PEOPLE WHO KNOW // ANDY GRAMMER

From singing on the sidewalks of Santa Monica, to performing on the biggest stages across the country, Andy Grammer’s road to music’s mainstream has been a classic success story fueled by hard work, persistence and a positive attitude.

Known for his vibrant pop/rock/soul mix and free-flowing vocal delivery, Andy is currently on his first headlining tour, selling out venue after venue. Named one of Billboard’s 2011 Artists to Watch, he’s on the fast track to another big year, and an even bigger following – and fans can’t wait to see (and hear) what happens next.

What are you best known for doing?

#Songwriting #StreetPerforming #NationalTouring

What’s your favorite part of what you do?

Hanging out with large groups of people that love the same type of music that I do every night in a different city.

What do you do to get inspired?

Any kind of art! A great book, movie, sculpture, lecture, song, dance – anything that makes you feel something deeper. That affects and inspires me.

If you had an extra hour every day, what would you do with it?

I think the day is all about doing the right amount for right now while investing some of your day in the future. So in an extra hour, I’d invest it in the future by learning a new language or instrument.

What do you want to do next?

I want to make amazing music and get better at it. We’ve all had a car ride to the dentist that seems like a mundane task, but then you hear a new song and it’s suddenly the best part of your day. That’s the business I want to be in. Creating moments like that.

Keep the jam session going with more musical treats (and beats) here. And check Andy out on all of his other channels, like Facebook and Twitter.

PEOPLE WHO KNOW // GRETTA KRUESI

Gretta Kruesi is a big believer in living life doing the things you’re passionate about. And she embraces that credo every day to the fullest. She’s an artist and an activist, and dabbles in tech blogging, brand strategy and social entrepreneurship. She’s even writing a book.

But her #1 love is her sport: Kite surfing. And she’s making waves as one of the premiere members of the US Kiteboarding team, and the holder of the US kiteboarding distance record at a whopping 100 miles. She also serves as an ambassador for Naish, a leading brand in kiteboarding, windsurfing and stand-up paddleboarding. Needless to say, Gretta Kruesi is a really cool girl.

What are you best known for doing?

#Kiteboarding #Surfing #StreetArting

What’s your favorite part of what you do?

It never feels like work! I also love traveling, meeting interesting people, playing in the ocean and being creative.

What do you do to get inspired?

I make art. Being creative is like therapy for me. I paint, do street art, design boards and clothes.

If you had an extra hour every day, what would you do with it?

Sleep! I love sleep and never get enough of it. Or, I’d spend the hour working on my book. It’s a passion project that I never make enough time for.

What do you want to do next?

Build my brand. I started a company called VOG a few years ago. It’s been growing slowly in a grassroots, word of mouth kind of way. But soon I’d like to actually focus on growing it.

Can’t get enough Gretta? Find her on Facebook, Twitter, and on the Bing sidebar.

PEOPLE WHO KNOW // DARRYL KOTYK

Darryk Kotyk is a Canadian-born cycling enthusiast who left our “neighbor to the north” to live in Austin, TX, so he could immerse himself in a city with great bike culture and riding conditions.

He blogs at lovingthebike.com, is a co-host of the Cycling 360 Podcast, and consults on several other cycling related projects. When not busy in the business side of biking – or blogging – this husband, father of three, and avid cyclist can be found taking on the terrain of Texas Hill Country’s back roads. But who knows where he’ll pedal to next!

What are you best known for doing?

#Motivating #Cycling #Rule-Breaking

What’s your favorite part of what you do?

My interactions with people from around the world who fill me with inspiration, teach me things, and continuously make me laugh.

What do you do to get inspired?

This is going to sound cliché coming from a bike dude like me, but I honestly get filled with inspiration when I’m out riding and totally caught up in the moment. It’s out on the road where my mind is open, my thoughts are spinning, and my soul is fulfilled.

Just like Einstein’s famous words, “I thought of that while riding my bicycle,” it’s the place where I feel most inspired.

