Show Me Your Friends & I’ll Show You Your Future

February 13, 2009

When I was a kid, I heard this quote: “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” At the time, it scared the hell out of me. When you’re a kid, your circle of friends is normally limited by how far you can ride your bike. Nowadays, your network of niche-oriented, online friends can literally span the globe.

Most people tip-toe into social media by visiting/friending/joining places where they know already know someone. Totally makes sense as you’re able to post comments in a relatively known, non-threatening environment. But soon thereafter, it’s crucial to transition into uncharted territory to start interacting with new people and places. Do you have a wish list of industry standouts that you’d love to meet in a social setting? Unless you’re hanging out at the hotel bar after the big annual conference, it’s not likely to happen. But in social media, they’re probably just a few keystrokes away. Look them up on Twitter. Find their blog. Read their tweets/posts over time to get to know them. Perhaps drop them a note after you’re into the ebb and flow of their postings. This is your chance to surround yourself (virtually) with the types of people you want to be!

I’m confident I’m never going to play golf with Chris Brogan, Mitch Joel and Seth Godin — all stalwarts in social media/internet marketing. But thru their daily Twitter and blog posts, I benefit from their thoughts and musings every single day. I’m a smarter and better person because of these people though I’ll never be able to ride my bike to their houses.

When you monitor 20, 50 or 100 industry leaders on a routine basis, your insight and intelligence will become sharper. You’ll learn more about their personal lives which helps you understand their work-life balance (or perhaps their lack thereof). And in the end, it’ll help you figure out the type of employee and person you want to be in the future.