As a businessperson and a solopreneur, it’s very natural to approach my networking with other professionals as a strategic endeavor.
Networking is truly the strategic heartbeat of my business.
But then I’m reminded what a joy it is. I mean, just plain wonderful!
I had a delightful coffee this week with a new friend, who was introduced to me by someone with whom I’ve been building a networking relationship (and she, in turn, was referred to me by….well, you know how this goes!)
I see so much great potential in this new relationship; so much possibility of helping each other out in our respective businesses, and adding value to many more people in our combined networks.
Before this week, if I encountered a family-business-owner who needed to work through all the personal and professional issues involving business transition planning and family/financial structuring, I wouldn’t have had a trusted expert to recommend. Now I do. And that brings great happiness.
A week or so ago, I got a call out of the blue from the West Coast, from someone I never heard of. Great guy, it turns out. And someone in my extended pharma network with whom I’ve interacted for years put us together. Now I get to refer some service providers to this new valued member of my network, who is working at a new company I didn’t even know existed before.
What joy. How can you beat an incoming phone call due to the recommendation of a colleague – a situation in which you can add immediate value?
One of my sons is in Alaska right now, leading a group of wounded veterans on a hunting/fishing adventure. How did this come about? Through connections he made via Instagram, and then cultivated into full-blown collaboration and friendship.
See that smile on his face? That’s how I feel.
I’ll never get away from the strategic side of networking and social media, of course. But as we enter into a holiday weekend, I’m leaning back and reminding myself of the sheer joy of making so many friends and creating new opportunities through our networks.
What a happy privilege!
