For me, the death of Billy Mays has been different than the passing of other recent celebrities. Sure, Michael Jackson died and that is and should be a big deal. He did a lot for music and reached heights of fame no one will ever reach again. But I just didn’t see Michael Jackson last week on TV, or read his Twitter, or see candid pictures. I was more connected to Billy Mays than any of the big names that died recently. Jackson’s death was a shock, but Billy’s death was a blow to my heart.

I have to be honest when I say that the Pitchmen show on the Discovery Channel helped push Billy Mays over the top. Not only is it a very entertaining show, but it really proved that Billy Mays was more than just a loud mouth. Most people probably thought he was just another carni-salesman, afterall, you get a certain rep when you do informercials for more than a decade, but the TV show gave us a look at the other side of Billy. The side that was a father, a friend, and a man that knew he business like no other.

After watching each episode of Pitchmen I always felt compelled to go do something that I love, something I’m good at and enjoy. Because if there’s one thing we can all learn from Billy Mays is that if you know your business it’s OK to be loud and proud - and you shouldn’t hide that. If you believe in what you’re pushing - whether that be a box of Mighty Putty or the proposal for that next big project - present it with conviction and a little panash, and people will listen.

People listened to Billy Mays. They listened, believed, and shopped.

When was the last time an audience listened to you and then did whatever you told them to do? It’s not easy, but when you have confidence in your own abilities and show it, people will follow you. And don’t confuse arrogance with confidence. Arrogance is unfounded bragging. Confidence is knowing you’re good at what you do. Billy Mays oozed confidence, albeit loudly, and that gave him a wonderful life. When you know you’re good, don’t hide it, show it off and make it work for you.

Beyond the lesson you can learn from just watching Billy Mays, his death is also the first of what I think will be many that bring in to question the effects of social media.

Both Billy Mays and his son were on Twitter sharing their “mundane” lives with the world. Texts, photos, and everything was there for all to see. It’s been really emotional seeing Billy Mays’ son, Billy Mays III, Twitter in the midst of his father’s very public passing. It also touches on a point that I saw someone write about not long ago, what happens to your social media when you die? Equally emotional (and kind of eerie) is that you can go and see Billy Mays’ last tweet before he died. We know what his last public thought was and what he was doing.

As more and more high profile celebrities use methods like Twitter to share their personal side, their inevitable death will have far more impact on the public and fans than it ever would have been when they were only celebrities experience on TV or in movies. I think about the other celebrities I follow on Twitter, like the Mythbusters. It’s great fun learning about what they’re doing, both for the show and their personal lives. I have more invested now in my favorite celebs than I did even just six months ago. It makes something like death far more personal to fans like me, for better or worse.

Things like Twitter make it super easy for everyone to see what the personal side of people is like. From Joe Blows like me to celebrities like Billy Mays. Twitter makes us all instantly care more, as scary as that is, and when death reaches these people we will be far more devastated than with celebrities we have only indirect love for, like Michael Jackson.