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Digital Royalty is an digital and social media firm that works with several major league sports teams and individual athletes, as well as national brands. They are best known for the work they do with Shaquille O'Neal. I met with Amy Martin, the founder of Digital Royalty, in Phoenix to talk about what led her to start this firm. As expected, we talk about their work with Shaq; one of the first celebrities, sports or otherwise, to use Twitter. We also talk about how major league sports organizations are handling the increasing use of social media tools like Twitter by athletes during games. Follow Amy and her company at http://twitter.com/DigitalRoyalty.

To coincide with his appearance at the 140 Characters Conference in LA, I moved this interview to the front of the queue. At Gnomedex, a yearly tech conference in Seattle, I interviewed Mark Horvath. Mark is travelling the country bringing the plight of the homeless to light with his project, Invisible People. Mark's project has received a lot of publicity and he has been asked to speak at many conferences. I was fortunate to be able to talk with Mark about what led him to do this very personal project. I encourage everyone to follow Mark at http://twitter.com/hardlynormal and his project at http://twitter.com/invisiblepeople.

To coincide with his panel appearance at the 140 Characters Conference in LA, I moved this interview to the front of the queue. At the "other" Twitter conference in LA, 140: The Twitter Conference, I met up wih panelist Chris Hardwick. Chris Hardwick is a comedian, actor and host of the G4 show Web Soup. I got to attend a taping of Web Soup while in LA and interviewed Chris after the show. From Chris we learn: What was the highlight of the comedy panel at 140: The Twitter Conference (http://vimeo.com/7148408)? What came first, the comedian or the nerd? Who are some of his early comedy influences. What was the first computer he owned. Jokes about Twitter bomb in the clubs. How is Twitter like Mad Men? How is Twitter like a freeway? What is his Twitter philosophy? Between tapings of Web Soup, Chris is currently doing the "Nice Tweets Tour (of Comedy)" and has been using Twitter as its main promotional channel. If you aren't following Chris already, he is on Twitter at http://twitter.com/nerdist.

I had heard of great things that NAKED Pizza was doing with social media and Twitter in particular. A take-out and delivery pizza restaurant, NAKED Pizza made the bold move of replacing the standard signage in front of their establishment with a new one that only lists their Twitter address as a means of contact. On my trip around the nation I made a stop in New Orleans JUST to interview this forward-thinking company. NAKED Pizza makes, in their opinion, the world's healthiest pizza. After the interview I took a pizza for the road and would have to agree with their claim. NAKED Pizza has attracted the attention of major investors in their efforts to expand nationally. Be on the lookout for their amazing pizza in your neighborhood soon. To keep up on their expansion and how they are much different than your regular pizza joint (probiotic and prebiotic dough, ingredients grown on-site, etc.) follow them on Twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/nakedpizza">@nakedpizza</a>.

Daily Grommet sells interesting and unique products, with a new one featured each day. They define a Grommet as: ...a wonderful product still waiting in the wings, just ripe for discovery...it has great utility, or style, or invention. Or, very often it has all three. I met with Jules Pieri and Jeanne Connon at Daily Grommet's headquarters outside Boston. They showcased several of their products (two of which I already owned and one that I use now). They also talked about how Twitter is being used to find new products to sell and feature. We all had a lot of fun doing the interview. These are some great people, I urge you to check them out on Twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/dailygrommet">@dailygrommet</a>.

Laura Fitton is co-author of the newly released book "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470479914?ie=UTF8&tag=rhymwithalmo-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0470479914">Twitter For Dummies</a>." Laura also runs Pistachio Consulting, a communications consultancy that is increasingly focusing on social media. In the interview Laura shares her one universal piece of advice for people on Twitter. This interview took place before the launch of her latest project, oneforty.com, a repository of applications and tools for Twitter. Find Laura on Twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/pistachio">@pistachio</a> and OneForty at <a href="http://twitter.com/oneforty">@oneforty</a>

A house that tweets? How cool is that? I met with Peter Troast and Lisa Fahay of Energy Circle to find out how it works. The geek in me really got a kick out of seeing how they monitor their energy usage in their home and tweet out their findings. Follow Energy Circle on Twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/energycircle">@energycircle</a> and the house that tweets at <a href="http://twitter.com/energycirclekw">@energycirclekw</a>.

I met up with Paul Rainer of I Prick U Bodyworks, a body piercing, modification & jewelry company with locations in Staten Island & Toronto. Paul has grown a large following on Twitter by connecting to people with an interest the type of work he does and by showcasing that work. Paul has been in business for close to ten years and specializes in scalpelling and microdermal implants. If you are into this type of body modification you should definitely check him out on Twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/ipricku">@ipricku</a>.

Josh Charles wrote a song, "Healing Time", to raise awareness about the healing that is taking place in New Orleans after the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. Josh partnered with Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans (PRCNO) to help raise money for their efforts to build green homes and businesses in New Orleans. All proceeds from the sale of this song on iTunes and Amazon go to PRCNO. Josh is trying to raise $1 million dollars by September 29. Follow Josh in his efforts at http://twitter.com/joshcharles. Buy the song on iTunes or Amazon by visiting Josh's website at http://joshcharlesmusic.com/

David Rostan, Founder of Social Yell, explains how his site allows consumers to rate the social responsibility of companies. The site allows for two-way conversations between users and the companies they rate. They use Twitter to illicit requests for features and get feedback on how they are doing. They are also seeking out conversations about companies' social responsibility on Twitter and encouraging them to share their thoughts and feelings using Social Yell. Social Yell is on Twitter at http://twitter.com/socialyell and on the web at http://socialyell.com

OK, It's not an interview with Sockington but his owner, Jason Scott. Since Sockington (also goes by Socks) is the subject of the interview and has over a million followers I thought the title seemed appropriate. Jason talked about how Socks came into his life and the evolution of the most popular cat on Twitter. We also talked about his less-popular but just as fascinating cat Penny. Follow Socks on Twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/sockington">@sockington</a> and Penny at <a href="http://twitter.com/pennycat">@pennycat</a>.

