Connections: Now, It’s Personal

I mentioned briefly in my last blog, “A Day In The Life” about networking. I kind of shed networking in a… more cynical light, depicting it as somewhat of a “necessary evil,” much like I often see social media, as per the spirit of the post.

Actually, with proper focus, networking can serve as great vehicle to make progress in both the social and business worlds. Networking is absolutely not optional. It is a tool that is used to make connections, personal ones, that can be the defining bridge to someone’s next place in life. I believe the same is true for social media.

I had never heard the term “networking” so much until I moved to Nashville. When I first considered moving here, I even started hearing the word a lot. “So many opportunities with all of the networking you do!” “There’s so much networking going on!” And they weren’t lyin’.

Nashville may very well be the top networking town in the country. OK, maybe LA or New York, because of their size. But Nashville could very well contain the biggest hub of music networks. Wherever you go, dive bars, cafes, and even churches, people are unavoidably connecting, or building on past connections.

These connections form the framework of the modern business model. They are what is driving us. It used to be “them, and maybe us,” now it’s all of us. The true relationships are made from these kinds of encounters, which always start as personal.

Is networking a “necessary evil”? Yes and no. You want to network, you need to network. The times are a-changin’. You could also network until you’re blue in the face and still have nothing to show for it except a hangover. Perhaps better not to think of it as “evil” and more as “necessary.”

How do you, or how would you like to start, incorporate networking or social media into your daily life in a timely fashion? On Wednesday, I’ll show some ways I intend to tackle this opportunity.