the kick in the pants I needed to get going and take things to the next level.  Check out his Personal Branding Blog website.

• Wayne Sutton.  I’ve been a lurker on Wayne’s website, called Social Wayne for a long time.  He has great content and some very creative ways to use social media.  I was lucky enough to chat with him a month or so ago.  I am certain he has no idea how he has influenced me.  His website and creative use of social media to promote events has given me great direction and inspiration.

• Chris Hoyt. You might know him as the Recruiter Guy.  Chris has successfully used social media to help drive AT&T into the 21st century.  They are a leader in using social media as part of employment branding and recruitment.  Chris’s website is one of the reasons I made the decision to move over to my own domain after using Blogger for more than 2 1/2 years.  I’m also hopeful that Chris and I can finally meet up in January for lunch or coffee as I make the drive to Dallas to hear Chris Brogan at the Dallas Social Media Club.  (*nudge, nudge*)

• Darren Rowse.  You may know Darren as ProBlogger.  He is one of the first bloggers to make blogging a full-time career.  His website is jam packed full of great information and resources for bloggers or aspiring bloggers.  I highly recommend that you check it out.  One of his most helpful posts is How Much Should I Charge for My Advertising Space.

• Jim Stroud.  I’ve been a long time subscriber to Jim’s website RSS feed at the Recruiter’s Lounge.  Check out his current passion, the Searchologist.  I first learned about Jim and his website at ERE.  His posts and insight have had a huge influence on me in 2009.  I’m excited to finally meet Jim in February as I travel to London for the  TRU London Conference.  I’ll be helping to lead some tracks there and Jim will also be as well.

Here’s to a great year in 2010!

Photo Credit Become

Tagged as: 2009, becky mccray, besties, chris hoyt, Chris Wilson, dan schwabel, darren rowse, gerry crispin, jennifer james, jim stroud, laurie ruettimann, steve boese, wayne sutton