Top Gen Y blogs

Be patient. Don’t scroll down yet. Let’s talk about a couple of things first.

• Thank you to everyone who voted to make this list possible. It was far and away the most ballots I’ve received. Please keep spreading the word so that we can continue recognizing great blogs, and giving people new feeds to add to their readers.
• Thanks to all the bloggers who leave all their blood, sweat, tears and carpel tunnel out there on the keyboard.
• I’d still love for someone to help me create a badge that bloggers can proudly display on their blog (if they’d like of course – no requirement). Jamie V? Bueller? Bueller?
• There are more personal finance and dating/relationship blogs than usual this list. I love that the spectrum of blogs featured is increased.
• That said, I’m not sure a couple (particularly the dating blogs) are all that “Gen Y,” but hell if you’re reading them and voting for them, I suspect I’ll keep including them.
• After you digest the list I’d love for you to stop by the comments section and have a dialogue with me (and others) on blogs you’d like us to consider for August’s list (and why), some of the blogs you’re glad to see make this list, what you think of the newcomers to the list, etc.

WARNING: Don’t scroll down super fast looking for your name. Read it really slowly where you can only see one blog on your browser at a time. It’s more fun and suspenseful that way. I promise.

AND NOW WHAT YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR…

Also Receiving Votes:
Quarter Life Lady, Ryan Stephens Marketing, Diary of Why, Mrs. Micah, Gen Y PR Prescriptions, Personal PR, Why Hasn’t He, The Creative Career, Simon and Cole, Bargaineering, Greg Rollett, I Hate HR, More is Better, The Dateable Dork, Green Panda Tree House, Andy Drish

The Next Tier:
McKinney Oates Cereal, Honey and Lance, I Will Teach You To Be Rich, Quiet the Thunder, The Dating Jungle, Poorer Than You, Life Before Noon, Sydney Owen, Girl Meets Business, Work.Love.Life

Closer than you might expect; at least to blog #8 or so:
Ryan Paugh – Ryan’s blog of late has focused on highlighting interesting points of emphasis surrounding his brazen community.

Personal Branding Blog – Your #1 resource for personal branding online. this blog includes podcasts, interviews with experts, insightful articles, research reports, games and much more.

Ben Casnocha – A blog about entrepreneurship, books, current affairs, and intellectual life.

Gen Pink – Elysa’s blog about being a twenty something woman, and letting others know how our generation is different than those before us.

The Rest is Still Unwritten – Tech News and Random Ramblings from a 20-something year old bachelor.

Twenty Set – Insights into graduate school, married life, Chicago, new media, and being a passionate 20-something navigating the real world.

The Top 10 Gen Y Blogs for June 2009:

10. (Tie) Brazen Careerist (RV) – Penelope’s blog is about career advice, and her of course.Love her or hate her Penelope’s blog makes you think, and I suspect that’s why she’s always in the mix when I start assembling this list every other month. Rebecca says it best, “Just accept that she does a great job at her job – pushing others to think differently, learn about their own values, form opinions, and create dialogue.” Carlos had a great discussion on his blog about back story usually being unnecessary, though with Penelope it’s so damn interesting that’s why you read her posts in the first place.10. (Tie) Justice For All (NR) – Akihila writes primarily about human rights, but also mixes in social enterprise, social media, and her musings on work and life.I love that this month’s blog features lots of new writers like Akihila, but just as important, a breadth of topics that span a lot further than just ‘social media,’ and marketing. She’s been pumping out a lot more content than a lot of the blogs on this list, and all of them are insightful and feature a wealth of depth. Make sure you check out her piece on the importance of social change.

9. The Mad Grad (7) – These ladies dish out advice based on their own experiences that they hope will be helpful in your quest for the perfect job, house or roommate!

Ashley and Jenny were #1 on our inaugural list (well, once we started the voting process), and one of only four blogs to make all three lists so far. The ladies have great chemistry with one another, just recently surpassed their one year of blogging milestone, and continue to consistently put out content that covers a wide variety of really interesting topics affecting Gen Y and the transition from college to the real world. As a side tidbit, I love that they’re unafraid to share some pretty random stuff; it keeps them feeling ‘fresh’ for me.

8. Employee Evolution (5) – Dedicated to helping the millennial generation answer the hard-hitting questions that come with the biggest transition of their lives.

After two weeks of holding steady at #5, Ryan dips down to eight. Is it any coincidence that Penelope jumped up this week? I suspect it’s an elaborate conspiracy to overtake Ryan has the go-to Brazen blogger for this particular voting community. The fact that he remains on this list in spite of his volume decreasing is a testament to the value he provides when he posts, or his ability to lure people to vote for him with placement on Brazen’s main page. I appreciate that he provides real advice based on real experiences and doesn’t piggy back on re-hashed content from the Gen Y echo chamber.

