Women Who Rock Social Media

Last year I created a list of 25 Women That Rock Social Media for 2010 which was well received and appreciated. Most of the women listed I’ve come to know through involvement in the Public Relations and Search Marketing industries and also through blogging.

Social Media

For 2011 I decided to create a similar list based almost entirely on recommendations from the 2010 participants. 18 of the original 25 responded, providing over 60 recommendations. Filtering and sorting that list of 60+ down to 25 was excruciating.  Those with multiple nominations took priority and other social participation factors and social media work were considered.  I also made it a requirement that each nominator would have at least one person they recommended included in this final list of 25.

via toprankblog.com

Thanks to Lee Odden for including me on the list and thanks to Sarah Evans for nominating me.

As you'll see (definitely click through to read the full list), I'm in excellent company.

In this moment, I can't help but quote Beyonce: "Who run the world? Girls."

A Cheat Sheet for Lazy Vegans & Bi-Curious Non-Veggies

People have this crazy misconception that being vegan (or even vegetarian) is a less satisfying way to live. Sure, traveling is a bit difficult if you don't plan appropriately and nibbling on your non-vegan date's dinner becomes a no-no, but in today's Vegan-is-so-hip-even-Oprah's-tried-it world, going animal-product free requires less willpower than a trip to gym.

In fact, having been vegan for nearly two-and-half years, I've found that deprivation has no place in the educated vegan's diet. 

There is no better cookie dough on the planet than Eat Pastry's spoon-scoopable variety, for instance. Wild Wood Veggie Burgers defy logic in their tastiness and are quite the opposite of what we've all come to expect from a typical veggie burger. Replace your butter and margarine with Earth Balance Organic Buttery Spread and you will never look back.

And so, as I was shopping and salivating at Whole Foods this morning, I felt compelled to share my purchases, most of which I can vouch for with complete conviction.

The list below doesn't include fruits and veggies -- which I love now more than ever -- but instead items that replace traditional meat and dairy fare. I dare you to try any of the following and not enjoy the experience.

I've also decided to make my vegan Evernote notebooks publicly accessible. Did you know that Amazon has more than 2,000 vegan grocery items for sale? Um yea,  that's pretty badass. Anyway, you can find my vegan notes here: 

And, because I epitomize what it means to be a lazy vegan, I can't live without VeganXpress, an iPhone app that lists out vegan items at chain restaurants.

Without further ado...

 

Whole Foods Cheat Sheet

 

Fake Meats & Cheeses:

  • Gimme Lean Ground Sausage Style
  • Gimme Lean Ground Beef Style
  • Wild Wood Savory Baked Tofu
  • Field Roast Classic Meatloaf
  • Wild Wood Veggie Burgers: Original, Shiitake & Southwest
  • Tofurky Hickory Smoked Deli Slices
  • Tofurky brand Tempeh Organic Five Grain
  • Yves Veggie Cuisine Meatless Pepperoni
  • Daiya Mozzarella Style Shreds
  • Rice Vegan American Flavor Slices
  • Rice Vegan Pepper Jack Flavor Slices

 

Frozen:

  • Tofurky Italian Sausage & Pre-Roasted Veggie Pizza
  • Tofurky Pepperoni Pizza
  • Gardein Classic Style Buffalo Wings
  • Amy's Non-Dairy Vegetable Pot Pie
  • Amy's Burrito (non-diary bean burrito)
  • Breaded Vegan Fish Fillets

 

Desserts 

  • Eat Pastry Chocolate Chunk Cookie Dough 
  • Purely Decadent Peanut Butter Zig Zag Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert
  • Goldie's Premium Carob Bar Rice Crunch
  • Uncle Eddies Vegan Cookies (not pictured)

 

Other

  • Earth Balance Organic Buttery Spread Original Whipped (not pictured)
  • Tofutti Cream Cheese
  • Whole Soy & Co Vanilla Organic Soy Yogurt
  • 365 Organic Herb & Garlic Water Crackers
  • Whole Foods Hummus
  • C2O Pure Coconut Water

 

Great Vegan Brands

  • Gardein
  • Field Roast
  • Uncle Eddies
  • Yves Veggie Cuisine
  • Amy's (not all products are vegan)
  • Tofurky
  • Whole Soy
  • Purely Decadent
  • Eat Pastry
  • Lucy's

 

Vegan Quick Bites & Standbys


  • Starbucks: Frappuccinos w/Soy & no whip (syrups & Mocha are vegan, Light Frappuccino and White Mocha are NOT vegan)
  • Taco Bell: Bean Burrito no cheese or Seven Layer Burrito no sour cream or cheese
  • Chipotle: Vegetarian Burrito or Burrito Bowl (black beans, no cheese)
  • Sammy's Pizza: sub Daiya cheese & ask about crust options
  • Quiznos: Veggie Sandwich on white or wheat, no cheese/no dressing
  • Jamba Juice: Five Fruit Frenzy, Pomegranate Paradise & Protein Berry Workout w/soy protein
  • Super Pretzel Baked Soft Pretzels
  • Cracker Jacks
  • Fritos
  • Sun Chips (original)
  • Triscuits (original)
  • Stacy's Pita Chips (baked)
  • Sour Patch Kids
  • Twizzlers
  • Skittles (U.S.)
  • Swedish Fish

Saying Goodbye To the Apartment in the Sky

As much I so desperately wanted to fall in love with San Francisco, my heart will always belong to San Diego. It's the city where I was born and raised, the place where I met my female soulmate and the locale I will always consider home.

I may travel to events and conferences across the U.S., but when I return home, I want to come home to San Diego.

That's not to say San Francisco wasn't good to me. I lived in a fabulous condo with breathtaking views in one of the city's most prestigious buildings, became besties with many of my San Francisco co-workers and got to attend a few killer press events and investor dinners. Still, I never quite felt settled in San Francisco.

I wrestled with the decision to move back to San Diego for a few months. After all, I made this big to-do about moving to San Francisco, and when I make commitments I like to see them through. The problem was that the longer I stayed in San Francisco, the more I felt like I was losing touch with the essence of me. Monday through Friday was easy enough -- there's certainly plenty of work to be done -- but Saturday and Sunday were a strange beast. My life seemed to lack purpose on the weekends.

It slowly dawned on me. I'm no spring chicken. I'm not some awestruck college kid looking for a big break. No, I'm fast-approaching 30 (gah!) and I'm rooted. I may not have kids or a significant other, but I have roots -- my foundation is in San Diego. Why I was so naive as to believe that I could say "adios" to the most significant things in my life, I will never know. Let's just call it professional optimism.

But Angie -- the soulmate I mentioned above -- is everything to me. Our relationship has always been more like a marriage (though entirely platonic) than a friendship. She's so tightly wrapped up in my purpose for being that moving away from her was excruciating.

Of course, there's always more to the story, but some details are only appropriate for conversations over cocktails. Suffice to say, nothing is changing other than I'm saying goodbye to the apartment in the sky and putting my feet back on solid ground in San Diego.