Connections in Unexpected Places

Connections.

It seems we’ve been doing this our whole lives – making connections – even before it was given the title of “networking.” 

In elementary school, you wanted to be one of the “cool kids” or, at the very least, have a group of friends who liked you for who you were, what you brought for lunch, your talents. I wasn’t good at kickball, so I was always chosen last in gym. But I was really good at drawing and writing, so I usually had a partner for school projects.

When I moved to Atlanta at 15, I was lucky enough (pardon, in the South we say “blessed”) to find friends who didn’t care what kind of car you drove (thank goodness! I tooled around town in a ’73 Impala held together by duct tape!), what kind of clothes you wore, or whether you had a street named after your Granddaddy somewhere in Alpharetta (coming from New York, it was highly unlikely).

I’m still friends with most of those people today, and have had the pleasure of working with several of them from time to time. Because we have a history, they’ve also been great referral sources – and vice-versa – so we’ve been able to help our businesses grow. (Who better to refer you than someone you’ve known for 30 or 40 years?).

In the three years since I’ve become a full-time writer, traditional networking has been an important tool for me in building both my connections and my portfolio, but something interesting has happened along the way as well. I’ve been able to concentrate on some things that were always important to me, but I never seemed to have the time to do as much as I wanted to: exercise and volunteer.

Within my exercise group, we talk and learn about each other, and feel confident referring our business contacts to each other when the situation arises. Never underestimate the power of a 6 a.m. Boot Camp in creating some very special bonds – if someone is dedicated enough to show up five days a week to exercise before the crack of dawn, you can rest assured that they’ll do a good job for my clients.

And while I have always volunteered in some capacity, I am now able to devote more time to projects that are important to me, including developing my community, expanding the availability of the arts and working with families and children. Because we have something in common and learn each other’s work ethic, these folks also become great referral sources – although less formal, they are no less valuable or appreciated than those I meet in my traditional networking groups.

Another benefit is the cultivation of some new friendships that have come to mean a lot. Being a Southern girl for the last three decades, that means I am truly “blessed.”