Amber Naslund laid down the gauntlet two months ago to the day when she reminded us that April 3rd is Good People Day. In Amber’s words:
…I hope you’ll mark your calendar for Good People Day on April 3rd, 2010 and do something to focus on the good people and ideas that surround you. Whatever that means for you is great. Blog it, tweet it, podcast it, make a video. Or just pick up the phone and call someone and tell them they matter to you. I think that counts, too.
Her post was inspired by Gary Vaynerchuk. As Gary V said 2 years ago in this video:
“There are so many killer people. So. Many. Killer. People.”
Gary was right. So was Amber. This blog is all about people (see About). So let’s talk about people. Good people.
Mike Schneider (aka @schneidermike)
Mike is straight up good people. I can’t actually recall when I first became aware of Mike. Yeah. I said aware. That’s because I “met” Mike via Twitter. Again – I can’t remember how it all happened, but I know that I connected with Mike immediately. Mike and I met face to face in Boston at the Inbound Marketing Summit (October, 2009). We reconnected 2 weeks later in Durham, NC at the Social Media Business Forum (We bumped. We poked).
Again. Mike is good people. Why is Mike the man? Let me give you a few reasons:
- He’s an advocate for good causes. In November, Mike lead the charge for Movember in Boston. According to their site, “Movember is an annual, month-long celebration of the moustache, highlighting men’s health issues – specifically prostate and testicular cancer.” In short, you grow a mustache, encourage others to do the same, all while raising money for the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. I’m not sure how much money Mike raised, but he did successfully lobby for my contribution.
- He’s a funny dude. If you’ve spend any time with Mike – in person or online – you’ll quickly know that he’s a riot. He’s witty. He’s quick to crack a joke and isn’t afraid to make fun of himself, or others, in a tactful manner.
- He’s creative and caring, all in one. For my birthday this year, Mike created a meme called #waldowstyle. Per his tumblr post, he encouraged folks to post a picture of themselves mimicking my avatar (online picture). Several others (including Blue Sky Factory‘s CEO Greg Cangialosi and our VP of Strategy & Innovation, Chris Penn) posted their own versions. Mike’s entry is the picture at the top of this post. Classic.
- He’s connected. I realize that we work in a similar industry. I know that we go to similar conferences. However, Mike knows everyone and everyone knows Mike. It’s really incredible. He reminds me of Wayne Sutton. Mike is the Kevin Bacon of Social Media.
- He gives, gives, gives. Mike is all about giving. He cares about people. He wants to see others successful and happy.
Mike is good people. I’m honored to call him my friend.
Your Turn
In the spirit of “Good People Day”, it would be silly if you read this post and didn’t take action. It may be too late to make it happen on the “official” day, but who cares. Let’s call it “Good People Month.” Spread the love. Tell someone that they rock. As Amber said, “blog it, tweet it, podcast it, make a video.” Or call. Or text. Or meet them for coffee or a beer. Whatever method you choose, let them know that you care. Let them know that they are “good people” and tell them why they are making such a difference.
Report back.
DJ Waldow
@djwaldow