7. Jun Loayza (NR) – This blog documents Jun’s successes and failures throughout his journey as an entrepreneur,and his attempt to balance love for his startup with love for his girlfriend.

It’s about time people started taking notice of not only the sheer volume of value Jun is providing, but also the quality and relevance of his posts. With extremely practical and useful posts, and a keen eye for a solid aesthetic and vivid visuals that really breathe life into his posts, there’s little doubt in my mind Jun’s a grinder; one that is going to succeed at all costs. In addition to his writing, he’s put a lot of time and effort into growing the “Gen Y” community (along with others on this list), something we should definitely commend him for.

6. Life After College (NR) – Jenny’s mission is to provide simple, practical tips that help you focus on the BIG picture of your life…not just the details. Find tips and resources for life, work, money, happiness, productivity, personal growth and more.

Practical. Consistent. Relevant. There are countless ways to describe Jenny’s blog, but they all boil down to one thing, tremendous value. Covering a very wide spectrum of issues that face Generation Y, I genuinely feel Jenny is just starting to hit her stride, and that’s scary, because she’s had some great posts lately (and her community is responding via a wide array of thoughtful commentary.) Make sure you check out her two part series on creating a professional development strategy. (Part I — Part II)

5. Interesected (NR) – Jamie’s personal blog where she write about everything and nothing at the same time; anything she finds interesting or worth talking about.

What can you say about Jamie? She’s kind of like a beautiful mess. And I mean that in the best way possible. She does a tremendous job of stripping off all the layers and exposing her core and what makes her tick. I hesitate to lump her because she’s certainly got her own unique approach, but if you’re unfamiliar with her work you could probably liken her to Penelope or Holly. She’s equal parts insightful, intuitive and down right hilarious. Reading her thoughts on screen sometimes feels like a brilliant painter slinging paint on a blank canvas; always a treat.

4. Politicoholic (1) – This blog is currently host to Nisha’s commentary about a wide variety of issues, mostly political and social.

I don’t know what to say about Nisha’s blog that I haven’t already said the last two editions of this list. Until the last few ballots trickled in, I thought she might very well repeat. She was neck and neck with the #1 blog on this list before a late surge by a couple of talented ladies. The more I read Nisha the more I realize that it’s not just that she’s one of the few Gen Y bloggers that attacks politics in such a profound way, it’s not that she’s kind and generous and always contributing to other people’s blogs, and it’s not that she is great at engaging her community. None of those things hurt, but the fact is, Nisha is just a brilliant writer. Make sure you congratulate her on her new job and wish her luck in Washington, DC.

3. Modite (6) – This blog gives career advice for a new generation of workers.

From 8, to 6, to 3, Rebecca just keeps climbing the Gen Y top blogs ladder. Like Nisha, I’m running out of nice things to say and she didn’t add any new features like vlogging or agree/disagree this month, but it doesn’t take most readers long to realize Rebecca has a wealth of experience, a great since of practicality and a phenomenal ability to convey her messages to her readers. If you did an average comment per post, I suspect Modite’s ratio is higher than most on this list so evidently what she’s writing is resonating with her readers. Besides, by now we all know that just trying isn’t good enough.

2. Small Hands, Big Ideas (NR) – Musings and Inspiration on Technology, Career and Generation Y

I prefaced this list on Twitter as one that would shake things up, and it certainly has as Grace Boyle’s blog makes its debut in the number two slot. My first inclination is to ask why nobody has pointed this blog out to me way before now, but this should be about Grace. Speaking of which. Stop reading. Seriously. Go to her blog now and subscribe. WAY more than 47 people need to be reading her blog. Okay. I’m done now.

Whether it’s showing us inside an intimate moment with a friend, giving us great advice on how to relocate, highlighting local businesses in a way that makes me care knowing I’ll probably never encounter any of them, or generously linking out to others, Grace is very deserving of this debut. But don’t believe me, go read her content. Well, right after you check out the #1 blog for the Month of June!

AND THE TOP GEN Y BLOG FOR JUNE IS…..

1. Life Without Pants (NR) – The blog about everything and nothing: Without restrictions, without cause. The latest on Gen-Y, technology, philosophy, and more!

I cannot lie, in the back of my mind I thought he’d make a run. Hell, I’ve been telling anyone who will listen this last month to keep an eye on Matt because he was up to some big things. One of the BEST I’ve encountered at engaging his community/readers and really generating enthralling conversation in the comments sections of his posts. (There’s as much value there as the posts themselves.)

You have to go back just a bit in the archives to find a lot of content posted by Matt himself (which is worth it by the way) because the month of May has been devoted to his Inconvenience of Change series. I absolute love the fact (free book aside) that Matt was able to bring together over 40 Gen Y bloggers to contribute to a really phenomenal series dissected from countless different angles. Go check it, and Matt’s other content out. I assure you that you won’t be disappointed!

