40 Rising Bloggers Who are Heating Up This Summer
If you’re looking for great up-and-coming bloggers to know, you’re going to enjoy my list I’ve put together.
We would all love for the A-list bloggers to RT our stuff, recognize us, answer our questions, and join our network but the fact is most of them are too busy. We are just a blip on their radar.
Instead a cue from my friend and co-founder of Blogcast FM, Srini Rao, who has spent the last 18 months studying how online relationships are formed.
As Srini wrote in his guide to Relationship Marketing, which I have had the pleasure of reading…
“the power of people at your same level is far greater than you probably realize now.”
The power of your network is huge. Srini is living for free in Costa Rica and surfing everyday due to the relationships he built online. Dino Dogan, co-founder of Triberr, even bought him a free suit to wear for his presentation at Blog World recently. All due to the relationships he’s built online.
Since I have started my blog I’ve read so many blogs and have formed many relationships online. Many I am thankful to call my friends.
Others I’ve just gotten to know through their blogs and look forward to learning more about them.
All the biggest blogs out there started where we are now. The people I have mentioned below won’t be small for forever. Get to know them now before they get big.
One piece of advice. If you find someone that interests you and you want them to notice you, read one of their posts and leave a great comment. They do respond!
The List of 40 Bloggers Heating it Up
Adrienne is one of my first friends on the internet. She’s also one of the nicest, hardest working, focused person I know. A visitor came to my blog once from the search term “Adrienne Smith Zest”. Perfect way to describe her.
She not only writes helpful articles on productivity, affiliate marketing, and blogging, but knows how to build community. Just look at her guest post on Ending the Grind where there are a total of 157 comments! Those are some dedicated fans!
I love her video tutorials because she teaches us in a way a real friend would with a Texas accent thrown into it. If you don’t know her or haven’t said hi, stop by her blog and leave her a comment. You’ll be glad to call her a friend.
See her at her blog, Adrienne Smith.
Annie calls me her brother from another mother.
In her old life she and her husband were both making six-figure incomes in Silicon Valley. They had anything money could buy. Then they were laid off.
Now she’s much happier as a nomadic family living on the road between Montreal, Maryland and hopefully France later this year.
She has a business selling unique handmade sleeping masks. She’s working on building up more online businesses to become a digital nomad through the Hustle Project like I am.
It’s been great to see her blog and community grow since I first met her. I’m glad to have gotten to know her thus far and looking forward to her achieving her goals and saying “I knew Annie when…”
She also can scream really loud and has $25 that proves it.
You can follow her journey at Practical Ad-ven-tur-o-logy
Marlee ended up saying hi to me one day on Twitter. I had noticed her comments on other blogs before. We quickly found out we live only 2.5 hours from each other in Florida.
She is a former attorney who now blogs about helping passionate people build their online businesses.
If you want to see how to do video for your blog, check her out. A natural in front of the camera.
Also one time on Twitter, due to local forest fires and smoke in the air, I asked her to do the rain dance and it rained later in the day. Don’t doubt her powers.
See more of her super powers at Marlee Ward.
Through Steve’s blog I’ve met a few of the bloggers I’ve listed here. He features guest posts from people who have ended the grind or are trying to end the grind. I’ve been fortunate enough to share my story, Everyone has a Breaking Point.
Steve hates his job like many of us. He’s determined and working hard to free himself from the grind to do what he loves and spend more time with is family.
He’s started a service where he helps bloggers build a better blog, get more traffic and more readers.
If you’ve never been, go and read stories from the grinders, and listen to his podcast of the biggest bloggers, including how he got Seth Godin, at Ending the Grind.
I wish I was like Christian before I turned 21…smart and good looking. He’s one of the nicest people you’ll meet and provides value through writing about blogging, social media.
Though he’s been blogging for awhile I know his stuff is getting better and better. He does web design and social media consulting for businesses, loves the outdoors, sings opera and can dog sled. What can’t he do?
Most importantly, he’s an all around great guy. If you haven’t been to his blog or joined his community, do it now. He’s one to get to know.
