These people are awesome and I am sorry that I haven’t given them a shoutout sooner. They are rockstars in my eyes and you should totally check them out. Not in that way, well, maybe in that way. If you want it to be in that way. I’m sure some of these people are single and could use a good checking out. Maybe? I don’t know. I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore. I’m going to move on from this point and get to the #FollowFridaying. (By the way, that is totally a verb).

@jakrose: Bio: Where we’re going, we don’t need roads… - Website: http://jasonkeath.com/

Jason Keath is such a rockstar that the level of his rockstarness should almost be illegal. He is a social media man, entrepreneur, community engager, blogger, speaker, and creator of SOCIAL FRESH (http://socialfresh.com/). Social Fresh (and Jason) brings amazing speakers, facilitates incredible conversations, and gets people together to collaborate and learn from each other. His content is solid and consistent. Oh, and he works his butt off.

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@sarkatbur: Bio: My joys of southern living as a PR/marketing professional include family, friends, music, laughter, fashion, sports and a black lab. - Website: http://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahburris

I first met Sarah Burris at a #TLWT (Triangle Ladies Who Tweetup) and she was such a great person to talk to. I didn’t know very many people when I first arrived and she immediately started talking to me and we got along really well. Since then I have been following her on Twitter and she is one of the most engaged people I follow. She retweets awesome content, is a conversationalist, engages in the space, and creates great stuff of her own. She adds a personal touch to everything which I think is awesome.

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@ElizabethPW: Bio: Elizabeth Potts Weinstein: Speaker of Truth. Lover of Passion. Video Blogging Addict. Tweetup Connoisseur. People Loving Introvert. Truth Evangelist. – Website: http://elizabethpottsweinstein.com/

This woman is easily one of the most inspirational women on Twitter (and, arguably, in the social media space). I read her blog regularly and she is no bullsh*t, in your face, honest, and transparent (even when she doesn’t want to be). She video blogs, she writes, she inspires. This woman rocks and I really hope to meet her someday.

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Tell me: Who are YOU #FollowFriday’ing this week?

Word.

I like to write. A lot. And sometimes 140-characters are just not enough characters for me to describe why these rockstars are so rockstary that you should follow them.

@ChuckHester – Chuck is the Communications Director for an e-mail marketing company, iContact. He is a ROCKSTAR on LinkedIn and facilitates an awesome meetup called LinkedIn Live! He provides great content, great commentary, and great insight.

@wellsonemedia - Steve Wells is a local sales and marketing specialist located in the Triangle region of North Carolina. He is awesome because he really engages in the community. He provides quality content, promotes the hell out of other people, and is hilarious. I really appreciate everything he says.

@thepitbbq - I have never even been to The Pit BBQ, but I am planning a trip out to Raleigh just so I can put a “face” to a “name.” I have been following them on Twitter and watching how they are totally owning the social space. They engage their customers, they engage their audience, and they do it right. @1918, Phil Buckley (no relation), wrote a great case study about how The Pit is using social media in a positive way. Businesses can learn a thing or two from The Pit BBQ.

@glowbird - Lisa is a speaker, writer, and awesome mom. I first met her at a #Triangle Ladies Who Tweetup. Since then I have been reading her blog and following her tweets and this woman is the bomb dot com. She really knows how to balance between sharing, generating, and commenting. She rules.

@Seiden – I just got an uber exclusive (well, I don’t know about uber exclusive, but I like to think it is) copy of Jason Seiden’s new book “How to Self-Destruct.” He is a speaker, author, coach, and awesome dude. I’m pretty pumped to learn how to self-destruct.

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Who are you #FollowFridaying this week?

Word.

There are a couple people that deserve a big shout-out this week – so I thought this would be a great public platform to shout them out on… shout on them… shout out them… out shout them. You know what I mean.

photo courtesy of Sweeden Rock.

Community Leaders

• @CHCYMCA – The Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA is doing everything right. I can’t say enough good things about their organization. They give back so much to the community with the Strong Kids Campaign and are getting kids involved the right way. I am also really excited because I am training for my FIRST half-marathon and the folks at the YMCA have been awesome and are helping to give me some great resources to help with my training. (I am a horrible runner, so this is exciting for me. I need all the help I can get!)
• @CarolinaChamber – Full Disclosure: I am doing freelance social media consulting for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce. Being new to the Triangle, it is hard to feel comfortable getting connected in the community when you don’t know very many people. I got involved with the Chamber about two months ago and since then we have forged a great working partnership. I do not work for the Chamber, but I am working with them on their social media strategy. I attended my Chamber New Member orientation tonight and my first Business After Hours at the Carolina Inn. Wow, that place is amazing! I have to say that the Chamber is really working to support local business, social entrepreneurship, and the local economy.

Inspirational Tweeters

• @Garyvee – Maybe if you’ve been living under a rock you haven’t heard of Gary Vaynerchuk. I aspire to be as inspiring as Gary. His book CRUSH IT! got my thoughts going and my ideas rolling. He is a rockstar community engager – and he totes responded to my tweet on Twitter. I got excited. PERSONAL GOAL: meet, eat dinner with, and interview Gary Vaynerchuk in 2010. I am going to make this happen.
• @LisaSullivan – This girl is a rockstar. I am really in awe of how hard she works and how much she is hustling to make things happen. Even after being laid off earlier in the year, she has maintained such a positive attitude and has never given up her sense of gusto. She is always so enthusiastic and incredibly insightful. What a lady!
• @joshhanagarne – Man, if this guy doesn’t make you grateful, I don’t know who will. Josh writes a blog called the World’s Strongest Librarian. I read an article by him earlier this month, and since then I have been following his blog. He is a librarian living with a severe case of Tourette’s Syndrome and he uses writing as a method of therapy. His writing is fresh, funny, witty, inspiring, insightful, and awesome.

These people are incredible and I recommend them uninhibitedly. They truly exemplify what it means to be valuable.

Tell me, who do YOU think is totally a rockstar right now? Who, in your opinion, is providing awesome content and needs to be shouted outed? You know what I mean.

Word.