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FINALLY. I started teasing it last night hoping I’d get it up then (and over-deliver), but I really wanted to do justice to the explanations for each of the top 10 Gen Y Blogs. Thanks to everyone who voted and continue to make our efforts to highlight tremendous Gen Y Blogs possible.

ALSO, I would be very appreciative if someone significantly more graphically inclined than me could whip up a badge of sorts everyone could display on their blog linking back to these lists. I know the value you all provide, but I want the entire blogosphere to realize that Gen Y isn’t just a bunch of pretentious trophy-kids, but provide real, valuable insights!

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO…

Also Receiving Votes:

Be Deviant, Sydney Owen, Young Go Getter, Water Cooler, Gen Y PR Prescriptions, The Office Newb, Keep Up With Me, Creative Career, Ryan Paugh, I Hate HR, Young and Frugal, Quarter Life Lady, Next Generation Consulting (Don’t have a link for this blog), Intersected, Two Notes Ahead, Millennium Marketer, Life Before Noon, Gen Pink, Driven Leaders, Hard Knox Life, Pipe Dreams and Professions

Next Tier:

Schiff Report, Prevential, Newly Corporate, Quiet The Thunder, Andy Drish, Guru Gilbert

Only a few votes separating…

Echodemic – A new blog to the mix, making its debut within a few votes of our top 10. Phil and Josh have solid volume and write about all things Gen Y.
PR Interactive – A way for Meg to interact with other professionals, students, and professors in communications to further her (and your) knowledge and understanding about the PR field and industry trends.
Ryan Stephens – Not sure why any of you clowns would vote for this blog, but I’m flattered nonetheless.
Ben Casnocha – A blog about entrepreneurship, books, current affairs, and intellectual life.
Brazen Careerist – Penelope’s blog is about career advice, and her of course.
Millennial Leaders Blog – Like Echodemic, Bea’s blog made a big push this week. She covers a wide range of Gen Y topics.
I Will Teach You to Be Rich – Personal finance blog for college students, recent graduates and everyone else — including entrepreneurship — for getting rich.

The Top 10 List:

10.) Work Love Life (3) – Explores topics that range from career development and entrepreneurship to relationships, from personal finances to spirituality and community building.

Holly’s blog slipped from the number 3 spot, but she remains on the list. Maybe her fall is because she’s only written two posts on Work Love Life since our last top list. Maybe it’s because of Meredith’s post referring to her blog as a “guilty pleasure,” (I appreciated Meredith’s insight even though I disagreed.) It could be because she’s invested time in launching a new blog. I’d like to think it’s because she’s running around creating crazy blog-worthy stories to share with all of us. In any event, you can suspect she’s “living like her life depends on it.”

9.) Personal PR (NR) – How the principles and theories, the practices and norms of public relations can work for you, your online identity, your network, your career.

Tiffany’s another woman who I’ve always enjoyed to read, and was frequently featured on my old lists before I moved to the voting process. It’s nice to have her back. She has only written a couple of posts since the last list as well. That obviously means the couple she’s done have resonated with her audience. She’s experimenting, less with PR, more with passion and words. It’s a fun shift to witness, and helped her articulate why “It’s Never To Late.”

[Side note: Anyone else think that Susan is just a tremendous filter? If she tells me to read it, I’m there in a hurry. Seems she’s always making incredibly insightful comments on tremendous posts.]

8.) The Rest is Still Unwritten (9) – Tech News and Random Ramblings from a 20-something year old bachelor.

David debuted on the February edition of this list in the 9th spot and moves up a spot this month. The thing about David’s blog is it always feels so fresh to me. Fresh content, fresh ideas, fresh insights. He really mixes it up with short posts that just make me laugh and longer more insightful posts. He has a very distinct voice, and he doesn’t let himself get boxed into one niche, writing about all things that interest him (and his readers as evidenced by the fact that he’s got on of the most commented blogs on this list.)

7.) The Mad Grad (1) – These ladies dish out advice based on their own experiences that they hope will be helpful in your quest for the perfect job, house or roommate!

Ashley and Jenny made a bold debut last week in the #1 spot, but as others will soon find out (and NCAA basketball teams already know), it’s tough to consistently stay atop a list with so many talented competitors. I was very impressed by their coverage of all things involving the transition into life after college. I still am. Like David, these two ladies do a good job intertwining easier to digest nuggets, and more provocative posts that generate a solid amount of discussion.

6.) Modite (8) – This blog gives career advice for a new generation of workers.

Rebecca’s blog moves up two spots from our Feb. edition. Could her ascension have anything to do with the fact that she’s added vlogging to her arsenal? Apparently starting a new job and tolerating Ryan Healy haven’t slowed her down. I love that she’s not afraid to experiment, and I like her new agree/disagree approach of filtering interesting posts for her readers. She’s definitely an edge-walker, and that’s illustrated in this post, “Stop Writing About Social Media to be a Successful Blogger.”