See him at Smart Boy Designs.
JK is a man who talks the talk and walks the walk. I’ve been fortunate to get to know JK through blogging and he’s always offered his help in anyway possible. I know he’s done the same with other bloggers in this list. That shows you his character.
As he says in his bio, he is obsessed with giving value and building community. He’s done phenomenal in both areas. Not only that but he’s an amazing husband and father to three beautiful kids. You’ll love his writing about personal development. Trust me.
Go see for yourself at The Hustler’s Notebook.
Kevin came to me on Twitter when I first started blogging and asked if I wanted to be in his tribe on Triberr. Coincidently I had looked into Triberr so his invite came at a great time. Since then I’ve learned more about Kevin and his quest to build income online. He’s introduced me to other great bloggers which I appreciate.
He’s traveling to Medillin, Columbia in December but no he’s not a drug dealer. It’s actually a beautiful place now.
He’s an awesome guy to get to know. See him at the Smart Income Blog.
I found Cordelia one day and loved her blog and invited her to join my tribe on Triberr. She’s in a 9-5 job like most of us and she’s had enough. She’s taking action. She describes herself as “a conformity-hating, challenge-loving, fight-the-power writer stuck in an office worker’s body.”
Read more of her awesome writing at Cordelia Calls it Quits.
Caleb writes about personal financial and being debt free for twenty somethings. In a month he’s getting married and he says we’re all invited.
He is looking forward to a new chapter of adventure in his life. He’s lived the textbook life but knows life is much more than that. He’s a smart and a hard working guy so I know he will achieve all his goals. Fellow member of the Hustle Project. I look forward to celebrating his successes.
Learn more from him at Pocket Changed.
In Kathy’s old life she traveled the world, dined in Paris, had a week long meeting on a 120 yacht, met with Hollywood studios and read scripts years before the film was released. Though it seemed like she had it all, it brought stress and a big psychiatric bill as she said on her guest post at Ending the Grind.
Now she’s doing more fulfilling work helping people survive working for entrepreneurs.
She’s convinced me to try chocolate covered potato chips. I told her I’ll be sending her my gym membership bill then.
Read more about Kathy at Working for Wonka.
Jon is the only person on this list that doesn’t have a blog. I know his blog would rock based on the emails I’ve exchanged with him. I’ve asked him simple questions and he went into so much detail.
I got to know him through Twitter. Don’t be fooled by his simple bio on Twitter. He’s insanely intelligent about marketing and building niche sites. He’s’ on a mission to build online income streams to enjoy life with his little daughter, Mea, and I know he will do what he sets his mind to cause he puts in the hard work.
Follow Jon on Twitter at @jonknep until he gets a blog.
Stella is someone who I’ve gotten to know since I started blogging. I love her outlook on life.
I had a 2 hour chat with her on Skype and it could have been 4 hours easily. She’s a former lawyer who didn’t like the grind and wants to do work she’s passionate about that benefits others.
She’s going to Ghana this summer to volunteer. Now she’s creating a new website coming out soon that I know will inspire people to live passionate lives.
I learned she has way more books than shoes so that shows you how intelligent she is.
Get to know her more at Bucket 360.
Julia just started blogging recently but is quickly building up momentum. Her story is she left her life in NYC to move to Costa Rica to teach, learn spanish, and soak up the sun. You can read more of her back story.
Her blog is a collection of her thoughts and ideas of her life. Her dream is to become a writer so be on the lookout for it one day.
Get to know her more at her blog.
When Frank says he’s a world famous sushi eater, he’s not joking. He loves it. We bonded over a love of sushi after we were introduced through Kevin @Smartincomeblog.
Frank allowed me to guest post on his blog. He writes about internet and affiliate marketing, social media and personal development.
Even better than his blog is his friendliness.
Read more about him at his blog, Frank Dickinson.
Robert is only 22 but understands that life is very precious after losing a friend who was the same age. He just started blogging this year.
He writes about business, personal development and blogging. I love his passion for the subjects and the relationships he’s built online with other bloggers.
