During tough economic times, many of us look for guidance. Sometimes we also tire of being leaders constantly. One of the reasons I took up Karate 7 years ago was to be a follower. There is always something that is so enjoyable about learning from others.

I am not into lists, but I have felt so supported this year that I was compelled to start one. What is so interesting is that many of these people I have never met in person (IRL).

Here are 16 people that I have learned from this year (in no particular order):

@ChrisBrogan You can’t help but learn from his daily blog post about how to build relationships with people and your business. If  was on a desert island and had only one RSS feed, it would be to Chris’ blog.

@LizStrauss Liz is the person that started to teach me about social media. She is the master connector– all she does is give, give, give. If you can only attend one conference next year, I recommend SOBCON.

@LizMarshall Another Liz I met through @michaelport. She knows how to bring the best book ideas out to all of us. She is constantly bring big thinkers together so we can all learn.

@MichaelPort A fellow Wiley author, he has always encouraged me to Think Big! When he says it is an honor to serve you, he really means it.

@Gail Blanke One of the finest authors and speakers I know- You must read “Between Trapezes” and “Throw Out 50 Things”

@BeckyMcCray Who is teaching me about what its means to be a small town entrepreneur since I travel and speak at so many of these citites.
 
@PenelopeTrunk I never know quite what will come from her keyboard. She always says what is on her mind no matter what. She is unafraid to call people out. A must read.

@skydiver Peter Shankman defines networking. Ask for help in HARO and you get 500 replies in a day.

@MattWilsonTV Matt is the Gen Y entrepreneur. His passion and drive are models for me on why I support young entrepreneurs.

@EdScanlan and @KevinChern Shows every entrepreneur how you can have a business that can thrive in a tough economy. They have built an impressive company in the Great Recession.

@MissDestructo One of the most original and creative thinkers in the webosphere especially when it comes to Yams, MJ and Swine Flu. Tune her in.

@SimaSays  Pure energy and a delightly person. The ideal marketer to support you and your business.

@AmberCadabra I have only met Amber briefly IRL, but her blog Brand Box blog teaches me everyday how I can apply social media to my business.

@scottevest I have followed Scott Jordan’s success for many years. He is one of the most creative entrepreneurs I know and defines methods to deliver outstanding customer service.

@dmscott His bestselling book, The New Rules of Marketing and PR will change the way you look at marketing forever.

@robmcnealy Always there to help even though 100,000 people follow him on Twitter- no matter how small or stupid my questions are.

Who have you learned from this year?