At the first stop for the Hyatt4Good Tweetup Tour, I talked with Adam Hirsch of Mashable. The tweetups are part of Mashable's larger Summer of Social Good effort. Adam, COO of Mashable, explains what the Summer of Social Good is all about and what lead up to it. The tour will be making stops in several cities this summer before returning to New York to host the Social Good Conference. Follow the Summer of Social Good on Twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/socialgood">@socialgood</a> and Mashable at <a href="http://twitter.com/mashable">@mashable</a>.

At Ford Motor Company headquarters I talk with Scott Monty, their head of social media. Scott explains how Ford went from dabbling in the social media space to becoming a corporation that is praised for it's use of social media. Ford maintains several accounts on Twitter, their primary one being <a href="http://twitter.com/ford">@ford</a>.

Taking a spin in the 2011 Ford Fiesta with Sam DeLaGarza. Sam is the brand manager for this new car. We talk about the buzz-generating project Fiesta Movement. Follow the Ford Fiesta on Twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/fordfiesta">@fordfiesta</a>. We also talk about the Fiesta's performance at the Pike's Peak International Hill Climb.

Jeff Slobotski is the driving force behind Silicon Prairie News and Big Omaha. He is also highly connected within the Omaha tech scene. We talk about the success of Big Omaha in 2009 and plans for the 2010 event. Follow Jeff on Twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/jjsnyc">@jjsnyc</a>.

After having breakfast with the Whuffaoke crew in Omaha, I chatted with Megan Hunt about her work as a bridal designer and style blogger. Her alter-ego online is Princess Lasertron (cool, I know). Check her out on Twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/lasertron">@lasertron</a>. Megan explains a unique skill she possesses that serves her international customer base well.

Talking with John Henry Muller of website design and development studio What Cheer. We talk about a couple of projects they worked on for the Omaha community; 22floors.com and ILiveinOmaha.com. Follow What Cheer on Twitter at http://twitter.com/whatcheer.

Took a lap around their track then talked to Ryan Lynch. He is one of the owners of Joe's Karting, a go-kart racing establishment set to open August 1 in Council Bluffs Iowa, in the Omaha Nebraska metro area. Ryan is hopping that getting the word out on Twitter about their place even before they have opened will ensure plenty of customers from day one. They are on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joeskarting Watch the interview and see how I tore up the track.

I met Steve Tucker, a farmer in western Nebraska, out in a corn field in the middle of nowhere. But Steve gets a strong enough signal on his Blackberry that he can tweet from his tractor. Steve is helping to connect people on Twitter to the people that grow the foods that we eat. He is creating awareness of what goes into farming on a daily basis. Follow Steve on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tykerman1 The weather cooperated during our interview. Unfortunately, a few hours after I left a major hail storm hit that ruined most of his crops. I think he was insured for this kind of thing, but it sucks regardless.

At their first stop of the night I sat down with Alice Shin of Kogi BBQ. They are a Korean-Mexican fusion taco truck in LA. They use Twitter to send their schedule of stops as well as any surprise stops. They have quite a following on Twitter as well as in the real world, and will be expanding their operations from two trucks to four. Alice talks about how they planned to use social media to help grow their business from day one. She attributes much of their increased popularity to bloggers, especially food bloggers. After the interview, I sampled some of their food based on her recommendations. I can see why people come in droves at every stop. If you are in LA you have to find them; they are practically an institution here. Follow Kogi BBQ on Twitter at http://twitter.com/kogibbq.

Sat down with founder of Gear Live, Andru Edwards. Andru explains what Gear Live is all about. He also marvels at the exhibits surrounding us at the Computer History Museum (where the interview took place). Follow Gear Live on Twitter at http://twitter.com/gearlive and Andru at http://twitter.com/andruedwards

Siting in a suite at the Georgian Hotel, I talked to Larry Broughton. Larry is founder & CEO of Broughton Hospitality, owners of a collection of boutique hotels in California, Chicago and Indonesia. Follow Larry on Twitter at http://twitter.com/larrybroughton.

Talking to Jim Belanger, President of Gamer Doc. Gamer Doc is a growing chain of gaming retail, repair and tournament stores. We talk outside their first location in LA. Follow Gamer Doc on Twitter at http://twitter.com/gamer_doc.

Talking with Stephanie Quilao, a professional blogger with Thriving Media. She talks about her current blog, Everyday Tweet, as well as her others. Follow Stephanie on Twitter at http://twitter.com/skinnyjeans

Relaxing in a vineyard, sipping wine with Katie Ambrosi. She is Marketing Manager for Vintage Wine Estates in Northern California. They own a collection of wineries in the Napa Valley & Sonoma County areas. Katie explains how they are just getting started using Twitter. After we sample one of their wines Katie reveals the very limited edition Twitter Road Trip wine. They have separate Twitter accounts for each label so you can follow your favorite one. They are: @WindsorWines-”Windsor Vineyards @GirardWinery-Girard Winery @FireStationRed-Fire Station Red @WindsorSonoma-Windsor Sonoma Winery @SCVWines-Sonoma Coast Vineyards @StoneFlyWines-€StoneFly Vineyards @GroveStreetWine-Grove Street Winery @IWAWine€-International Wine Accessories @VintageWineLife-Vintage Wine Estates @Fireandwine-Hybrid Fire Station Red and Sonoma Coast Vineyards