He’s done some great interviews with Mark Harai and JK Allen that you should check out.
You can read more at Belief and Action.
Brad is a family man looking to get out of the 9-5 rat race. He’s one of the funniest guys I know on Twitter. Who knows..he might say I’m one of the unfunniest guys he knows on Twitter.
His writing style is definitely unique and not for everyone. I enjoy it though.
He’s also an insanely talented graphic designer. If you ever need a header made for your blog, contact Brad. If you want to see his work go to Unlock the Door to see the header there. For a limited time he’s doing it for free. Go to his design header graphic page to find out more info and see his portfolio.
Connect with Brad at his blog, Hollandz.
Aaron got on my radar after he sent a sincere email to me about my writing. He blogs about helping others learn a new language.
An amazing thing he did was write future letters to himself that his mom would mail to him when he turns a certain age. I asked him to write about it and will share his story here soon. His writing is beautiful and full of wisdom.
Read more at Everyday Language Learner.
The breaking point in Lindsay’s desire to leave the corporate world was when she was going through the Boston airport with her boss when he unleashed hell at TSA for not letting them skip the security line. Hard to believe but it’s true.
She’s now trying to find her dream job and writing about it and helping others. I noticed she’s got a service for writing resumes, job searching, and using Linkedin. Based on her corporate background, she can help.
Follow her at The Boomerang Kid.
Bernardo is the man when it comes to video blogging. His style is cool, friendly, and caring. Everyday he delivers inspiring messages to living a better life. While reading his tweets, you can’t help but have his positivity rub off on you. A wonderful man you should say hi to.
You can see his videos at Your Great Life TV.
I enjoy the Passive Panda from the memorable name (who doesn’t like pandas?) to the the coolest logo I’ve seen on any blog.
The best part is his content provides so much value if you’re looking to freelance or earn more money. If you’re interested in either, you should head over there to read his archive, sign up for his newsletters, check out his products and follow his future posts.
See more at the Passive Panda.
As Lori says she “has always enjoyed talking about, thinking about, analyzing and writing about life and loves community building so for her Life,for instance is a true labor of love.”
Reading her writing and seeing the comments she gets you can see she truly attracts a wonderful community there.
If you haven’t yet, go by say hi and join the discussion at Life, For Instance.
Paul has come a long way since I first saw his blog. He’s redesigned and gone with a look more aligned to his personal brand. He’s going to grad school for his MBA this fall in Chicago and looking for ways to generate income to help pay for it. When he says he likes to talk about entrepreneurship, he means it. I know he’s going to do big things in the future. Oh and he grows a mean moustache.
See him at I’m a Money Grubber.
Lily left her job in April 2010 and took off on a one year solo trip around the world. She’s still going. Many dream of doing it but never do. She is now traveling through Europe by rail. I’ve enjoyed following her travel stories and lessons she’s learned along the way.
Follow her at Explore for a Year.
Torrey runs a great website talking to successful entrepreneurs about their grind in hopes of helping your business thrive. His unique features are his video interviews. Well delivered with great questions that will help you in your business. I look forward to seeing his website grow every month. A great guy as well.
See more of the interviews at Grind and Thrive.
Chris writes about living an extraordinary life through our thoughts, choices, and actions. You can get the sense he enjoys writing and his insights will expand your mind for the better.
You can see him at Think Choose Live
Armand has followed what his parents expected from him. He excelled in school. Went to the best university in the Philippines. Now he want to stop that and live his own life. I commend him on discovering now instead of ten years later. His mom may not understand his dreams but he’s still doing what he knows will make him happy.
Follow him at the Lifestyle Scientist.
Stuart just finished up his 12 part series called Value 101 where he asked bloggers “How do you provide value?” So many bloggers contributed and his readers loved it. His writing is insightful and draws in a great community of readers.
See more of his content at Unlock the Door
I just found Cara’s blog but I’ve noticed her profile pic for awhile. How can you not like her smile? She’s working on building her ideal life and working at it every day. I look forward to learning more about her and her journey.
