As noted in yesterday’s post, for the last few months I’ve been telling people about Twitter. This morning an idea for a post started brewing in my mind and now the pot is finally ready. Here is a short list of tweople I recommend anyone using Twitter should follow, and why. (This could be part 1 of several, but for now, let’s enjoy the first sip while the coffee’s still hot!)

These are all people who have consistently enriched my life by their tweets and/or their blog posts. For new Twitter users, login to Twitter, then click on the links below and click “follow” to begin receiving their updates.

In No Particular Order

• @ChrisBrogan I consider Chris to be the master of social networks. Or maybe he just gets people and that shows up in everything he writes (and believe me, he’s prolific).
• @zappos Tony is the CEO of zappos.com and a genuis at building culture, both internally and externally. He’s using Twitter expertly! Hey, you could also win stuff.
• @michaelhyatt President & CEO of Thomas Nelson uses Twitter for business, to be sure, but what I like best is how he tweets about real life. Mike is approachable and he loves his wife and family.
• @craignewmark Founder of Craigslist.org, Craig is king of brief. His blog posts reveal his passions and often include only photos.
• @jnswanson Jon journals thoughtfully, takes great photos and sometimes reveals both on his blog - Levite Chronicles. Jon loves God, family and coffee.
• @ev Evan is the Cofounder of Twitter. I like to keep up with people who are smart in ways I can’t even begin to understand.
• @biz The other Cofounder of Twitter. It’s so cool to see what people can think up and then put into action.
• @dacort Brilliant programmer, Internet security expert and fun person to follow. I like to pretend I can speak his IT/security language.
• @sacca - A tech investor and someone with a witty sense of humor.
• @danportnoy - Brilliant. Funny. Just maybe a beautiful mind. The person who got me into this whole blogging thing to begin with. Working with The Sold Project - you MUST check it out too.
• @ronedmondson - Straight up guy who loves God and has a heart for people. The real deal.
• @getitdoneguy - Man, Stever is one of the smartest people I’ve seen. You’ll be smarter just by following him and gleaning from his insights.
• @alanataylor - On the cutting edge of technology. Writes for Mashable. Truly a digital native and a nice person to boot.
• @garyvee - Wine guy, passion personified. Uses social media to build his brand and has an amazing following. Gary has insane energy.
• @newmediajim - A real life camera news guy. Now when you see the stories, you begin to think of the people who actually film/make the news happen.
• @starbucker Because everybody needs a little music trivia every now and then. With Terry, the glass is always half full.
• @chriscree Chris is a heck of a nice guy who embraces the fact that we live in a collaborative society. Talk to Chris and you feel like you’ve known him all your life.
• @arickmann Because he’s a smart alec and hey, sometimes you just need a laugh. He’s also one of those people who speaks a language other than my own (web design).
• @frankmartin Knows marketing research, he recommends great reads and he is passionate about social media/social networking.
• @richmillington Incredibly smart! Never read a single blog post of his that didn’t make me stop and think.
• @beckymccray Becky understands small business in rural America and she understands blogging and community. And besides, how often do you hear grown women talk about kegs?

Who enriches your life with their tweets or posts, and how so? Add their names in the comments section below so they can enrich the lives of others as well!

You never know what might happen when you take the time to handwrite a note. The other day I wrote to Chris Brogan, thanking him for the impact he’s had on me at this phase of my business. I sincerely appreciate his willingness to share information, not to mention the fact that he’s a genius! I expected nothing in return. On Friday, Chris surprised me with a blog entry about the CultureSmith notecard and even included the above photo. Already, it’s generated some additional traffic to my website and helped me add a few more followers on Twitter.

St. Patrick’s Day Meeting
On March 18, 2002 I received a handwritten note that changed the course of my life. Just the day before, on St. Patrick’s Day, I was returning to Lynchburg from Dallas after presenting at a statewide conference for chamber of commerce professionals. My itinerary included a brief layover in Pittsburg.

