Written by an old colleague of mine from Fleishman Hillard days (that’s the most I can tell you about her), it’s written about her nights as a convenience store clerk.

I ask you, for a moment, to put yourself in her shoes. You have a career in public relations. You are on the fast track for success. You know exactly where you’re headed. Then the recession hits and you and all of your colleagues are laid off (this might not be hard for some of you to imagine!). You set to work starting a business, but the economy is terrible and you still have to make rent. So you get a part-time job. And voila! Out comes brilliant prose, hysterical satire, and really well written posts about the craziness you see at work.

That’s what this blog is about…and it’s pee in your pants funny. Though she hasn’t posted for a couple of months, it’s well worth going through the former posts for a brain break. Trust me – you will not be disappointed!

Nancy Lyons (the CEO of Clockwork), hands down, is one of my most favorite people on earth. Along with her colleague and cohort, Meghan Wilker, they make up Geek Girls Guide.

Both podcast and blog, the Geek Girls Guide is a place for non-technical women (and men, too) to go for information about the web, technology, social media, and software. The blog is produced in a manner that is funny, easy-t0-understand, and smart.

Their weekly podcast features a “geek of the week,” where they interview one person about their experience online and how to make it a better experience for all who listen.  The Geek Girls Guide should be a go-to place, at least weekly, for all of you.

So you have this straight…the Geek Girls:

* Run a very successful business

* Work with big brands and high-profile clients

* Produce a weekly podcast

* Write a blog

* Speak at events and give their time back to the industry

Makes sense to follow these kick @ss women, consume their blog, and learn as much as you can from them, huh?

On the blog she says she writes about writing, blogging, social media, and marketing. And she does write on all of those topics. But I have to say, her best posts are always the ones (like yesterday’s about finding the good ones) that divert just a bit from one of those four topics.

Her writing is smart, quick-witted, and just plain fun! Living in Chicago, I’m insanely jealous of the times she writes about life in Martha’s Vineyard, but I’ll get over it. I mean, they did close down Michigan Avenue to film Transformers 3. That’s cool, right??

Follow Julie, read her blog, and, if you subscribe to it, every day you’ll be transferred to a different place for five minutes. It’s well worth your time!

Where to begin? I met Rieva, by chance, at a TweetUp at the International Franchise Association show nearly two years ago. We immediately hit it off and, through social media, have become good friends. She is one of the smartest women I know, both offline and online. You can’t help but mention her past when you talk about her – she was editorial director at Entrepreneur Magazine. So I’m not the only one who thinks she’s smart!

Today she owns GrowBiz Media, a company that provides content for companies looking to connect with small businesses.  You can find her blogging for AllBusiness.com, Small Business Trends, AT&T SmallBusinessInSite, and SCORE Women’s Success Blog, as well as podcasting for Ask the Expert on AllBusiness.com and wsRadio. But I recommend, if you read only one blog, you read her daily blog, SmallBizDaily.

Rieva loves Twitter so, if you’re there, connect with her, learn from her, and read as much of her stuff as you can!

I first met Jay last year when he spoke at Counselors Academy in Palm Springs. He was so good then that we invited him back to speak in Asheville (and likely will invite him to speak again in Las Vegas). When he speaks, he gives you valuable information you can take back to the office and actually implement with confidence. When he writes (which is every day), he gives you tools and tips that he has tried himself. I love his philosophy of trying new tools, testing their strengths and weaknesses, finding practical applications for them, and then telling all of us how we can use them, too. He’s a walking encyclopedia of online know-how, tips, and tools!

But I have a tidbit I’ll bet not many people know. He and his wife, Alyson (who definitely is his better half!), are the restaurant critics in Flagstaff. Known as Hottie and the Fatso, they have a blog, a radio show, and they often appear on the local news. For those of you who know Jay, this likely doesn’t come as a big surprise, but I love that he lives his philosophy in every aspect of his life.

And…early next year, he has a book coming out that he is co-authoring with Amber Naslund. Put it on your radar; I guarantee it will be worth the hard copy price!

Follow Jay. Read his blog. Hire him if you need help with online strategies or just great ideas. Comment on his blog. Engage with him on Twitter. Do it! Do it! Do it!

