Before blogs, I was a voracious consumer of magazines and books. Now I can’t read fast enough to absorb and apply all the great thinking out there. That said, here’s my list, A to Z of 26 people who rock in 2009. It wasn’t easy. As you might expect, some letters were more competitive than others so I had to make some tough decisions. But these are the people who consistently deliver sharp thinking on marketing, branding, design, content, customer experience and general goodness that applies to businesses of all sizes. These are the big rocks that make or break your ability to create a sustainable business.
A. David Armano – I’ve been paying attention to his thoughts for more than a couple of years now. David is at the forefront of connecting design with business and presents innovative ways for creating great customer experiences.
B. Chris Brogan has got to be one of the nicest, most helpful people online. He’s always on my must read list and has taught me more about navigating the world of connecting online – and inspires with his mission to be helpful, his newsletter and concepts around Trust and Cafe Shaped Conversations.
C. Brian Clark - Copyblogger is so content rich it’s popularity is well deserved. Brian seems the type who’s never content with the status quo and continually builds upon his past successes. Teaching Sells and DIYThemes (which powers this site) are just two. He’s just a super smart guy, strategic thinker and master of the headline. It probably doesn’t hurt he has a background in law.
D. Naomi Dunford – The internet’s smartest marketing potty mouth. Her posts are always entertaining while delivering the 1 – 2 punch. Don’t make excuses to Naomi. She’s built her business out of sheer determination, hard work and commitment. She’s the can-do cheerleader for small (okay Itty) business people.
E. Mark Earls - Love his concept of the Purpose Idea. Read about it and find yours. Mark is always tracking herd mentality and helping people break away from it.
F. Keith Ferrazzi for his networking advice and throwing dinner parties without breaking the bank. Learn how to create powerful relationships from the master of positive networking.
G. Giovanni Gallucci – From meeting him at the Inbound Marketing Summit and sitting through his social media bootcamp, if anyone can claim to be a social media expert, it’s Giovanni. He claims to have broken all the tools at least once and knows his way around them better than anyone I’ve seen.
H. Ann Handley – Reading Ann’s personal blog is always a treat. Filled with rich prose, she presents an unvarnished look at the ways personal and professional lives intersect. And the occasional messiness that goes along with it.
I. Jonathan Ive for his vision in transforming a gray box into a object of art with the first iMac and continues with the iPod and iPhone. He sets the bar for designing beautiful functional objects.
J. Elizabeth M. Johnson for her thoughts on why relationships are suffering in our superconnected digital age.
K. Christina Kerley is a passionate marketer helping businesses navigate change. From the strategic thinking on her blog to her engaging Twitter stream, CK is always adds value to the conversation.
L. Geoff Livingston – Author of Now is Gone – Geoff is a sage thinker on the practical application of new media. That he’s also an awesome photographer doesn’t hurt either!
M. Valeria Maltoni - Anyone interested in ways to foster better conversations in business had better pay attention to Valeria. she always inspires deep thinking on how creative agencies can stay relevant and how to have real conversations with your customers and colleagues. She’s one of my must reads each week.
N. Dave Navarro – I just discovered Dave through Ittybiz.com and have connected with his sharp words at Rock Your Day and the Launch Coach. He delivers and incredible amount of actionable value – what every business owner needs. Don’t miss his 2009 Mastermind featuring interviews from the best and brightest online today (several of which are on my list here.)
O. Christine O’Kelly – Self Made Chick sums it up. Her thoughts around I won’t vs. I can’t are a must read for everyone. It transforms how you look at the work you do and calls into question the things people say they can’t do. Or think they can’t do. It’s usually not the case.
P. Christopher Penn is an inspiring thinker on creating community and better ways to market. He talks about tapping your inner strength in a practical way that makes you think about how you approach your job and life.
Q. Iqbal Quadir says mobiles fight poverty on using humanitarian principles in business to fight poverty
R. Dr. Clotaire Rapaille for his manifesto about the unconscious meaning we apply to everyday things and people based on our culture
S. Bob Sutton – From the time I read The No Asshole Rule, I’ve been a fan of Bob Sutton. He offers sound ways to manage with class, grace and kindness. And is not afraid to call out the assholes.
T. Philip Toledano for creating one of the most moving photo essays I’ve ever seen. Ever. His photography is shear emotion.
U. Ed Ulbrich I’m always looking for who’s breaking new ground in design and multimedia. Ed is one of those people consistently applying new techniques to cut through the clutter.
V. Gary Vaynerchuk pretty much corners the market on passion in business. But in his book, Crush It, he makes sure to point out that he’s no overnight success having started out in the wine business at 16.
W. Colleen Wainright – She’s funny, witty and an awesome story teller. I love her writing style and her newsletter never disappoints, but does cause one to spend time perusing the many cool links she shares. She knows how to put a smile on your face – and that’s a pretty cool thing to do.
X. Nathan Xander Not a lot of competition for the letter X. So how about a little music from Chicago’s Nathan Xander?
Y. Kazunori Yamauchi for his incredible detail in game design (Gran Turismo) and innovating work for Nissan.
Z. Peter Zollinger for his work at sustainability encouraging individual decision makers to challenge the status quo. He and his colleagues at Sustainability are at the forefront of helping bigger businesses do less harm – and more good.