It was there that I first noticed a tall man with two small children. When I say “noticed,” I mean because he was 6′5″ tall. I’m 5′11″. It’s not every day that I see men I have to look up to. I wasn’t really thinkin’ anything else. I mean, he had two small children with him, right?

On the flight to Lynchburg, said tall man and two small children were seated in the row in front of me. Come to find out, his son was four and daughter, 18 months old. I love kids, so I played peek-a-boo with the toddler and occasionally caught the eye of the four-year old. All three of them had beautiful blue eyes.

Baggage Claim Isn’t All Bad
When we arrived in Lynchburg, passengers from our very full flight gathered around baggage claim awaiting their luggage. And then there were three. We waited…and waited. No luggage.

I’ve never been accused of being shy. My extroverted personality and customer service training, paired with networking advice from Harvey Mackay’s books and my experience in the chamber industry compelled me to introduce myself. There was a drug rep and the tall man, Peter. He and I had a brief conversation:

“Thanks for playing with my kids,” he said.
I replied, “no problem. It made me miss my own. I can’t wait to see them.”
He said, “Are they with your husband?”
“Ex-husband,” I offered.
“Yeah, me too. It sucks doesn’t it?” was his reply. I nodded.

Shortly after that, we moved to the ticket counter and filled out the necessary paperwork so that hopefully, our luggage would be returned to us in a timely manner. I recognized the lady at the ticket counter as someone with whom I used to work at Belk, a family-owned department store. We chatted for a bit and I left to go get my babies (at the time Sweet Pea was 6 and Ninja Boy was 4) from my ex.

The next day a green bag similar to mine arrived at my office. The name on the luggage tag was - you guessed it - Peter. The last name started with an M. There was a phone number, so I took a chance. I called the number and left a message saying I had his luggage at my office. Before he had a chance to return my call, someone from the airline returned with my luggage and reclaimed Peter M’s bag.

The Note that Changed My Life
On the outside of my luggage was a green envelope with the logo of one of Lynchburg’s major employers and the words “Strictly Private.” Someone had my attention.

Evidently, Peter remembered my name and that my friend worked for the airline. He went back to his office, penned the note, went back to the airport and asked my friend if she could give the note to me along with my luggage. Thankfully, she did!

A few days later, Peter Smith and I met for coffee at a Givens Bookstore. He was in the middle of a tough divorce and I had been there, done that. We talked for what seemed like hours. We shared stories and began a great friendship. Who knew four years later, we would end up married? (Part Two coming soon.)

You Never Know
Rather than click “send” the next time you want to make an impression, why not get out a pen and a note card? In our very high tech society, a handwritten may just be the personal touch you need. Postage stamp or not, handwritten notes have the ability to go farther than you might think.

How did you feel the last time you received a handwritten note from someone? When was the last time you took the time to write a personal note? Was it effective? If so, how?

Today Archie, our 93 pound golden retriever puppy, and I went for a ride in the car. I decided he could go with me and stay in the car while I had a meeting about an upcoming gig. The weather was nice so I opened the sunroof and cracked the windows so he would be comfortable.

I parked right in front of the Macon Bookshop and went in to have a cup of coffee with my new client. Just before I locked the door, the thought occurred to me that I should move the tampon box to a puppy-proof location, but then decided it would be fine inside the door cubby. (An explanation for having a said box in the car would render this post gender specific, and therefore, will not be included.)

When I returned to the car, I discovered that said door cubby is NOT, I repeat NOT, a puppy-proof location. You can see for yourself what happened.

Now I wonder what else might be unattended in my life. There’s the paperwork I need to send to my attorney and cleaning the bomb shelter in the basement.

Here’s what I’ve learned. The next box of tampons that goes in the car will be kept in a puppy-proof location. More importantly, when I have that little sense that I need to take care of something, I probably should. Right away. Otherwise, I’ll be dealing with the mess created when I leave issues unattended.

How about you? Have you ever left something unattended only to find that it bit you in the butt? What unattended issues are on the floor of your car? Or better yet, what issue are you facing, right now and aren’t you glad?