5.) Employee Evolution (5) – Dedicated to helping the millennial generation answer the hard-hitting questions that come with the biggest transition of their lives.

Employee Evolution holds steady at number 5 this month, which is impressive considering Ryan has to run his own company without much funding, in a recession, all the while trying to keep Penelope from borrowing his credit card so he can afford to buy Rebecca Valentine’s flowers for her table so her vlog scenery is pretty. What I like about Ryan’s approach is that it’s totally different than a lot of 20-somethings (coincidentally, that’s why I like theirs as well.)

Most of us take a bit of a vulnerable, we’re learning this all as we go approach, but Ryan’s voice is typically very authoritative and assured. Here’s “10 More Ways Generation Y Will Change the Workplace,” and it’s better than the last ten.

4.) Girl Meets Business (NR) – A blog for young professionals who want to: develop professionally through growth and learning, improve themselves and the world around them, pursue passion and success, and share their thoughts and insights on career development.

From also receiving votes all the way to #4, and deservedly so. Admittedly I wasn’t all that familiar with Angela’s blog (and I try to read most of these blogs periodically so that I have a good pulse of what’s out there.) Because of that, I really delved into her blog this week, and if you haven’t yet, you should be.

Her blog is chocked full of useful pieces offering relevant and valuable tips and advice for essentially becoming a better person (personally and professionally.) As Angela learns, she shares, and we’re able to learn from her. For example, “What I Learned From Blogging that You Can Use in Real Life.” Also, though it came out after votes were tallied, I loved the innovative and insightful approach to this post about the “Seven Deadly Sins of the Professional.”

3.) Twenty Set (NR) – A place to talk about graduate school, married life, and her love of Chicago. At least that’s what her ‘about’ says. I’ll say it’s phenomenal insights into new media, and being a passionate 20-something navigating the real world.

How or why Monica’s blog didn’t even receive votes in our Feb. edition astounds me, but sometimes good blogs slip through the cracks; sometimes they also come roaring back with a vengeance. Like David, Monica is another blogger that has a really great, loyal readership that illustrates that love with an abundance of comments. It’s usually a great sign a blogger is engaging (both in their writing and the way they build community and cultivate relationships.)

What I like most is Monica’s ability to craft her words such that every thing seems so simple by the time I’m done reading her posts. They flow in a such a logical way that I “get it” without having to scour back through. That’s hard for some bloggers, but it seems effortless of her. Besides that she helped me answer a discussion I’ve been having with myself (and Chuck, and Nisha) with this blog post: “You Don’t Need a Blog Topic, Just Start Writing.”

2.) Personal Branding Blog (2) – Your #1 resource for personal branding online. this blog includes podcasts, interviews with experts, insightful articles, research reports, games and much more.

I thought this might be the week that Dan regained his throne atop this list, but alas it wasn’t to be. I suspect he can’t complain too much about holding steady at 2-spot. Dan’s current team of writers is constantly changing (and it’s because he’s picked so well they’re all getting promotions and don’t have time anymore), but the value provided by his blog is not. I guess it doesn’t hurt that he has the author of the #3 blog writing for him once a week, and one of my other favorite bloggers as well.

As we inch ever so close to his book launch (Congrats Dan!), he’s still pumping out awesome content and interviewing some very interesting people like Tony Hsieh and one with author John C. Maxwell, which I particularly enjoyed. Dan thinks about personal branding non-stop. He took one look at February’s top list and goes, “Hey you need a badge people can put on their blogs. That’d be huge!” Needless to say, I’m looking forward to implementing that idea!

AND THE TOP GEN Y BLOG FOR APRIL IS…..

1.) Politicoholic (7) – This blog is currently host to Nisha Chittal’s commentary about a wide variety of issues, mostly political and social.

From #7 last edition, to NUMBER ONE. Why? I’m not sure. You guys voted. But let me speculate for a few. For one, aside from Dan, Ben (and maybe a couple of others) she pumps out more content than most 20-somethings (and it’s damn good content too.) Sure, she talks about politics, at least more than most people our age, but she doesn’t confine herself to one niche, which helps her appeal to a wider range of people. Like so many others on this list she also has a unique voice that’s confident when it should be, and subtle and inquisitive when it makes sense.

In addition, Nisha isn’t just blogging and waiting for things to happen (though you could argue blogging in of itself isn’t just waiting around), but actually acting and trying to convince others to affect change as well. The average person is looking to be led, and even tremendous leaders like a solid focal point sometimes. Recently, I’ve enjoyed her fun comments about SXSW and intriguing piece about women sucking at self promotion.

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