I started my day with a walk and had a brief encounter with an elderly man: a simple nod of his head. I know this man from the neighborhood. It took along time until he acknowledged me, even in the simplest way. I know his place of business and the street he lives on. I am sure that he has a pretty good idea of my activities and location as well. Month after month and encounter after encounter, he moved from a simple glance, to eye contact and then to a warm smile. He is what we call a potential connection. Someone that we encounter and is sitting on the edge of the pool. He may eventually come into our pool of connections or he may just sit on the side forever. We exchange warm smiles and sincere greetings as we pass each other on the street.
Shortly after that, I was on my way downtown for a women's networking event. A nicely organized meeting with deliberate exercises that allowed me to connect with two women. One I had met casually two years earlier and never moved forward with that connection, and the other that I had never met or heard her name before. I am confident after that meeting that I will interact and have future connections with both of those ladies. They were both open and interested in similar future business networking. I emailed them both and connected on facebook as well.
Then it was off to get my hair back to it's "natural" color. A task that I manage every three weeks. I have been going to the same person for about two years. On this day we connected on a different level. I asked her how I could help her with her current business situation. I am a connector and she is looking for someone to occupy part of her shop in the Fillmore district. It has been hard to find just the right person and business. She has had several businesses try to come in and it just hasn't lasted. Her long time tenant of 4 1/2 years moved on to a larger space. That was followed by a woman who stayed 1 1/2 years. Ever since then it just hasn't worked out with anyone. I asked her specific needs and wants. What would be her ideal situation? What did that look like? She was thrilled to share her dreams and expectations for her baby: her business.As I left the hair salon and looked up the street, I saw a glimpse of sun coming from the direction of home. Sun can be rare in San Francisco during August. I decided to seize the moment and headed to one of my favorite places on earth: The Legion of Honor Museum. I drove up and grabbed the only parking space available: parking karma in full swing. Got out and enjoyed feeling the sun on my skin. Headed to the entrance and listened to classical guitar player as I walked by. Went inside for about forty-five minutes and wandered back outside into the sun. I stopped and listened to the music one more time. I have been coming to this museum for about thirty years. The guitar player, T. Leo King has been here for at least fifteen of those years. I own all of his CD's and today I decided to stop and chat with him. I asked if it was okay if I posted his picture on Facebook. That led into a conversation and I learned all about his most deepest desire. He is a well spoken, intelligent and thoughtful man: educated and has incredible depth. He wants to find a way to improve the water quality in Detroit...to make it just as good as it is in San Francisco. He has taken gigs with people from the water district and other similar departments with the hopes of connecting with the right people. He has tried doing the research, but has had a hard time finding the right resources and information. His heart is full of beautiful intentions and his thoughts were more about helping others than himself... You never know about a man until you listen to his story. We had a beautiful connection. I encourage you to stop and buy his CD's too. He is a talented musician. http://tleoking.com/
So, whether it's a brief encounter, a planned networking event, asking new questions of someone that you've known for a while or stopping to ask a stranger about his dream or passion... it's possible to have multiple authentic connections each and everyday. I am sure that I will be able to help connect each of these people with a relevant resource or connection one day; if not now, in the future as the Rolodex in my head gets even larger.... It's a lovely thing.
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Designing a life with grace and ease
Designing a life with grace and ease
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