A happy ending to this Tweet-a-thon story

The following is a guest post from my PR colleague and good friend, Scott Hepburn. If you'll recall, a number of folks participated in a tweet-a-thon a few weeks back in hopes of generating job leads for Scott and Sonny Gill--two eligible "free agents" at the time.

While I know Sonny is still looking (and getting closer) for a new gig, I'm happy to report that Scott has some fantastic news to share with you all--the folks that played such a crucial role in this powerful story. Before I blurt it out myself, I'll let Scott take the stage...

“Jerry Maguire, my agent. You’re my ambassador of Quan.”

Arik Hanson is MY ambassador of Quan.

Just one month ago, Arik called on you, his readers, to join him in Tweeting me into a new gig. And you responded. In overwhelming, breath-taking, faith-affirming fashion, you responded. Hundreds of retweets. Dozens of leads. Countless inquiries. And momentum.

It seems only fitting that I would circle back to Arik’s blog to announce that my free agency. This week I joined Ritz Marketing in Charlotte to lead their social media and emerging media team.

I’m excited to join one of Charlotte’s top five agencies. Ritz Marketing clients include the Detroit Area Honda Dealers Association, Penske Automotive Group’s Central Zone Division, McAlister’s Deli’s largest franchisee, and dozens of others.

My role at Ritz Marketing will be part teacher, part navigator, part point guard and part devil’s advocate. Many of the questions we’ve debated on the Media Emerging blog are questions Ritz Marketing clients are asking. My advice to them will be to adhere to the wisdom of Dicky Fox: “The key to this business is personal relationships.”

Which brings me to you.

You, the generous members of Arik’s community who had my back when I was looking for my feet.

You, the PR, marketing and social media groundbreakers who teach me something new every day.

You, the forward-thinkers who are coaxing, prodding and leading your companies toward the future of communication.

Thank you for your support, guidance, leads, offers, and generosity. Though we may yet be strangers, you treated me as a brother, and for that, my door is always open to you.

If you’re headed to BlogPotomac, find me. Let’s connect. You’ll find me with my agent, Arik Hanson.

Tweet-A-Thon 2009: Make a difference for Two PR Rock Stars

You've all read the headlines. Company lays off 400. Unemployment continues to rise. No end in sight. It's depressing, right?

Over the last few months, like many, I've watched helplessly as good friends have lost their jobs unexpectedly. I always lend my sympathy and tell them I'll help in any way I can. But it rarely goes any further than that.

That all ends today.

I'm taking a stand. Enough is enough. I can make a difference. One person's voice and actions are a powerful thing. Just ask David Armano,

who helped raise more than $16,ooo for a homeless mother of three back in January. So, here's what I'm doing--with the help of an army of others including Mack Collier, Lisa Hoffmann and Amy Mengel.

I'm hosting a "Tweet-A-Thon" today for two good friends: Sonny Gill and Scott Hepburn. Two guys who are "free agents" out on the market. How this is possible, I still have no idea. Sonny and Scott are two of the most talented writers and creative idea guys around. Any company would be lucky to have them.

From 9 am to 5 pm CST today, I--along with a slew of others--will be tweeting about Scott and Sonny incessantly. Our hope? That we can drum up a few jobs leads, opportunities and even a few folks for them to chat with in hopes of landing a new gig soon. 

Will this make a difference? I don't know. But, the point is, they are friends in need and we are going to take this opportunity to make a difference for these two rock stars. 

Now, I know there are hundreds upon thousands of folks out there looking for jobs. Why help these two and not the others? Because I can make a difference for Sonny and Scott--today. As of 9 am, I'm focused on those two gentleman. After we get them squared away, we'll worry about the rest. 

Join me in helping Scott and Sonny today. Share job opportunities or leads you believe might be a good fit for Scott and Sonny by leaving a comment below. If you're uncomfortable sharing publicly, send me an email at arik.hanson@gmail.com or DM me on Twitter and I'll pass the information along to Scott and Sonny.

Thank you--this is your chance to make a difference for two incredibly talented guys today. Let's make it happen. 

Follow Friday: 6 PR pros to follow--and why

Over the last few months, I've participated in the "Follow Friday" trend as a way to share connections and promote others over the Twitter airwaves. But, I'm going to steal a page out of my friend Sonny Gill's playbook here and provide a little more context behind my Friday Follow suggestions on a weekly basis.

Here are my six Follow Friday suggestions for the week of March 16:

* David Mullen (@dmullen). One of the first folks I connected with on Twitter--boy, was I lucky. David is responsive, smart and funny (for a NC guy). And a tremendous advocate for the PR industry--learn more on his blog: Communications Catalyst.

* Danny Brown (@dannybrown). One of the great PR Twitter voices. Danny's a busy guy. Whether it's helping kids by donating a Wii to a local hospital or assisting starving children around the world through his 12Kfor12 initiative that he jumpstarted earlier this year (just raised more than 13K in 12 hours yesterday!), Danny keeps a pretty tight schedule. Oh, and he also manages to blog daily. But, he's always willing to help. If you're lucky, you can catch him on #journchat Monday nights, too.

* Scott Hepburn (@scotthepburn). The Chris Rock of Twitter. Scott's tweets have made me spit up my coffee on more than one occasion. Huge 'Cuse fan (don't hold that against him). Smart PR guy. And always looking to engage in conversation. You can follow his thoughts and views on his blog--Media Emerging--where he discusses the intersection between PR, social media and journalism. Following Scott's a no-brainer.

* Allan Schoenberg (@allanschoenberg). I only met Allan two months ago, but in that time he's helped me develop multiple blog posts, advised me on professional decisions and collaborated with me on a soon-to-be-unveiled B2B project. This guy knows PR inside and out and he leads the corporate communications function for the largest financial exchange in the U.S. Oh, and in his "free time", he's an adjunct professor at DePaul University at Loyola University-Chicago. Why wouldn't you want to follow him?

* David Spinks (@davidspinks). He may still be in school, but David's as smart as they come when it comes to the social media/marketing/PR space. And he's going to make some organization very happy in the near future when he graduates and accepts that first job. For now, he keeps an active blog full of advice on social media, creativity and marketing/communications. He's also a big sports fan (we connect here--even though he is from NY) and an artist.

* Amy Mengel (@amymengel). World traveler, PR and social media junkie and fellow Bell's Beer fan, I took a shining to Amy right away. Plus, she adds great value through her blog, Mengel's Musings, where she discusses corporate communications, B2B PR/marketing and a slew of other topics. Always engaging and willing to share her thoughts, I'd highly recommend following Amy.

Who are your Follow Fridays today and why?