Twitter User of The Week: @Ginidietrich
by mbernier - November 9th, 2009. Filed under: Uncategorized.I was not sure how to start out this weekly blog post or who to talk about for my first post. I asked my friends on Twitter for help, as I often do when I am stuck and don’t know where to go next. The first suggestion I received was from @jelenawoehr. I was sold from the second Jelena mentioned @GiniDietrich. Usually, I would like to think that I am not such a pushover, but with a glowing suggestion like this one, I couldn’t say no:
Having never actually spent much time talking to Gini and being kind of a numbers guy, I decided to do a little research and find out what the analytics programs think of her:
Even though I am a fan of numbers, these numbers did not really give me anything ABOUT Gini as a person. So, I decided to just go straight to the source and ask her about herself. In what has become clear to me is true Gini fashion she replied:
From what I have gathered, Gini is a PR wiz with super powers of awesomeness. I’m not kidding. I have not had so many people tell me so many nice things about another person since the last election. Here are a few examples of pieces of information I received about Gini:
I have found in my life that the people who I appreciate the most are those referred to as the “genuine article”. After following Gini closely, or as I told her “I am going to stalk you for a while”, I could tell that when she engages people they come away fulfilled and motivated. She has a kind, straightforward and playful attitude about most everything on Twitter.
As a joke, @julito77 put Gini on a Grump List. Gini immediately responded with a “People who think I’m Grumpy” list, which has only one person on it. It was all in good fun and actually pretty funny to watch it unfold.
While watching both her incoming and outgoing tweets, I was hard pressed to find a tweet that did not go unanswered and a good portion of the time she was initializing the conversation. One thing I heard quite a bit was that Gini is a Go-getter who doesn’t drop the ball. If she puts her mind to doing something, then it gets done. Finding people who are consistent in everything they do and who especially can do this while generating a fan base group of friends like Gini has is a talent and skill.
Twitter User of The Week Q & A
@jelenawoehr nominated you for Twitter User of the Week. What do you think of her?
Jelena is one of the smartest people I know. The way her brain works is amazing to watch. She can assess an entire situation in seconds, watch, listen, and then add something to the conversation no one considered. I’ve been in business meetings with her before and she’s brilliant…even smarter than most people 30 and 40 years her senior.
What is your favorite Laffy Taffy Joke (One-liner joke)?
I don’t have one! They all make me roll my eyes. Dang. Hmmmm…
What is a question to which you would answer: “D. All of the above”? And, what are A, B, & C?
What is your favorite food?
A. Gelato
B. Cheese
C. French fries
D. All of the above
What is the first thing you do in the morning?
Um, I brush my teeth, feed the dog, walk him, and check my email/Twitter/Facebook all at once. Then I ride my bike. Then I check email/Twitter/Facebook again. Then I shower. Then I go to work.
What would you do if you had a time machine?
I’d go back and give Peyton Manning food poisoning when the Bears played the Colts in the Super Bowl so that we won.
What is something that not a lot of people know about you but you WISH more people COULD know?
Monkeys make me laugh. If you have to tell me bad news and you insert a monkey into the conversation, it will make me laugh. I wish monkeys didn’t throw poop. I would buy one, give him an ice cream cone, and walk down the street holding his hand.
What question would you add to this list?
What is the one thing that gets you out of bed every morning?
Who should I write about next week, and why?
Nancy Lyons (http://twitter.com/nylons). Nancy is the CEO of Clockwork Active Media Systems, a Web design and iPhone apps agency. She is the smartest woman business owner I know. She hires really smart people and trusts them to do their jobs. She once told me the job of the CEO is to hire smarter people than themselves and let them do what they do. She lives by this philosophy and has created a company that is one of the best places to work in Minneapolis (year over year) and is very family/work balance oriented. Plus, not only is she smart, she is (by far) the most funny person I know. If you feature her, you have to ask about her business partners working for Prince (or…the artist formerly known as).
Thank you Gini for being willing to be the first person on Twitter User of The Week. Be sure to thank The Beast for not eating me too!
The Beast
To find out more about Gini Dietrich you can find her on Twitter or at her website, ArmentDietrich.com.
Thank you to @jelenawoehr, @delwilliams, @julito77, @4thGear, @AJDonovan, and especially @GiniDietrich for all the great information, insights and new friends!
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November 9th, 2009 at 9:23 am
I love this post! You have done an amazing job showing people why Gini is one of the most amazing people ever. Though you should have asked her about Pete!
Again great job on this post! I look forward to more of them!
November 9th, 2009 at 9:27 am
Who is Pete!? I didn’t see that name go by the whole week…
November 9th, 2009 at 9:50 am
This is amazing and so richly deserved. You can not go wrong (ever) with Gini in your Twitter stream. She is not only one savvy CEO, she is one of the most geunine people I have ever met in my life. We have determined that we are really related, me and her, and I am so grateful to call her an adopted member of the Varela.
