Welcome to High 5 Friday! A day and time to introduce you to some NEW and NOT MET YET friends!! I have never really been a huge fan of “Follow Friday” and how it consumes the stream with the WHO and not the WHY so here is a way to meet new people to follow and find out a little bit about them.

I am SO moved this week by the thoughts and why people follow other people. I actually cried when I read Gjergji Cicani from Albania’s “High 5″ because of how much he uses Twitter to connect to the world and what he is learning from the platform and people.

Whenever I am asked what is the “secret of my success” on Twitter, if you want to indulge that I might be successful at tweeting and whatever that means, I always say, “I follow people I think are interesting, I am interested in people and I try to be interesting.”

Do you need to be over the top to be interesting?
not necessarily. Some people just have that certain ‘je ne sais quoi’,” they stand out, and  are unlike any other.

Gellar Media International identifies the most “Powerful Communication Principles” as:

  • Tell The Truth
  • Make It Matter
  • Never Be Boring

What’s in a ‘Secret Sauce’ that makes you just want more?
It’s hard to put my “Finger Candy” on it. Could it be industry knowledge related, charisma, charm, writing skills, comedic abilities, self-deprecating quips, visualization, apt for storytelling, spin on current event, articulation, quotes you retweet that show what’s on your mind, aggregated info, engagement factor, well read, skill set, enthusiasm they have for life, interaction with others?

One thing is certain who you follow says as much about you, as you say for yourself.

ENJOY getting to know these people and please leave your favorite follows in the comments!

jNo

Sarah-Jayne Gratton aka @GrattonGirl

1.  @grattonboy - he’s talented, witty, handsome & I’m married to him.
2.  @jessicanorthey – because she’s Jessica Northey!  Hello!!!
3. @Ellies58 – she always brightens my day with her sunshine tweets.
4.  @DianeBrogan – a great lady who shares my taste in humor
5.  @IamPramit – My Prammy’s alter ego – the wild one!  He’s just FAB!

MORE FROM SARAH
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Daniel Newman aka @DanielNewmanUV

Okay Jessica – happy to oblige, but since I can’t put you on the list or Tobey since you all are so far out of the galaxy top 2 – here are the next 5 for me :)
Danny Brown – This guy is hilarious, almost everything he tweets makes me laugh.
Lori Moreno- Tweets that make me smile, and often provide inspiration
LeadershipFreak – Great ultra short leadership blogs to keep me motivated and thinking
Margie Clayman - Witty and sassy tweets – great combo and a wonderful person
Peggy Fitzpatrick – No one on a daily basis (on Twitter) works harder to engage and make those around them smile.

MORE FROM DANIEL
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Cd Vann aka @thatwoman_ on Twitter and thatwoman_is Cd on Google+

@teribump – polished, beautiful and poised
@iamlucid - talented, funny, entrepreneurial and creative
@CarolynVan – smart, beautiful, savvy and brand focused
@styleprdiva - freak’n witty and smart,  a business professional
@techguerilla – intelligent “and” smart. Exercises common sense while being snarky

MORE FROM CD
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Peggy Fitzpatrick on twitter @PegFitzpatrick

1. Keith Privette: Fun, fabulous and tells it like it is!
2. Clark_Jill – This girl keeps it real on Social Media! Beautiful inside & out.
3. MatthewLiberty – Smart, honest and fun. Wine lover living the California Dream
4. Sean McGinnis - Generous, intelligent and loyal, taught me the Twitter ropes. My first retweetie sweetie.
5. KatieFelton – Probably the coolest person I have ever met, oozes cool & is so funny! She is my hashtag sistah. #ballz

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Kristin Hendon on twitter @GaGal28

1- @SanaAndTheCity She’s a spunky PR gal living in NYC. She’s very witty & tweets TONS of NYC pics, as she goes about her daily life. Her pics are incredibly photogenic & you can see that she truly loves her city. I love tweeting with her!
2- @Soles4Souls This is a charity organization based in Nashville. They collect shoes from the warehouses of shoe companies & from the closets of people like us. They distribute these shoes worldwide to people in need. I love this & I think it’s such a worthy cause & very different from other charities.
3- @psimadethis Her motto “I see it, I like it, I make it”… She’s one of my favorites cause she’s SO crafty & tweets ideas for things to make (like jewelry, clothing redo designs, embellishments, etc.). By far my favorite crafty girl & consistently a source of inspiration.
4- @TheSingleWoman A source of inspiration. I love their tweets! They are constantly tweeting quotes & such that make you pause for reflection. Even if you’re not “single”, these tweets are worthwhile. Love it!
5- @lollieshopping I love Laura. She is SO great! She’s a fashion/beauty blogger & everyday she tweets you towards the sales, whether it’s online or in store. She’s also WONDERFUL about answering any questions you may have about something. She’s my “vintage” go to girl as well.

