It’s probably too early to be writing about this, but I am going to do it anyway.

I set my timer for 12 minutes for this very special post about a new project I am working on with Phil Gerbyshak.

Do you know Phil?

I feel like I have known Phil forever, through Twitter. I can’t really tell you how or when we first connected. I think but I am not sure, that we first connected around a blog post I wrote called Be Who You Are.

I remember being a bit in awe that Phil used the post I wrote as inspiration for one of his own. I hadn’t been blogging long and I hadn’t had many people link to my posts.

It’s an amazing feeling, really: being seen and noticed online.

So, that’s my first memory of really connecting with Phil online.

Later, we met in person, at a Social Media Breakfast in Toledo. By then, I already felt like Phil and I had been friends for a long time.

That time, he totally made my day by giving me a shout-out in the middle of his talk. When he did that, I felt like I was a cool kid at the cool table.

I saw Phil again this April in Chicago where he had organized a bunch of social media cool-kids for a fun night of karaoke.

So, now: something new. I am pleased to announce that Phil and I will be working together on a special new series of products — 12 Minute Social Media PlayBooks —  designed to help people get started with blogging and social media, twelve minutes at a time. If you’re interested in staying up-to-date with our plans, you can follow @12MinuteSMP on Twitter.

We are barely out of the gate with this project, but I wanted to share it with you so you can be one of the first to know about it.

My hope is that our new project will make social media and blogging accessible for more people, taking away the intimidation factor and opening up a world where they can make connections more easily, and they can know the amazing feeling of being seen and noticed online.