I started Twittering on April 5, 2008. What started out as a 30-day experiment, has now turned into part of my daily life. I have written about 12 Reasons to Start Twittering. I even created A Beginner’s Guide to Twitter.
So far, I have more than 1,600 people following me, but I only follow about 180. (Some people, for reasons I can’t fathom, think that they must follow everyone who follows them. I do well to keep up with the people I am following.)I won’t reiterate all the reasons I continue to use Twitter, but suffice it to say, it makes it easier to stay connected to the people I love, enjoy, and learn from. As such, I thought I would share a list of just some of the people I am following and who they are. Consider this a sort of Twitter “Shout Out.”
| A Few of the Twitters I Follow | |
| Username | Description |
| Family | |
| @GailHyatt | My wife and best friend, Gail |
| @MegHMiller | My oldest daughter, Megan, who is the development director for a private school |
| @MindySpradlin | My second oldest daughter, Mindy, who is married with two beautiful daughters of her own |
| @MadelineHyatt | My fourth oldest daughter, Madeline, who is in college and working for The Revolve Tour |
| @MarissaHyatt | My fifth and youngest daughter, Marissa, who graduated from high school a year early and is also working for The Revolve Tour |
| Friends | |
| @DearKaren | My fellow downtown Franklin resident, Karen Anderson |
| @Maurilio | The president of The A Group, Maurilio Amorim, who is also really funny |
| @PWilson | The pastor of Cross Point Church in Nashville |
| @RealChrisElrod | A fellow downtown Franklin resident, Chris Elrod, is a realtor and the wife of Randy Elrod |
| @Recreate | A fellow downtown resident and Renaissance Man, Randy Elrod, is involved in lot of creative and stimulating projects |
| @SpenceSmith | The local artist representative for Compassion International, Spence Smith, is also a triathlete |
| @SteveTN | Insurance agency automation consultant, Steve Anderson, is also a fellow downtown resident of Franklin |
| Authors, Speakers, Singers, and Actors | |
| @AllisonAllen | Actress, Allison Allen, who performs at many of our Women of Faith Conference events |
| @ColleenCoble | Thomas Nelson fiction author, Colleen Coble, who wrote Anathema among others |
| @DonMillerIs | Thomas Nelson non-fiction author, Donald Miller, who wrote Blue Like Jazz among others |
| @FlowerDust | New Zondervan non-fiction author, Anne Jackson, who wrote Mad Church Disease |
| @MaryGraham | The head of Thomas Nelson’s Live Events group, Mary Graham, is also the emcee of the Women of Faith events |
| @MaxLucado | Thomas Nelson author, Max Lucado, who has written more books than most people have read, including Cast of Characters, his most recent |
| @NatalieGrant | Recording artist, Natalie Grant, who performs for us at both Revolve and Women of Faith |
| @PatsyClairmont | Women of Faith speaker, Patsy Clairmont, and also a Thomas Nelson author of numerous books, including I Second That Emotion |
| @RachelHauck | Thomas Nelson fiction author, Rachel Hauck, who wrote Love Starts with Elle among others |
| @SheilaWalsh | Women of Faith speaker, Sheila Walsh, and also a Thomas Nelson author of numerous books, including Get Off Your Knees and Pray |
| Agents and Other Publishing Industry Professionals | |
| @ChipMacGregor | Christian Literary Agent, Chip MacGregor |
| @DebChristian | Deb is the wife of Christian Literary agent, Rick Christian |
| @LawrenceWilson | Editorial director at Wesleyan Publishing House, Larry Wilson |
| @TerryWhalin | Agent, editor, and author, Terry Whalin |
| @TheRobertD | Andy Andrew’s business manager and a very humorous Twitterer |
| @ThomRainer | President and CEO of Lifeway, Thom Rainer, is also a prolific author |
| @Totai | Chief technologist for ECPA |
In addition, numerous of our Thomas Nelson employees also Twitter, including @AmyChandy, @Brynormous, @ErikaGreene, @HRDAdams, @JimThomason, @JoelJMiller, @KLOlund, @LaraDulaney, @LNobles, @LoriRobertson, @MattBaugher, @MollyThornberg, @PFNikolai, @RElliott9, @RichardMuske, @Rick_Proctor, @SDWint, @TamiHeim, @THarris0343, and @Wayne_Hastings.
Building Champions has been coaching me since 2002. They have taught me to be more proactive and intentional in both my business and personal life. Visit their Web site to learn more and see their special offer for my blog readers.
Related posts:
In: 
Tags: 
Who do I find interesting to follow:
You.
and a few other friends all over the country & austrailia that are in myline of work. It really makes the world a much closer place.