MORE FROM KRISTIN
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Gjergji Cicani  from Albania aka @Gjergj_Cicani

1.) Andrea Emmes (@AndreaEmmes) because she stay on my jokes and she likes em and do the same jokes that i understand and like. So make my day more pretty to think about that.
2.) I like to follow You, Jess, because I want to learn everytime something new and you tweet important things, so i can read em and follow the instructions. So, i’ll be able to learn new things about tech and social media, or network. To born ignorant is not a mistake, but to die like that is a sin.
3.) I like to follow @Alyssa_Milano. Actually she don’t talk that much, but she is more than just a baby doll and a celebrity. She is so kind and tell us things that want to know and after all she likes to help people and i do like to, so i can learn how to do that from her.
4.) I like to follow @Mashable. Because he writes about how the social media is and how should be. He is the bridge that connect normal people and tweeps like me to the world of social network. I always wanted to be part of it.
5.) And, at last, but not at least. I like to follow @twitter for one reason. He don’t talks at all, just listen to everyone and make us write in only 140 characters everything we have to say. It is difficult at the start, but when u learn it, it makes u more astute and it helps u not to use long terms sentences when u want to say something, in real life too.

MORE FROM GJERGJI
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Cynthia Schames aka @cynthiaschames

1.) Hillel Fuld, @hilzfuld and @inneractive, for diverse info from monetizing apps to social media marketing and more! He’s a guest author at Mashable and Gigaom as well.
2.) Ted Coine, @tedcoine, for truly excellent and challenging leadership advice and blunt commentary on social media, tech and occasionally social issues.
3.) Tawheed Kader, @tawheed, my CEO at @toutapp, and the most kickass 28 year old entrepreneur I know!  He’s an awesome source of “hustle”, lean startup info, and thoughts about how best we can revolutionize email communications.
4.) Diana Adams, @adamsconsulting, Diana is just a ray of sunshine. She’s an entrepreneur, speaker, blogger and all around excellent person to know. I’m very inspired by women who are successful in business!
5.) Kelly King Anderson, @startupprincess for a fabulous #startupchat every week, a fantastic organization for female entrepreneurs, and personal interaction & advice on a high level.  Love her!!

MORE FROM CYNTHIA
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M. Faizan S. Google+ or on Twitter at @Staticulator

@Catalyst303 - Aline Hanle – A truly wonderful person who writes her own inspiring quotes and shares them with us on the stream, always engaging with her followers and expressing her gratitude to all of them for the RT’s. The quotes from her stream are a sure twinkling star on the Time Line and her bloghttp://mysacredsanctuary.blogspot.com/ is truly touching.
@Penelopephoto – Penelope Beveridge – Australian Pro Photographer, her Tweets are all about amazing & beautiful photography, photos, tips and etc. Some of the best that i’ve encountered here on Twitter. And, she’s an amazing person, always a delight to be seen on the stream. Her photography onhttp://www.penelopebeveridge.com/ is sure to leave you in an awe.
@YogaArmy - Sebastian St. George –  He’s one amazing Tweeter whom i can keep on writing about, he Tweets about a variety of topics which are always a fun to read, He can be best described as a writer/producer/director, Social Media Progenitor, Consultant, Change Agent, Former Fashion CEO and Full-Time Rocker. Yes, a Full-Time Rocker, and i meant it ;D! He’s always fun to engage with and his blog http://luminousroc.com is a joy to be read.
@AineBelton – Aine Belton – Author, speaker, spiritual teacher, & founder of the just launched Global Love Project. Her quotes are filled with Love, Beauty and Truth which a SURE to make you smile, she’s truly a sunshine of the stream.
@YRJewelryGal - Julianne Paulsen – She’s an lovely Tweep & a great friend to have wonderful chat with, has a great sense of humor with a sunshine of a smile, and filled with Love & Joy which is sure to brighten your day :D !!!
One more, please, please & pleeeaaase one more
@JessicaNorthey – Long story short, you’re one of Twitter’s finest, always engaging, fun, and not to mention a wonderful person with a BIG, generous, kind and loving heart. One of the best that i’ve met here, kindness shines from your heart & is seen in your lovely Tweets that always make us smile. I truly Thank God that i am able to know an amazing person like you through Social Media, you truly are a treasure and i am truly honored to meet you here.

MORE FROM M. FAIZAN
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Crystal Yaeger or on Twitter @iamcrystaljae

@minervity because he has some of the greatest nerd articles ever and I am s nerd
@therealkiyosaki because I need good financial advise and he has the best
@mindykaling she is funny and fresh and I love The Office
@ijustine for the kid in me. She is just fun to follow
@fatwalletdeals because I am a penny pincher

MORE FROM CRYSTAL
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Lee Gibson or on Twitter @leegibsonmusic

@DeanofMusic – Cause even though I’m IN the biz, he provides a different insight that isn’t always available when artists get “tunnel vision”.
@TheEntertainer – One of the MOST positive people I’ve followed. He’s always moving forward, optimistic, & is very energetic. I don’t see how he does it & I’m trying to learn from his examples.
@jessicanorthey - not because you started this, but because you show many of us how – it’s up to us to put what you teach us into our everyday lives that involve social media
@AdamDrakeOnAir – Lover of Country Music & songwriters and he’s in radio. I could learn a lot from guys like him.
@music4awareness - Another HIGHLY positive & energetic person. FULL of resources, witty, and an amazing kind heart.
And this one is a bonus (I love ML too Lee)
@emelleoh – Dear friend, confidante & someone I deeply miss on many levels. She’s just freakin’ awesome.

MORE FROM LEE
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