Good People Doing Good Things

It’s been awhile since I took some time out to highlight what some of the fantastic people in my community are up to. In fact, so many of them are doing amazing things that I thought I would go ahead and create a category, because I foresee a lot of these posts in the coming months and years 🙂

Here are some stories I am proud to say come from my community.

#UsXSW – from Joe Ruiz (@SMSJoe) and Jeannette Baer (@MyAgenda)

Not everyone can make it to SXSW, and it always kind of feels like you’re being left out of a party. Well, let’s face it, when it comes to SXSW you’re DEFINITELY being left out of a PAR-TAY! Now, your normal person (like, say, me) would just snark and whine. “But *I* wanted to go and meet all the famous people!!” However, Joe and Jeannette are not your typical people.

Instead of just watching the SXSW hashtag in a forlorn way, Joe and Jeannette decided to put together UsXSW, an #usguys take on a virtual conference. They are on day two of great conversation, and they are also doing trivia and prize give-aways.

You can get the full scoop on UsXSW over at Joe’s blog.

Great idea, folks!

The Hip Roof is live and in charge!

I already introduced you to my friend Maya a couple of weeks ago, but I have to say again that watching Maya work her dream into reality (with help from Chris Brogan and Human Business Works) was a true labor of love, and it was awe-inspiring. If you’ve ever had a dream that seemed impossible, you know the path that Maya has been walking. The fact that she stayed with it all the way to the end is what defines her (in part) as a successful woman. I am quite proud that I can call her a friend.

Dads Can Do Crafts – a new Vlog series from Brandon Duncan

I met Brandon a couple of months ago via #blogchat and have been, once again, privileged to watch him grow into a powerful force online. Now, Brandon detailed recently how he came into Daddy blogging, but this new idea, which by the way is not *just* for dads, really sets Brandon apart in my mind.

Instead of just writing a post at a time, Brandon is launching a Vlog series called Dads can do crafts. He will present crafts, experiments, and all kinds of cool projects that you can do with your kids (with Summer vacation not all that far away, stocking up on these ideas now is a realllly good idea!).

This is an ambitious project, but I think it also highlights forward thinking. Check out the first episode of Dads can do crafts and pass it on to parents near you!

PushingSocial Podcasts

I was once again in the uncomfortable position of my jaw dropping to the floor when I visited Stan’s site a couple of weeks ago. As if being one of the top bloggers wasn’t enough, Stan is now creating weekly podcasts full of brilliant tips. I highly recommend checking in with these every week. Not only do you get to hear Stan’s voice, which is nice, but you also become smarter every single time. Also nice.

Check out this week’s episode, Why some passionate people fail.

Chris Brogan’s request for stories leads to something truly amazing

Sometimes it’s hard to remember that for all of his pull and influence in the online world, Chris Brogan is also, at heart, just a darned tootin amazing person. This past week, this sort of rolled out for me once again when Chris wrote a post that ended up evolving into a place where people could share important things about themselves in a supportive environment.

You see, Chris wrote a post called The Story of You, in which he reminds his readers that even if you’re incredibly tired of your story, there are people coming to your site all of the time who have no idea what your story is. They have no idea why you’re there, why you’re writing what you are, what you’ve been through, or where you’re going.

The comments section is now filled with people telling their stories, explaining what they are driving towards now, sharing their hopes and fears – and it’s just really pretty beautiful. Check it out.

Dianna Zheng shows you how to learn Twitter

Last weekend, Chris Brogan tweeted out a link to a blog for someone he met at Boston University. The blog was called AdBinge, so I kind of felt like I was obligated to take a look. I am SO glad I did, because it resulted in me meeting Ms. Dianna Zheng.

Dianna is new to Twitter, but you would hardly know it. Her desire to engage and learn is great to see. She is going to be a real force (I can tell this already), so I’d keep my eye on her. You are awesome, lady. Keep it up!

What good things are people up to in your community? What are YOU up to?

Let’s talk about it!

Image by sanja gjenero. http://www.sxc.hu/profile/lusi