If you had an extra hour every day, what would you do with it?

This is an easy one: time with my family.I was quoted once as saying “It’s all about Family and Bikes for me….the rest is just stuff,” and I mean that with all my heart.

Spending that extra hour each day having quality time with my family is easily the equivalent of a couple million dollars in value.

What do you want to do next?

I consider myself a person who creates his own lifestyle and one who seeks adventure. My family and I are self-proclaimed gypsies and definitely not going down a traditional family path.

We’ve lived in three different countries over the past eight years, and this fall we are looking to make it four. I’m keeping details a little under wraps for now, but I will say that this professional beach bum wannabe is heading back to the sand. Oh, and yes my bikes are coming along with us.

For more freewheeling #Bicycling fun from Darryl visit Loving the Bike, or find him on Facebook, Twitter, and (as always) on the Bing sidebar.

PEOPLE WHO KNOW // MIDLIFE ROADTRIP

Thrill-seekers Sandi McKenna and Rick Griffin of Midlife Road Trip prove that it’s never too late to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. They’re making the most of midlife by taking America by storm (and train, plane and automobile) to discover incredible places, try new things, and meet interesting people. All in an effort to conquer their bucket lists.

You name it; they’re up for trying it.

What are you best known for doing?

We are best known for our love of #Food #Travel #Adventure.

What’s your favorite part of what you do?

Meeting great people wherever we go, learning something new and unexpected about each place we visit, getting to try local and regional cuisine.

Where do you find inspiration?

Talk to people to find out what they like and where they’ve been. Twitter is a great resource to find inspiration for just about anything.

If you had an extra hour every day, what would you do with it?

Have an extra dessert, chat with a centenarian, laugh with a child, map out our next adventure.

What do you want to do next?

Hot air balloon ride in Napa, go on a cattle drive, learn to fly fish, tug on Carol Burnett’s ear!   

The ride’s not over yet. Get more #Wanderlusting wonderment from Rick and Sandi on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, their blog and, of course, the Bing sidebar. Bon voyage! 

PEOPLE WHO KNOW // ANNIE FOX

This week’s expert, Annie Fox, is an award-winning author, educator, and online advisor who has dedicated her life’s work to “helping teens become more self-aware, self-confident and better able to make choices that reflect who they really are.” With public events, books, blogs, and more, Annie makes an indelible impact on the lives of teens, their parents, and their teachers. Her upcoming book, Teaching Kids to Be Good People, will be available as an ebook in September.

We caught up with Annie to find out more about her work and what she’s planning next.

What are you best known for doing?

#TeenRelationshipAdvisor #Writer #AntiBullyingActivist

What’s your favorite part of what you do?

Getting thank-you email from a t(w)een letting me know that because of my advice, things in her world are “Soooooo much better!”:]

What do you do for inspiration?

On the verbal side, I read YA novels, watch teen movies, visit schools and listen very carefully whenever kids talk about what really matters to them. On the nonverbal side, I hike up hills, through forests and take photos. Sometimes the most powerful inspiration comes when there are no words.

If you had an extra hour every day, what would you do with it?

Study Spanish. I’ve been taking classes for a year and a half. Absolutely love the process. With more study time, I’d become more fluent and be able to communicate with more people! Qué bueno!

What do you want to do next?

After I finish the book I’m writing (Teaching Kids to Be Good People) I’d like to visit schools internationally and learn more about the way kids in other countries learn to BE NICE. I’d also like to develop a game app for middle-schoolers to help them defy (social) gravity.

Can’t get enough of Annie? Us neither. Follow her blog, Facebook, and Twitter for more. And, as always, you can find her in the Bing sidebar.

People Who Know // Jordan Ferney, Oh Happy Day

Event planner Jordan Ferney of Oh Happy Day is a pro of all things party. From genius planning ideas to the perfect finishing touches – and every design and décor detail in between – Jordan is definitely the hostess with the most-ess.

