happy09

You may have noticed on Twitter over the past few days that a lot of people have been using this hashtag #happy09. If you’ve been participating then you already know what it is but if you haven’t, here’s my version of what #happy09 is all about. #happy09 is about connecting with people. Now I know you’re thinking “Well, duh, that’s the point of Twitter itself.” Well, sorta. Twitter is about networking, #happy09 is about connecting.
Thousands of people using this hashtag have been engaging in conversation, making new friends, sharing goals and ideas. There’s no spam, there’s no “Hey check out my link, buy my stuff!” These are not gurus or experts with inflated egos and huge numbers of followers. These are real people who are using Twitter the way it was intended and then some.

It was started by Warren Whitlock, a blogger and social media guy, who believes in the power of helping other people before helping yourself. Warren started out looking for just 2 or 3 prizes he could give away to celebrate the milestone of 5,000 followers. It quickly turned into a collection of about 25 prizes and a huge Twitter party that has been going on since January 1st and hopefully will continue going for quite some time.

To understand more about this event, here are some links you should check out:

• Warren explains how it got started
• TwitCast Radio and the January 2nd show during which Warren talks more about the concept of #happy09
• Twitter Search for hashtag #happy09 where you can see what kinds of conversations are taking place and friendships are being formed

Now here’s the link you really need to visit because this is the point of my post: the list of prizes

Those are now mine. I can do whatever I want with them and what I want to do with them is share them. Warren says that’s why he chose me as the winner – because I made the comment on Twitter that if I won all of those, I’d use them to help someone else.

So here’s what I’m going to do. First, I want to clarify that there are 2 ways I’m going to share these. I am going to give some of them away but I am also going to keep some of them because I want to use what I learn from them to make some improvements in my own life – both business and personal – so that I will then be in a better position to help more people than I would have if I’d just given it to one person. Yes, my plan is to help as many people as possible but as a single mom, I also have to help my own family by keeping a roof over our head and food on the table by growing my own business. (I’m an online business manager so if you know anyone who needs some help building their online presence, forward my name and website to them.) I am also hoping to take on an intern, someone I can work with one-on-one to start their own business.

Also, if you are one of the people who donated a prize and I give that to someone else, it doesn’t mean that I don’t want your gift so please don’t take offense. It may be something that I think someone else needs more than I do, it may be that its something I already own or have access to, or it may be because someone else really, really wants it.

Now here’s where I need your help. I have to decide which prizes to give away and to whom. Its going to be a tough process and I’m not looking forward to disappointing anyone so I hope that I don’t. But what I need you to do is visit this link, read over the list of prizes and then let me know which of those prizes you would like to have for yourself and what you would do with it.

As Warren always says, there are no rules. I’m not even going to tell you how to enter other than just letting me know. You can leave a comment, you can write about it on your own blog, you can send me an email, use my contact form, DM me on Twitter. However you choose to let me know is up to you, just make sure I know. And if you want to nominate someone else to receive it, that’s fine too. Either send them to this post or tell me yourself.

Oh and I also want to mention that this isn’t the end of #happy09. Warren has some other prizes he’s going to be giving away, there were more added that aren’t on that list and if you have something you’d like to give away too, let me know and I’ll add that too.

Thanks so much for being a part of this, for all of the congratulations and support (especially my friends who knew my secret before Warren announced it on his show and spent their Friday night tuning in to support me), and for helping me share this.

Keep an eye on my blogs and my Twitter stream for updates!

No related posts.