You can see her at 17000Days.com
Graham has a direct goal. Make $1000 a month and he wants to help others do it as well.
His bigger goal is get into med school to “be instrumental in the advancement of neurological medical technology”. He doesn’t want to put his wife and three kids in a financial hole nor take out loans to do that. So he’s forsaking sleeping now to working on generating income streams online.
See him at One Thousand a Month.
Matt started by doing a 30+ day challenge to vanquish his fear of strangers. He decided to keep going and eliminate as many constraints off his constraint list by the age of 30. He blogs his journey and want to help you to remove any physical or mental barrier for a better life.
Follow him at 30 Vanquish
I’ve noticed Danny all over the internet. He’s a guest posting machine. I think I saw him do a guest post on a knitting blog but I’m not sure!
In all seriousness, if you read his Twitter bio, that completely gives you a great intro to Danny. He runs the red hot Firepole Marketing that is geared towards small businesses, entrepreneurs and non-marketers. He’s getting married this year (congrats!)
Read more about Danny and say hi to him at Firepole Marketing.
Aaron describes his blog as “Finding ways to cut unnecessary expenses, figuring out the difference between a “want” and a “need” and living lives that go beyond existing.” He blogs about upgrading his life beyond material reasons.
Follow along on his journey at Upgrade on Life.
Caroline is a new blogger and I can relate to her wanting to leave the 9-5, have a life of adventure, live without fear, and help others. Maybe that’s why I’ve enjoyed her writing so far.
She’s also a part of the Hustle Project so I know she’s serious about building an online business to give her financial freedom.
Visit her newly redesigned blog at Life is Limitless.
If you want to know about Steve just look at the Twitter handle, “Do Something Cool”. That’s what he does. He is making his life interesting through experiences. He writes about traveling, self improvement and gets you to think outside of the box.
Read more of his writing at Do Something Cool.
Kaarina is also newer on my radar but I like her inspirational stories, lessons on business and blogging. Judging by the comments she gets, she’s drawn a group of avid readers with her words and personality. I love her smile in her profile. I definitely look forward to more of what Kaarina offers.
Read more at Decide 2 Do.
David has accomplished many goals due to sheer determination and a desire to live life to the fullest. He writes to help you achieve your goals from someone who has been there and done that.
He wrote a guide based on his experiences called Destination X which is a guide to accomplish anything.
He recently jumped out of a perfectly good airplane at World Domination Summit.
Learn more about David at Life Excursion.
Eugene is all about breaking his own reality through the internet. Eugene took life into his own hands and quit his job on in April because life is too short to be unhappy. He took a leap of faith without a backup job. His co-workers thought he was crazy but to stay longer would be crazier.
Get to know Eugene more at Reality Bursts.
I’ve just started following Marianne recently but have enjoyed her comments here and her blog. She writes about marketing, social media, and life lessons. A fun fact about Marianne is that she can recite all the US presidents in order. Very impressive!
Get to know her more at Marketing Matters.
Allan has been a reader here and that’s how I’ve gotten to know him. He’s all about living an unorthodox life and helping people along the way. I look forward to keeping up wit his progress.
Read more about him at Mind of Allan
I have to mention Srini though he’s been blogging for 2+ years. He’s even spoke at Blog World in NY (link to video) recently and is now living in Costa Rica so he can surf everyday. Sounds like a dream life for many. He’s not relaxing yet. He’s only getting started.
He’s not a newbie but he’s got bigger visions for his future. I’m talking media empire. Don’t bet against him.
If you don’t know, he is co-founder of Blogcast FM, which is a must if you’re a serious blogger. Tons of valuable interviews.
He writes about personal development at The Skool of Life.
He’s always looking for up and coming bloggers so be sure to stop by and leave a comment.
See him at The Skool of Life.
Get To Know Them Today
There is my list of bloggers who are heating up this summer!
It took countless hours to compile but I enjoyed every minute of it and they deserve to be featured.
Do stop by their blog, leave a comment and follow them on Twitter. They are all outstanding people doing amazing things!
If you enjoyed this list, please retweet it to let others know about it.
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