Chip Shots by Chip Griffin

The Story of BlogMonday

My friend Mark Story has decided to try to kick off a #blogmonday effort (sort of like the Twitter #followfriday campaign). Told him I’d play along, at least this once (I don’t know that I’ll do it weekly, but certainly periodically).

Let me start with my must read blogs … these are the handful that I keep in a folder called “0read” that I process before anything else in my Google Reader.

  • A VC – Fred Wilson, a NYC investor, provides some of the most thought-provoking posts I read regularly. Most days he gives me at least a little something to chew on. My only regret is that I don’t regularly and actively participate in the comments on his site because those can often be just as valuable since he has a vey high quality audience.
  • Bacon Unwrapped – we all could use a little fun in our lives, so I read my friend Heather Lauer’s blog about the greatest meat ever. I do blame her for about 10 of my current pounds, of course, because I find myself craving bacon every time I read one of her posts. Oh, and she has a book coming out about bacon in a couple of weeks, so don’t just read her blog, head over to Amazon.com and pre-order yourself a copy!
  • CC Chapman – CC’s a very creative guy who turns out a mixture of thoughtful posts, personal reflections, and creative rumination. That’s a great combination. Plus he’s a New Englandah!
  • Feld Thoughts – Brad Feld abandoned New England, where he had some great early success in business, for the mountains of Colorado. But I don’t hold that against him because he keeps me entertained and thinking through his blog posts. Plus he has been helpful to me in making business connections over the years even though we have only met in person a couple of times.
  • Neville Hobson – I have yet to meet Neville in person, but he’s one of those guys who I really feel like I know pretty well. My company, CustomScoop, has sponsored the FIR Podcast that he and Shel Holtz do twice a week, but I also talk regularly with Neville via email, Twitter, blog comments, and the like. He brings a UK perspective to both communications and technology that I really appreciate. And, of course, he just seems like a decent guy, too.
  • New Hampshire Startup Blog – my friend Jesse Devitte rounds out the list of 3 “vulture capitalists” in my 0read folder. All three made it by being what I think of as “hypoallergenic VC’s.” None of them come across as stereotypical venture guys looking to screw the entrepreneur. (Not that I really believe that, but it is a great stereotype anyway!) I think what sets them apart from other VC’s I know is their willingness to roll their sleeves up and get actively involved with their investments, but also with their communities and fellow entrepreneurs. Plus all three started as entrepreneurs, not money guys, so they have a more balanced perspective. Jesse’s a local guy who I have known for more than a decade and it is great to get his New England perspective on things.
  • Photoshop Insider – I enjoy photography and Scott Kelby does a great job of provding practical advice and entertaining stories on his blog. Plus he is a media maven who has an empire that includes a magazine, a TV show, a webcast, a blog, books, and so much more. Whether you are a pro photographer or just getting into it as a hobby, be sure to read Scott’s blog. You won’t regret it.
  • Road Weary – The aforementioned Shel Holtz has a regular blog, but frankly if I had to pick between them I would choose his infrequently updated travel blog. That’s not a knock on his main offering, just the fact that he is a fellow road warrior and takes the time to share his horror stories keeps me entertained.
  • Ronin Marketeer – John Wall, he of Marketing Over Coffee fame, brings me a solid sales and marketing perspective, which is probably one of my greatest weaknesses (unless you count HR). For that, I’m grateful. But he (and the lovely Carin) also joined me for a drink at the Brandy Library in NYC and it’s hard not to like people even more after an hour or so there imbibing fine brown spirits.
  • The View from Here – NBC’s David Gregory, host of Meet the Press, is quite a bit different than most of what I have on this list. I follow this blog not because it is necessarily the most thought-provoking (he mostly posts news links right now), but because I am interested in following his evolution in the use of his blog and Twitter account. He seems to have a real enthusiasm for new media and it will be interesting to see how that plays out. Plus, he and I overlapped at American University so I have to support fellow alums! I also follow my friend and another AU alum Betsy Fischer, MTP’s Executive Producer, on Twitter (which she initially joined to keep track of David’s Twitter escapades). 
  • The Intersection of Online and Offline – Mark Story didn’t make this list because he came up with the BlogMonday idea, but because he really is in my 0read folder. He brings a sensible view of social media blended with lots of experience in traditional media communications. It’s a great mix and a very worthwhile read. I don’t even hold it against him that he is a U-Maryland fan and teaches at Georgetown because I know AU is superior.

That’s all for now, folks…

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