They Say it Ain't Bragging if it's True

This week Tom discovered that I was included in a list of the smartest people in social media. I thought it was a joke, at first. I mean, I've been doing this for over five years, I know a whole lot - and I'm smart, yes...but, to be added to a list of the 100 Smartest People in Social Media, along with the likes of Chris Brogan, Scott Monty, Toby Bloomberg, Peter Shankman, our own Lena West and many others...is an honor I was not expecting.

So, I say thank you to Smarter Social Media, and I thank all the good folks, like Lee Drake, who have sent congrats via the twitterverse. But, what does being on that list mean? A really, really good friend wrote and said the list wasn't worth the bits and bytes it takes up on the net, because the reality is... it's all selective. The folks at Smarter Social Media chose the people on the list according to some criteria we'll likely never know. And, they left a good many excellent social media professionals off of the list.

That made me pause. I looked at the list again, and I thought about what I know about social media, including the clients I've helped, and the work I've done, and this blog as well as my petblog, and even my newest venture, Blogpaws. And, I decided that I would accept the recognition of the good people at Smarter Social Media, as long as you, readers, know that I am a product of a lot of effort, time, research and help. There's the key - help. I did not get where I am without help. In fact, the blogger who got me second-guessing this honor was a gigantic help to me, in the early days.

Maybe that's where we all intersect - those of us who made it on the list. Maybe it's in the connecting, in the reaching out to ask for help when we needed it, and in accepting the help when it was offered. Women, especially, tend NOT to ask for help. We don't want to impose on anyone - and it holds us back from bigger, better, more successful ventures, I think.

Being included in a list can be a benefit, if the list is a positive one. I wouldn't want to be on the 100 Stupidest People on the Net (hope there isn't such a list, and if there is - what makes the lister the right person to decide who's stupid and who isn't?). Being on a list isn't a guarantee that folks will call and your business will increase - but it helps. Being on a list can't assure anyone of success, but it can boost confidence and increase energy. After all, as one of the Smartest People in Social Media, I have a duty to prove the list-builders correct, and to provide clients and readers of this blog with information that will serve their purposes, in social media and in marketing to women online.

Else my name on the list means nothing.

It's a clear bet that you're just as smart, in your field of expertise. Whether your name is ever added to a list of experts, or not, you're smart, talented, and innovative. You have to be - not just because you read this blog (thank you) but because that's what's required in today's digitally-focused world of business on the net. And, I've met some of you. I've talked to others. I know how clever and smart you are. Be proud. Create lists of your own...lists that serve your clients well.

That will make you smarter than all the rest of us.

Comments

[Mary]

Congratulations for the amazing and well-deserved recognition. That's just wonderful! Good job. I know you're someone whose advice I've valued for awhile now.

[Teresa Rodden]

Congratulations, for accepting credit where obviously others feel
credit is due. That's all that really matters. You didn't pay for the recognition...it was awarded to you. Good for you!

[Pixie Stevenson]

Applause! Accept, acknowledge & celebrate . . . Sometimes I think if we can't acknowledge and celebrate ourselves, no one else can either. Kudos to you!