Her playful and posh party ideas have been featured in Real Simple, Martha Stewart Living, Design*Sponge, Apartment Therapy, Glamour and Elle. She recently changed venues from San Francisco to Paris, where she is living for the next year with her family. Tres chic.

What are you best known for doing? (Give us three hashtag-able words –champagne lover, cake junkie, etc).

#Blogger, #PartyPlanner, #PopUpDinnerParties

What’s your favorite part of what you do?

I love making things. It’s really fulfilling to come up with an idea, make it and then share it with other people on Oh Happy Day.

Where do you find inspiration?

For inspiration I like to go to stores. Everything from dollar stores and thrift Stores to beautifully styled boutiques. 

If you had an extra hour every day, what would you do with it?

Cook! I really enjoy cooking (and eating) but it goes to the bottom of the list when I get busy.

What do you want to do next?

I want to continue to collaborate with really creative people and make beautiful things.

The party’s not over yet. Get more celebration inspiration from Jordan on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, her blog, and, of course, the Bing side bar. Happy #Celebrating!

People Who Know // Food52

Cooking mavens and food writers Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs started Food52 with a single project: creating the first crowd-sourced, contest-based cookbook in 52 weeks (hence the name). Over the course of the project, they simultaneously created a tightknit community of food enthusiasts, and have since grown Food52 into a James Beard award-winning food publication and online culinary authority.

Amanda continues to write for the food section at the New York Times, and recently released The Essential New York Times Cookbook (with Merrill’s help, of course). They also have some tasty ideas for the continued growth of Food52 currently in the oven.

What are you best known for doing? (Give us three hashtag-able words –writing, bbq aficionado, local food advocating, dessert lover, etc).

Cooking. Helping. Shopping.

What’s your favorite part of what you do?

We love our community — they’ve made us better cooks, and we’ve made a lot of great friends.

Where do you find inspiration?

New York City, where we live, is a bounty of inspiration because it’s always changing — all we need to do is get out and taste new foods, check out the latest shops, and go to the Greenmarket.

If you had an extra hour every day, what would you do with it?

Hang out with our families; work on Food52.

What do you want to do next?

There are so many things we want to do at Food52 — bring our Hotline Q&A platform to a larger audience, allow people to follow specific food topics like baking and grilling, and release a new e-commerce experience, so we can make the site a true sourcebook for all cooks. There’s lots in the works — we’re excited about the year ahead!

Can’t get enough Food52? We can’t, either. Find them on Facebook, Twitter, and, of course, on the Bing side bar. Happy #Eating!

People Who Know//Meg Paska

Meg Paska, of Brooklyn Homesteader, is a Brooklyn-based rooftop beekeeper, backyard farmer, instructor and blogger who teaches DIY-food production (and more) at 3^rd Ward, New York Botanical Gardens, and the seasonal pop-up shop she co-founded: Hayseed’s Big City Farm Supply. 

She’s currently writing a book on beekeeping that’s due out from Chronicle Books in 2013, and spearheading a Kickstarter campaign to purchase an educational homestead in New Jersey.

What are three things you’re known for doing?

Grower. Teacher. Eater.

What’s your favorite part of what you do?

Interacting with people and educating them in terms of what’s possible with limited resources.

Where do you go for inspiration?

I get inspired by being around the people in New York City. In the city, you can’t turn a corner without seeing something visually inspiring. Being around the people and the hustle always sparks my creativity.

Also, the people I surround myself with day-to-day are an inspiration – the other urban farmers I work with who are doing amazing things everyday.

If you had an extra hour every day, what would you do with it?

At first thought, I would say sleep – but I know I wouldn’t end up doing that!

I would try to take up meditation. Because my day-to-day is so hectic, I think I could benefit from tuning out.

What do you want to do next?

I’m starting a small farm right outside the city where people can come visit and learn how to grow their own food. It’ll have goats and chickens and bees, an orchard – the complete homestead experience.