I’d intended for this Follow Friday column to be a weekly occurrence, but things just kept on getting in the way. I figured before I settle in for what promises to be a rather crazy weekend coding wise (let’s just say that you shouldn’t be surprised if access is limited to some of my sites – but they’ll be ready for Monday) that I’d get restarted with this series as well.
I thought it was going to be a tough choice for the week, until I got to thinking about how it unfolded and it only made sense to pick one person – Todd McCalla.
Todd’s based in metro Nashville, TN and served as my host last Saturday night so I wouldn’t have to drive back immediately from PodCamp Nashville. By the way, I’ve done a great deal of “unofficial” couch surfing and I’ve got to say that the one that his sister and brother-in-law have is among the most comfortable I’ve ever crashed on. Anyway…
I got the chance to meet him at BarCamp Chattanooga in July. We’ve talked frequently since then, with me occasionally getting some great ideas about ways to leverage domain names and brand presence online. It’s nice to occasionally be reminded that it can be profitable as well as fun to do what we do. Todd stays busy working at Cumberland Commercial Partners and as the creator of CoolSprings.com, a web portal for the Nashville suburb. He’s also a Web Dominance Consultant focusing on helping folks understand this crazy digital world that we attempt to exist in.
Most importantly, Todd has a giving heart. Right now, in these crazy times, maybe that’s more important than anything else besides figuring out where the money to pay the bills will come from – the ability to want to do if for no other purpose than because it’s the right thing to do.
The last time I was in Nashville, for their BarCamp, he had an insane amount of VitaminWater bottles in his car trunk. He offered me a ride to my car so I could start back for Birmingham and before we pulled off, we walked up and down Broadway handing out drinks to street performers and the homeless. It’s probably one of the more poignant moments from my summer as it wasn’t about money, it was about doing something right for folks on a hot day.
If that’s not a reason to follow someone, I don’t really know what is…
Cheers.