Michael without a doubt you are one of my ALL time Favorite twitters! You give me great information and things to think about. Keep it up! I really enjoy reading what you have to say. Sometime I would like to meet you in person and just talk to you 5 minutes! I think it would be a great conversation.
I agree with Matt… it’s a very cool thing indeed to see a C-level exec so engaged with the medium.
Some you might know…
@jksilvious
@markhallcc
@wayfm_nashville
@barlowgirl
@leelandband
Some just for fun…
@starbucks
@ABC_DWTS
@PopeyesChicken
@BaskinRobbins
Some you SHOULD be following ;)…
@problogger
@blisfulyDomestc
@blognosh
and of course….
@PensieveRobin
(me :) )
@PatsyClairmont gets my vote for favorite twitterer!
Thanks for the Shout Out, Mike. I follow about all the same people you listed!
I think I need to move to Franklin so I can see all your family and friends in person – who are my twitter friends now.
I love reading your family’s tweets. :) I feel like I could walk up to one of your daughters and say, “Hey, how the college applications going?” And she’d go, “Do I know you?” ;)
Happy tweeting all.
Rachel
Mike –
Not sure the “Wayne Hastings” (guy in Memphis) you have listed is the “Wayne Hastings” (guy in Nashville) you intend to list/follow. Then again, maybe I’m wrong.
@FMF: Oops. Good catch. I have made the correction.
You are my favorite twitter, Mike! And your Gail. At last a list of Thomas Nelson twitterers. I’ve been seeking them out but hadn’t found all of them.
I love Twitter. It really keeps you connected to people! I’m in Kauai and have a chance to convince my daughter to jump on. LOL
It depends on your goal. In your case you have a large audience and get plenty of comments on your blog. The conversation comes to you.
In my case, I am trying to build a community. I have to go find the conversation and join it. That means following a lot of people and replying to their tweets (and blogs).
I have actually continued several conversations you started here, by posting on my blog. My post goes unnoticed. But if I comment here I actually get to be part of the conversation.
Similarly, by following you on twitter I can reply to your tweets and be part of a conversation that I would not have seen otherwise.
So if you have a large following you get to start the conversation and everyone else @tweets back or comments. If you do not have a large audience, you follow back everyone that is not a bot so you can reply to their conversations.
Following back is also a way of saying I care about you and what you have to say. Ever hear the saying, “I don’t care how much you know until I know how much you care”?
Again, telling people that you care about them does not matter when they are going to keep following you anyway. Most of my audience only care about me because I show an interest in them.
Does that help explain the rational of those who follow-back everyone?
Feel free to comment back with follow-up questions and thoughts. I will check back here occasionally to help you fathom the unfathomable. :)
No twitter list is complete without @DarthVader
Some of these folks I already follow, but I’m going to check into some others,(all except your family:) ) @rcwriter
Twitter has been such a very large part of our relationship! I thank the little blue bird! Thanks for the link love, Mike!
Some additional authors:
@TLHines
@RobinCaroll
@SusanMayWarren
@RobinGunn
@KathleenYBarbo
@CamyTang
Editors:
@KBall4Him
In Christian publishing:
@edstetzer
And of course @triciagoyer who has two books published by Thomas Nelson and sixteen more by “those other people.”
Some more interesting ones:
@markgoodyear (of The Higher Calling, an editor)
@ahc, Andy Crouch (industry guy)
@micksilva (editor, WaterBrook Multnomah)
@cthomasdavis (author, Red Letter guy)
@lensweet (author)
Signed,
@mdemuth
Twitter is a great way to build community, stay in touch, meet new friends. As a freelance writer, I get to peek behind the doors of publishing through you and others, and thoroughly enjoy the opportunity. I love being a cheerleader and prayer warrior for all the wonderful scribes and wordsmiths I’ve come to know:-)
Thank you for your gracious responses to my questions on occasion, and please know that I include you and your family in my prayers for this wide-reaching writing community.
God bless you,
Vicki
I’m going to write on the negative side of Twitter this week, but the best and most interesting people to follow are the ones who engage in coversation with you. It’s nice not to simply feel used as a follower. Sheila Walsh is my favorite for not engaging though….she’s so funny!
Thinking about twittering. Signed up but unsure how to use it. Want to use my phone to text but I don’t think I have the service needed. I don’t have internet on my phone.
My twitter/tweet for today is:
I am only one voice but I cannot be silent about this election. I wrote a letter on my blog, a letter to Obama about abortion. Visit should you feel lead.
