Since 2007, Twitter’s been my #1 tool in meeting and connecting with people in online. This year, I made a commitment to build and nurture online relationships with the individuals who influence me offline. With all things digital, human connection is more important that ever.

The past few months have been a tremendous period of growth for me. I’ve had my share of blind siding realizations at 2AM, turbulent battles with fears of being inadequate to do what I frankly am destined to do. It seems many of my social girlfriends, from Los Angeles to New York, are going through the same thing. Aren’t growing pains bliss?

A few weeks ago, my friend Karen Hartline tweeted: “Sometimes I wonder which is scarier…not knowing what I want from life or figuring it out and then not being able to achieve it/failing.”

My response (in two tweets): You’re sipping my wine.  Know what’s scarier? Realizing what you want from life is something you’re already achieving. And that the life you want, you already have. And the one thing you were missing was sitting at the back door knocking softly. #bliss

It was the twittersation that started it all. A few days later, Karen summarized that event on her blog. Deciding I should start sipping my own wine, my thoughts, opinions and expertise started pouring onto the digital canvas of my blog, all saved in a stylish Wordpess manner under DRAFTS. One by one, those drafts are being revised – and copy edited, in strictest of BDSM like fashions, by my new editor – and will be published.

When the Los Angeles times starts to write pieces on Fashion brands bypassing major publications and going to straight to bloggers and that style bloggers are the new trendsetters, something that I’ve been saying for over a year, I realize it’s time to stand up and make my voice heard – loudly.

To continue on the road of growth, last week, I learned that one of most influential and inspiring women in my life is leaving sunny California and returning home to Montreal. I was surprised and a bit heartbroken; I was hoping to get to know her more in the next year. And now she’s moving to Canada! I feel like I’m the person surviving a breakup.

I met Tara Hunt (aka Miss Rogue) via my colleague Stephanie Agresta at South By Southwest Interactive this year. Tara is the kind of woman who’s vibrant, radiant and commands presence in a room. Tara offers no nonsense, practical information on social media marketing, measuring social media ROI and what she calls WHUFFIE (for all you fashion minded people, her book: The Whuffie Factor: Understanding The Power of Social Networks To Build Your Business - is a must read).

And this morning, as I get up for 4AM yoga, I have email from Stephanie announcing her new position as EVP & Global Director of Digital Strategy and Social Marketing for Porter Novelli. Global Director? That has a very nice ring to it. For 10 years, Stephanie has worked for herself, consulting for large corporations  (Microsoft and Barnes & Noble). But as she so eloquently states on her blog, the story is deeper and more complicated that can be expressed – and sometimes, it’s just time.

I understand that life tells us when the it’s time to make a change. It starts subtly and if we ignore it, it starts to build, eventually giving us a huge – WHAP – to make it happen. I wish all my social girlfriends the best of luck as they move forward in their lives.

And I promise you ladies, I’m following suite, big things and giant leaps forward. I love you all and thank you for enriching my life.

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