As for Pete, that is the tapeworm that lives on Twitter. You can search Pete on Twitter as Pete the Tape Worm.
What an awesome idea you have here.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:58 am
[...] User of The Week: @Ginidietrich via [...]
November 9th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Thank you for taking my suggestion and writing about Gini! It is truly amazing how accessible and genuine she is while being an extremely successful businesswoman. I very much see her as a role model for the type of leader I’d like to be in my own future.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Great post Matt – I love the insertion of numbers to help place where Gini statistically ranks on Twitter – but moreover – I believe that anyone who does make that wise choice to hit “Follow” on her Profile will come to know what I and many others have found – a genuine, honest and sweetheart of a person.
As a professional I think Gini is as good as they come and I look forward to the day that a mutual opportunity for collaboration comes up…in the meantime, I will continue to share her words of wisdom in the hopes that it helps to maximize the reach and impact of what she has to say. Appreciate you drawing attention to one of Twitterville’s hidden gems…until now. Cheers,
Andy
November 9th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Ah, you truly capture Gini, who the tweeps love dearly. What an incredible woman. Great sense of humor, extremely bright and one of the most honest, supportive tweeps I know. Great post.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:39 am
Gini is such an eclectic mix of qualities. Hard to find such a driver with such a great sense of humor. Smart, but recognizes she can always learn more. Claims she’s introverted, but yet, the most engaging Tweep I know.
And to your question on Pete: He is her “Pet Tapeworm.” It took me a while to unravel the mystery shrouding Pete the Tapeworm. You’ll have to follow-up with Gini for the backstory. Pete has his own Twitter handle, too.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:41 am
Great choice for your first Twitter User of the Week. Gini has a great, and rare, combination of intelligence, humor, business savvy, and warmth. She could win this honor every week. She is like the Tim Tebow of Twitter, and she may even be a better pocket-passer.
November 9th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
I couldn’t think of a more deserving person. She definitely is one of my favorites!
November 9th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
I am astounded and completely humbled by this post and all of its comments. My mom always says “Remember who you are and what you stand for” and I take that to heart every day. It’s because of the amazing people around me that I’m able to remember who I am and that I stand for paying it forward and doing everything I can to help anyone in need. Thank you to everyone for the nice things you said about me when Matt was writing his story, and for the comments here. I love all of you!
P.S. I ride my bike. A lot. And I’m little. Which means I have a little stomach. Not much fits in there at one time. Which means I’m hungry. ALL THE TIME. So I named my stomach Pete because he has a mind of his own. It sort of took on its own life form. He has a Twitter handle and a Facebook page. But it’s not me, which is what makes it really funny. We’ll be out for lunch or dinner and my friends will tweet him. He responds and they’re always astounded at how I can do that when I haven’t touched my BlackBerry. Um, because it’s not me. He has a mind of his own!
November 9th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
And Matt? This is a GREAT idea! It makes the Twitter experience so much more personal. I’ve added you to my RSS feed and I’ll send your posts out as often as possible.
November 9th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Thank you so much for the feedback on the site. When I had the idea I knew I could make it cool, but did not think would get nearly the response that I have received.
I can safely attribute that to the fact that you, Gini, were the first person I posted about.
So, again I will tell you, thank you for being the first one on the site and for the support with the site. It really means a lot that you liked it so much.
Unfortunately, I have set the bar pretty high with my first post…I will have to really kill it from now on!
November 9th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
I like turtles. Gini absolutely knows what I mean. Her response will be….
November 9th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Yep, this is my friend Gini. Any time day or night, she can be counted on for good advice, a laugh or two and if needed, a big glass of red wine.
November 10th, 2009 at 8:16 am
Matt, this is an awesome concept, profiling the “Twitter User of the Week.” Love, love, love it. Your interview adds another dimension to the engaging we do on Twitter. (Your sense of fun comes through, too!) And of course, the comments make it even richer.
You couldn’t have picked a better person to lead with than Gini. She exemplifies what Twitter should be: engaging, warm, smart, funny.. and a channel for great information and insight. She takes what she does seriously, but not herself. She’s the rare CEO who’s so confident and comfortable that she doesn’t need to “act important”.
When I started the Katnip Awards back in June, she was tops on the list. And remains so. Here’s what I said then: http://bit.ly/7tFvc
November 10th, 2009 at 9:08 am
Matt, you could not have picked a better person to feature for this post. When I was a newbie to Twitter, it was Gini Dietrich that taught me everything I needed to know-by example. Her honesty, kindness, humor, and integrity never cease to amaze me! That is why she is my “Twitter Guru” and my “Twitter BFF!” The world would be a much better place if there were more people (especially business leaders) like Gini!
Thanks for telling my Twitter BFF’s story! At some point, you need to write about @katjaib – another inspirational person who is true to her word. In fact, I met her via the recommendation of Gini Dietrich-so that says something about her!
I look forward to reading your future posts!