I speak for the silent who are suffering. I pray my words are written with love! Life matters.
Praying!
Mike,
You are my favorite person to follow, because you are a true renaissance man. I learn something new from you everyday!
Without a doubt, some of the funniest tweets are between @SheilaWalsh and @MaryGraham. I stumbled upon these sweet tweets by pure accident, and have happily been a fly on the wall of their hilarity ever since.
I’m fasinated by your twittering.. eager to read the hows and whys.
Be sure to grab a free Starbucks coffee today telling them you voted! There are better reasons for voting for sure but that’s a nice thanks.
I’m a completely content non-twitterer. As a culture, I feel we’re too wired and too into the next new technologal breakthrough – often missing the chance to talk to the person next to us because we’re too busy typing / texting / twittering. I’m trying to find more ways to unplug from the matrix and live more in the moment. When I need to connect, e-mail and cell do the trick just fine. Twitter-free and loving it!
Twitter started as an experiment for me as well but now, after only a few months, I love it. I’ve made connections offline that started online thanks to the little blue bird. Just last night I was able to pray with 200 others LIVE online thanks to an initial update from Twitter.
A few others I follow:
@timastevens
@markbatterson
@flowerdust
@catalystatlanta
@loswhit
@jessephillips
@tpmorgan
@edstetzer
Thanks!
@DanielDecker
I really enjoy following @zappos. He’s funny and interesting and it makes you feel more connected to someone. I don’t follow a ton of writers, but I’m going to start looking for more so I can learn from the pros =) Which, of course, is why I follow you!
I truly enjoy the few minutes of my time that it takes to keep up with the many wonderful friends that I have found on Twitter. It is one of my biggest blessings and is NOT time wasted.
It gives me another reason/method to “pray without ceasing” through this medium.
Knowing what they are doing…going through…rejoicing in…frustrated with-wow!!!
I believe that God intends for us to use all things for His Glory and THIS…is just one more! Praise the Lord for technology!
I love your suggestions, but sometimes, they reveal the disparity in incomes. If it’s a budget stressor, what is the benefit of Twittering?
Mike!
So far, I am with Allen Arnold (we Double A’s stick together…). Despite having been stricken with a nasal spray dependency at several points in my life, twitter hasn’t gotten its greedy little addictive fingers into me yet. I remain twit-free at this point in my life.
As you pointed out, however, Robert (my manager) is a twitaholic. And he loves it. But where do you guys find the time? I am a husband, dad, author, speaker, and fisherman. I am not sure (yet) how I can add another thing…
In addition, might I feed your paranoia a bit…? How long before thieves catch on to the twitternomenon? “Hey, I’m following this CEO and his wife on my twitter. As soon as they are seated at the restaurant, it will be safe to go into their house!”
And while I am thinking about it…. Did you lose a bet? You are making your authors feel incompetent. What is this now… 92 days in a row that you have posted a blog? It’s obvious that your kids are grown, but thanks–they are all great!
Hi to Gail for me. Or just give her a twitter…
Love,
Andy
I agree w/much of the above! I do love your tweets and look forward to reviewing books and sharing w/my readers and Members of my Christian Women’s Community. http://www.christianwomentakeroot.com
[Not a plug~just a fact!]
I also love what a couple said about prayers, Is awesome to have so many christians and praying on the spot- The New Faster Prayer Chain!
And I have to comment on Andy above about posting all your families profiles. It can get scary if someone starts following all, I think of that a lot. With a lot of twitter apps it will updat your location and show. My iPhone does that too. So a new kind of technique for paparazzi- could be good for some????? I just dont want them to know where my 15 yr old daughter is! :-)
Blessings!
Noelle
@TakeRoot
@Luke: Good point about a strategy of following more people. I didn’t think of that.
@Andy: Thanks for reminding all the would-be thieves—just in case they didn’t think of this on their own. ;-)
Brother, you should try it. Just for a week. It takes way less time that you think.
Love your list Mike, and am now inspired to make my own sometime. Question for you: What, if anything, do you think of the term, “Follower” in the context of Twitter?
A couple people I don’t know personally are following me on twitter, including Barack Obama. I feel honored…and stalked. Hence, the danger of twitter (along with facebook, myspace, and any other social networking tool, I do admit.)
@Donna: I think of “follower” as a synonym for “subscriber.” People have their own reasons for subscribing. Some want to mentored, others are merely curious. Regardless, I welcome them all.
Mike
I ejoy following and most everyone eslse on your list then i also my some friends on there and i have been able to learn from them and i hope they have learned something about me
Andy twittername is andydepuy
I think the best Twitterers strike a balance between personal and business and GIVE something valuable in each Tweet.
