“What’s your pitch?” asked Anne Clelland, founder and editor of Handshake 2.0, a B2B news and blogging site for companies based in the New River Valley of Virginia.
“I don’t have one,” I admitted. There I was, pitchless in Blacksburg.
Actually, I did have a modest goal. I wanted to meet, in person, the energetic woman behind Handshake 2.0. (Besides running a startup, she does triathlons. That’s energetic.) I also wanted to learn more about what she is doing, and why.
Anne is the self-appointed blogging evangelist of the New River Valley. She’s on a mission to help regional companies embrace the Web 2.0 world. She stands ready to consult, train and blog.
I share Anne’s passion for words and blogging, and nearly two hours flew by while we swapped stories and ideas at a coffee shop near the campus of Virginia Tech.
Before departing, Anne and I shook hands, that ancient business custom that serves as the metaphor for her online venture. As Anne says, “It’s still who you know.” And it begins with a handshake, real or virtual.
Neil Sagebiel 
And you can’t find a better evangelist, either!
Hoo-hoo, Neil, I found our conversation so inspiring! Got up at the usual early AM and wrote two new posts about what I’m doing and why with Handshake 2.0. You asked such thought-provoking questions.
What an enriching conversation!
“Pitchless in Blacksburg”! Love it!
I am very touched by what you wrote. Thank you for listening and for understanding.
And thank you again for being “our guy” who got a picture of Tiger Woods.
We share Anne’s passion to bring more people into 2.0. She is making it happen around a business model and we must support her. Thanks for your comments….Stuart
Neil,
I had the exact same experience as you when I met Anne for coffee and a handshake. Did she draw diagrams on a notepad? I think more than ever before success in business is about synergy and massive amounts of people working together to help one another. Anne is a good person to know. Karma 2.0 anyone?
Neil,
I consider Anne a critical component to our region’s success. She is talking and writing about local technology companies, what they’re doing, and why it matters. And doing so where it matters, on the Internet, where their customers can find them. I’d like to have more Anne’s seeking the info, asking the questions, and providing a progressive voice for the region. “Energetic” probably doesn’t quite capture her zest!
Cory
Here’s another shout-out to Handshake 2.0, to Anne personally, and to everybody else who has grasped the obvious: business communication in the 21st century is not about static content. The illusion that anything is actually static has officially gone the way of the dodo, though there are serious packets of ostriches who reuse to acknowledge it. The world always was hopelessly and permanently dynamic; but now it’s dynamic at a much faster pace. Dynamic content and fresh messages are now de rigueur.
For confirmation check this out – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMcfrLYDm2U
I’m not surprised there are so many Anne fans. Thanks all, for your comments.