Arik’s tireless work for the industry, constant ideas for helping others, and great nature make him one of the most engaging personalities online. Personally, he has a great love for golf and recently took a trip that made even me jealous.

Our win of PR Blog of the Year (had to get that in there!) notwithstanding, follow Arik on Twitter, subscribe to his blog, and read everything he writes!

I first met Danny nearly 18 months ago when he worked to launch 12for12K, a community that raises $12,000 for a different charity each month.  I started reading his blog voraciously and soon I felt like I’d known him all my life.

Then he wrote about pimping your blog in this comments of his post and an idea was stolen! I shamelessly created the same idea here, but I did give him credit!  A lot of the blogs I now read are because of that blog post that received more than 100 comments. And some of the blog URLs posted there have become #FollowFriday recommendations.

Although Danny (and Mark Schaefer – who I recommended last week) is competing with us for PR Blog of the Year, I recommend him to anyone. And, if you haven’t yet voted in that competition, and don’t want to vote for us, vote for the one of the two of them!

A Canadian (you know I love Canadians) and champion of HAPPO, I know you’ll find valuable and steal-able information every time you read Danny Brown.

As an avid reader of his blog for a few months now, the value he brings me daily puts him in my top 10 list. Everything from social media and blogging to funny videos and cartoons, he also writes posts after he’s been out riding his bike, which you know I love!

Last week I was running through an airport, glanced down at my phone the moment his feed arrived, and I saw the headline, “Guy Kawasaki Is the Devil.” Of course that caught my attention, I read it and immediately tweeted it. BRILLIANT! It was very tongue-in-cheek and very funny. And his follow-up post yesterday about what happens when things go viral is very much worth the read.

So follow Mark on Twitter, subscribe to his blog, and comment on his brilliance…because he is, in fact, a genius.

I subscribe to a zillion blogs, but Jon’s is one of the few I read daily (the others I save for “downtime” at airports or on planes). A fantastic mix of tips and tools, as well as very high-level strategy opinion, you’ll not only learn something, you’ll begin to really like the guy.  And, if you’re not sure about your own content – what to write, how to write it, what to say – he gives phenomenal advice in getting started, writing headlines, using tools other than just blogging.

So go check out Jontus Media now, subscribe, read, comment, and if you’re really lucky, he’ll tell you who the pup is on his home page.

Typically I keep my #FollowFriday recommendations to business-oriented blogs and books, but I just finished reading “Passing Through” and thought you should know about it for three reasons: 1) It was written by a friend of mine, 2) It was self-published so he has no marketing or promotion behind him, and 3) It’s REALLY good!

That being said, I’m getting nothing from recommending this book to you…other than a rouge comment that Gwyneth Paltrow in Iron Man 2 reminds the author of me (huge compliment, BTW!). Which brings me to Robert Downey, Jr., who is on my top five list. Oh wait. Another blog post. Another day.

A great piece of fiction, “Passing Through” is written by Ron Smith, a man I worked with at Fleishman-Hillard more than 10 years ago (I was 10). Coined Ron-down-the-hall (RDTH) because his office was down the hall from mine, we became fast friends and have recently reconnected via Facebook. Which is how I learned he finally wrote that book he’s always talked about writing. An editor for Southwest Farm Press, the book is quite a diversion from cotton farmers and cattle ranchers.

I’ll be honest. I started reading it and thought, “Hmmm…this is way too predictable.” But then there was a twist I didn’t expect and was completely surprised. The premise is about a man who dies and is passing through life into heaven, but has one last deed on earth in the home he lived after he retired. The connection between life and death that RDTH makes is nothing but predictable and he helps you really connect with the Eastman family, as if they’re part of your own. I’ve not spent a lot of time on the beaches in North Carolina, but I was transferred there while I read. I could even smell the salt air.  It’s one of those books you want to stay awake all night and finish reading…and then you’re sad that you finished it.

Check it out by reading an excerpt here. And then buy it by clicking here. It’ll make his wife happy that you’re buying his book and you’ll be happy that you missed an entire night of sleep.