I am humbled.

A few days ago I sat on a Schulich School of Business Alumni Association panel about personal branding and social media with some real experts in their fields. On the panel with me was my friend and colleague, Ashley Konson, and Randall Craig, with Robert Kozinets as our moderator. To be perfectly honest, I was humbled to share a room with these individuals because they are the real deal.

Ashley Konson

Ashley is a brilliant marketing communications guru and an academic who is adamant about brands finding their true message and passion. If you want to learn what the steps of building your personal or corporate brand are, he’s the man to set you straight with many years experience in practice and teaching these concepts. Him and I have begun recommending each other books and articles about marketing and we meet up periodically to discuss them and debate the concepts put forth. Needless to say, I’m learning a lot from him.

Randall Craig

Randall is a social media expert who is well known on the speaking circuit. He’s a published author and a walking wellspring of knowledge when it comes to social media. With many years experience as a marketer as well Randall is also a consultant who speaks very clearly and understandably when conveying his ideas. I was fortunate to share some drinks with him and Ashley after the panel and learned that on top of all the above, he’s also a black belt in karate. Keep that in mind if you ever beg to differ on twitter strategy!

Robert Kozinets

Rob is a professor at Schulich School of Business and another branding genius, like the two men I’ve mentioned above. I’ve become a reader of his website, Brandthroposophy, and I expect to meet with him soon to discuss his view on the future of social media. It’s a big question and if anyone can help answer that one, I think it’s him. He’s 2 years my junior but considering that he spends entire days thinking about social media and teaching it to students in his new class “Social Media in 2011″ there is no doubt in my mind that he walks the walk. I hear he also has a little chili pepper next to his name on ratemyprofessor.

I think it’s safe to say that these men are on the leading edge of the body of knowledge that will help shape the next step in social media and marketing. I hope that when I do my panel during Social Media Week I will be able to take what I’ve learned from them all and apply it.

In my next social media post I will be talking about some basics to getting started in the social media community. You can help write it by telling me how you feel about business cards in this day and age. Tell me in the comments below or answer it on Quora!