Everyone has a friend or two that over shares. They send weird emails daily, update their Facebook status like it’s Twitter, and tend to share a lot of information that you look at and say “meh”. Yes, I love sushi, but no, I’m not really interested in reading a restaurant review for a small sushi place located in the suburbs of Albuquerque.

I’ll admit, every so often I’m the person described above. But I try to keep those updates to a minimum and at the very least I try to make sure they have some relevance to people outside Chicago.

So here is an opportunity to look at some of the other places I’ve contributed to that you may not be aware of. I’ve had a great time contributing to these other sites and I hope you enjoy these sites as much as I do.

Cheers,

Joe

Man Tripping

After meeting James via Twitter and hanging out with him a few times in Chicago, it was clear that we had some strong common interests, including vacations geared towards guys. Since 2006 my buddies and have had quarterly vacations to explore new cities, and while kids, wives and living abroad have been a challenge to work around, man tripping and man-cations have helped us keep the bond we created in college.

Man Tripping is a great site for anyone looking for any guys planning a trip or gentleman’s bachelor party. You won’t find information on strip clubs or red light districts and that’s okay because there is a plethora of advice on other topics.

As I continue to explore Europe, I’m glad James and I connected and am happy to be a “foreign corespondent” for the site.

The Local Tourist

The Local Tourist is a great website for Chicago residents that want to know about events going on in the city and how they can be a “tourist” in Chicago. I’m really the founder Theresa Carter offered me a chance to contribute because I love exploring the city and it pushes me to get out and try new things. One of the primary motivators for me to read and contribute to TLT, is the embarrassment I felt when out of town guests could say they completed my “Chicago to-do” list and they don’t even live in the same state.

RedEye: Wrigleyville Blog

RedEye is the Chicago Tribune’s free daily newspaper and Web site serving Chicagoans in their 20s and 30s. The topics covered in /RedEye trend on the lighthearted and typically fall into the categories of pop culture, dining, entertainment, events, and sports. It’s perfect for a young PR professional and I read it religiously. During the Spring and Summer of 2010, I started to get to know a couple of a awesome folks at RedEye and graciously accepted their offer to contribute to the Wrigleyville blog. As a former Wrigleyville resident and area bar hopper, I jumped at the chance and am incredibly grateful for their support.

COMBOS Manliest City Videos (Client)

In 2010, COMBOS, the awesome baked snacks (and a client), released the second annual Manliest City Study unitizing the knowledge and expertise of Bert Sperling founder of Sperling’s BestPlaces – like the name implies these are the folks behind the “Best Places” studies. One of the ways my colleagues and I brought this study to life on the COMBOS social media platforms (Facebook and Twitter) is through video profiles highlighting different cities included in the study. This is hands down the most creative and fun project I’ve worked on and one of the highlights of my career.