Cindy Ratzlaff

You’ve heard me say this before, but this time I really mean it. I’m going to give twitter my all. After attending BlogHer (especially after my July sabbatical), I heard with fresh ears the underlying buzz of our culture, and it comes in a tweet.

I took away a variety of cards and relationships from that event, but one of the most valuable outcomes of BlogHer was meeting Katie Taylor who agreed to shepherd me as I tip-toe into the twittersphere.

We’ve scheduled short phone calls each week for her to help me understand and navigate this world which I have previously chosen to overlook as impenetrable. My assignments are bite-sized, like spending 1/2 hour on twitter a few times a week andallowing myself to go down all the rabbit holes to see what I find.

This morning I discovered Cindy Ratzlaff and her twitter tips video which I’m watching now. She’s easy to listen to and tells great truths: “People are lazy.” They don’t want to cut and paste your web address. They’d prefer to click on an easy-to-use url that includes the http:// which you need to provide.

I’m also finding what I don’t want, like how to be a ‘suitcase entrepreneur.’ While this woman business owner is brilliant, articulate and successful, I’ve worked long and hard to not live out of a suitcase and to have my lifestyle reflect my values–ease, proximity to family and friends and time to do what I love.

My current assignment is to find the people I most want to follow and watch over the next several weeks. I’m starting my list today with Cindy Ratzlaff.

Please share with me your tips for falling in love with twitter. Inquiring minds want to know.