I think you, Terry Whalin, and Chris Knight are some of the best Twitterers by that criteria, but I’m sure there are others.
Of course, that’s also what I try to do in mine (@publishingcoach and @abundant_gifts)
Tricia Goyer always gives us a fascinating glimpse into being a writer. Ray Edwards shares fascinating info and valuable insights.
I’m always torn between this and keeping up with the rest of life and business!
It fascinates me that these 144 character blurbs are becoming a genre of communication.
My favorite tweeters are all outstanding writers.
@_HeatherWilson My wife, and a remarkably clever tweeter.
@maurilio Just. Too. Darn. Funny.
@marydemuth Good mix of personal info & insight. Tweets from the heart?
@pandora Often humorous political tweets.
@MichaelHyatt That’s you ;-) Always informative, and a great Twitter voice.
Larry (@lawrencewilson)
Mike,
Originally I resisted twittering. I didn’t have a clue when I would have the time or why I would want to twitter. After some months of hearing about twittering from our friend @stevetn who also recommended that I subscribe to your blog last year I gave in and signed up. Your Beginner’s Guide to Twitter was a big help. Your right, it takes not time and all and it lets me keep up with my other road warrior friends such as @afeldt and @williduke and keeping up with @dearkaren, her family and how wonderful life is in Franklin. Now if I could just get my husband to sign up and enable texting on his phone he could keep up and I wouldn’t have to send separate email. Also, I can’t seem to get my stepdaughters and grandchildren into the game. It would just be easier if they all twittered.
Thanks for all these great selections, Michael. I was just flipping through my copy of Terry Whalin’s Book Proposals That Sell last night and realized the advice and sample proposal at the back was written by you. Will need to re-read. :)
C.J.
Twitter id: @cjdarlington
I have experimented with various ways of using Twitter with the goal of obtaining a high return on the time invested. With that in mind, I avoid formally “following” individuals on my personal account so that the list of updates on my Twitter home page is clean and easy to scan. If I want to check in on somebody from time to time then I just add their Twitter URL to the Twitter folder in my Favorites/Bookmarks and visit their page as needed.
I follow a couple of news sources: @MarketWatch and @nprnews to keep me up-to-date on any breaking news and those are the only Device Updates I have set up to be sent to my cell phone. I follow a weather service @wx_nashville too and was receiving those Device Updates, but they have not updated since mid-September so I probably need to find another source for weather updates.
I follow @ActionDay which is a productivity resource I created so that I can send a Tweet to @ActionDay on those mornings when I need a little productivity boost. The Tweet contains my High Impact Next Actions for the day and then I send @ActionDay updates at the top of every hour on my progress (I have an Outlook Task scheduled to remind me to do so). I find that if I put my intentions in print for the world to see that I am much more likely to follow through.
I have added the TwitterSync Facebook application to have all my status updates synced to my Facebook account so I am following @cnySrettiwT too.
That’s it for me! I end up spending fewer than 5 minutes per day on the Twitter site, but I have come to appreciate the few productive tools that I have added so far.
@marketingprofs – good business twitterer. great articles (and not just links to their own site)
Andy Andrews,
As an author you might find Twitter to be a great spot to quickly post thoughts and ideas. Some might make it into a book. The rest can just inspire/entertain your friends and family. As for finding time, you type for a living. You should be able to post 140 characters in less than 5 seconds. If you are talking about the time it takes to open the website…
You can use Twitter without ever going to the website.
Contact me at my website http://luke.gedeon.name and I will help you put an input box in the corner of your screen or pop-up with a keystroke. There are many options. Tell me what you want and I will set you up for free.
You can also twitter from your phone while driving, but I am sure Mike already told you that. :)
So you have several options to make twittering even easier than typing a note in a word processor.
And you can use twitter for hundreds of other things. Not just telling people what you are doing right now. Basically, you can put into it anything you want the world to know without the trouble of coming up with a title or subject line.
Wondering why you decided to follow everyone after all:-) From 180 to over 1000!
@Carrie: Guy Kawasaki convinced me. He said that you increase your opportunities to add followers. He was right. I’ve added nearly 200 in the last 24 hours.
Twitter has been amazing.
The tweet is mighter than the pen, esp for making news travel fast.
140 slots equalize media and delivery in a way that can trump many other forms of advertising and marketing efforts when done right.
Worthwhile and interesting twitters to follow:
@lisacolondelay (me-have to say that.) : )
@tferriss
@mashable
@edcyzewski