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Articles ...
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Connecting Power
Have you found yourself in conversations struggling for what to say next, racking your brain
for another question to ask, or speaking to a person whose eyes are wandering in search of someone
else? You probably didn’t make a connection in those instances. However, when we do connect
with someone, it is simple, comfortable, and conversation just flows - as if we reconnected with
a friend from the past. Certain people enter our lives and there is an instant connection, a
comfort, if you will. These special connections are meant to help us learn, realize, understand,
inspire, challenge, or simply to make us feel good.
Karma or Coincidence? A few years ago, I was at a crucial turning point in my career and contemplating
several entrepreneurial ideas. I was in a hospital waiting room browsing through People Magazine’s
Hollywood gossip and happened on an article about a career and mentoring company called
VocationVacations out of Portland, Oregon.
From that article, I eventually connected with the
company owner and later became their marketing strategist. The connections I made through this
Portland-based small business set the stage for the inspiration and creation of my current business.
Was it karma or coincidence?
Positive Energy equals Positive Connections. I met the owner of
MyLITV, Waldo Cabrera,
at a local school business alliance meeting and we had an immediate and lasting connection. A few weeks
ago Waldo was being interviewed by the New York Times and asked if I could conduct the video interview
of the business that was being videotaped. I arrived at
Nook & Cranny Gifts
in Islip a bit early. In those few minutes, I made an amazing connection with Lori Zegel, the proud
owner of Nook & Cranny. I stopped by Lori’s shop recently to drop off a gift for her. It was a
Positive Energy t-shirt from Positive Chicks,
a local company with a clothing
line made to make you not only look good, but to make you and those around you feel good.
Coincidentally, Lori had been searching for possible women’s clothing lines for her store. So the
simple gesture turned into a possible business opportunity for Positive Chicks and Nook & Cranny…a
little positive energy led to a positive connection.
What happens when there is a Dis-Connect? When I first left corporate America and set out on my
entrepreneurial path, I organized a new home-based office. I was thrilled to use this new space.
However, after a few weeks, I became overwhelmingly isolated. The phone and internet were terrific
but they did not replace human contact. I missed the social aspect of being in corporate America -
the buzz of the office, lunches with co-workers, team meetings, and camaraderie. So off I went to a
bunch of Long Island business networking events. This time, instead of isolation, I had a large stack
of business cards that I shared my isolation with. “What was wrong with me?” I asked. “I had a great
social network in corporate America. Why wasn’t I connecting with other local business owners?”
In looking back, I was probably looking in all the wrong places. Instead of some of the traditional
networking, I changed my approach and identified unique groups with shared interests and also decided
to create my own entrepreneurial community based on my need to get up and out of my office seat. As
soon as I made these changes, networking became meaningful, I began to make lasting personal and
professional connections, and I built the foundation for a strong entrepreneurial network.
So what does it take to Connect? Let’s face it; we won’t connect with everyone we network with. But
when we do connect, amazing things can happen! By using our positive energy and making sure we are
true to our interests and passions, we will allow new, inspirational connections to enter and impact
our lives.
Tell me about your connection stories - those serendipitous meetings that possibly led you down a new
path or changed your current course. Email activ@optonline.net
About Jennifer Ross
Jennifer Ross is the President of ActivEntrepreneur® and a strategic marketing professional. During
her career, Jennifer held senior strategic marketing roles and has consulted for startups, solo
entrepreneurs and large corporations. Jennifer is passionate about being active and uses activity
to relax, increase her energy level, connect with people, and inspire creativity. To promote the
benefits of being active and to help other entrepreneurs create an active social network, Jennifer
launched ActivEntrepreneur, an entrepreneurial community that networks, learns, and mentors while on
their feet, instead of in their seat! She also founded 'Walk & Talk™ America', a twist on traditional
business networking that gets entrepreneurs on their feet to help boost local economies and keep
businesses, in business.
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"Each meeting is an opportunity to network with some really dynamic people."
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Elizabeth Cassidy, Branching Out Life Coaching, Creative Life & Career Coach
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