WEBVTT 00:00:16.460 --> 00:00:20.760 Hello, and welcome to Networking Unleashed, Building 00:00:20.760 --> 00:00:24.000 Profitable Connections. Welcome back to the show, 00:00:24.039 --> 00:00:27.660 folks. I'm your host, Michael Foreman, and you're 00:00:27.660 --> 00:00:30.320 listening to the podcast where networking is 00:00:30.320 --> 00:00:33.539 more than just awkward handshakes and bad coffee. 00:00:33.820 --> 00:00:37.380 It's an art and a talent. But here's the twist. 00:00:37.640 --> 00:00:40.840 It's an art and talent you can actually learn. 00:00:41.469 --> 00:00:43.990 Yes, even if you're the person hiding in the 00:00:43.990 --> 00:00:47.369 corner at every event pretending to check emails. 00:00:48.429 --> 00:00:51.609 Networking isn't just a nice skill to have. It's 00:00:51.609 --> 00:00:54.810 a game changer. When you get good at it, you'll 00:00:54.810 --> 00:00:58.049 wonder why you didn't start sooner. More connections, 00:00:58.369 --> 00:01:02.409 more opportunities, more profits. It's like unlocking 00:01:02.409 --> 00:01:05.450 a cheat code for life. So whether you're the 00:01:05.450 --> 00:01:08.129 life of the party or the just let me stay at 00:01:08.129 --> 00:01:10.810 home and text type, we've got something for you. 00:01:11.310 --> 00:01:13.730 So stick around and let's turn those awkward 00:01:13.730 --> 00:01:18.189 small talk moments into big wins. Now, my guest 00:01:18.189 --> 00:01:22.310 today, Ann Carden, really has an extensive background. 00:01:22.670 --> 00:01:26.170 And I'm just going to give you a taste of her 00:01:26.170 --> 00:01:28.549 background, but I'm going to introduce her and 00:01:28.549 --> 00:01:31.750 let her finish. Ann is a top business growth 00:01:31.750 --> 00:01:35.730 expert, marketing and sales strategist, and consultant. 00:01:36.459 --> 00:01:40.359 She's the CEO of A. Cardin, Inc. and the expert 00:01:40.359 --> 00:01:45.180 in attraction marketing, media agency, and the 00:01:45.180 --> 00:01:49.040 brand. So before I butcher that background even 00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:53.700 more, okay, Anne, first of all, welcome to the 00:01:53.700 --> 00:01:55.879 show. And why don't you just introduce yourself? 00:01:56.430 --> 00:02:00.290 Thank you, Michael. Yes. So I am the CEO of Expert 00:02:00.290 --> 00:02:03.810 in You Marketing and Media Agency. And it is 00:02:03.810 --> 00:02:07.329 really around helping people build solid personal 00:02:07.329 --> 00:02:10.569 brands, step into the expert spotlight and get 00:02:10.569 --> 00:02:13.879 more. from what they are out there doing. So 00:02:13.879 --> 00:02:16.020 if they're out there networking, really help 00:02:16.020 --> 00:02:19.139 them build up that powerful brand to be seen 00:02:19.139 --> 00:02:22.439 as the go -to person that people want to connect 00:02:22.439 --> 00:02:26.020 with, people want to be in their presence. And 00:02:26.020 --> 00:02:30.300 yeah, that is what I do. That's great. That's 00:02:30.300 --> 00:02:33.879 great. That falls right in line with the whole 00:02:33.879 --> 00:02:37.599 feeling of this podcast. What's your top strategy 00:02:37.599 --> 00:02:42.099 for turning casual connections into valuable 00:02:42.099 --> 00:02:46.419 business relationships? Yeah, so it really starts 00:02:46.419 --> 00:02:48.840 with understanding what the other person, like 00:02:48.840 --> 00:02:52.379 making it about the other person. So one of the 00:02:52.379 --> 00:02:54.840 things that people, I networked for years and 00:02:54.840 --> 00:02:57.900 years building multiple businesses. And one of 00:02:57.900 --> 00:03:00.979 the things that a mistake that people make is 00:03:00.979 --> 00:03:03.620 when they meet someone, they instantly hand their 00:03:03.620 --> 00:03:06.039 business card or they want to make it all about 00:03:06.039 --> 00:03:08.259 them and they want to start talking about what 00:03:08.259 --> 00:03:11.879 they do instead. My favorite thing is tell me 00:03:11.879 --> 00:03:14.360 about yourself. Tell me what you're all about. 00:03:14.460 --> 00:03:17.099 Tell me what you do and making that connection 00:03:17.099 --> 00:03:20.120 with people. Everybody likes to talk about themselves, 00:03:20.319 --> 00:03:23.360 right? The other thing is it really opens up 00:03:23.360 --> 00:03:26.659 opportunities. If you're a better listener, then 00:03:26.659 --> 00:03:30.020 you do more talking. You will hear opportunities 00:03:30.020 --> 00:03:33.569 where you can help people in multiple ways. You 00:03:33.569 --> 00:03:37.449 hit on about eight different points that I always 00:03:37.449 --> 00:03:41.090 talk about regarding networking, because networking 00:03:41.090 --> 00:03:44.629 is something that you don't receive. Every time 00:03:44.629 --> 00:03:46.689 you go to a networking event or you meet somebody, 00:03:46.930 --> 00:03:50.750 you look to give. How can I give? How can I be 00:03:50.750 --> 00:03:54.650 a good referral source for the people? And as 00:03:54.650 --> 00:03:57.669 long as you have that in mind, you'll succeed. 00:03:57.710 --> 00:04:01.490 But being that active listener. That is such 00:04:01.490 --> 00:04:05.210 an important part of things. How has networking 00:04:05.210 --> 00:04:10.210 contributed to success as a business growth expert? 00:04:11.270 --> 00:04:15.129 First of all, I built all of my businesses through 00:04:15.129 --> 00:04:18.050 networking and building partnerships, relationships. 00:04:18.290 --> 00:04:21.910 It got me on stages. It gave me speaking opportunities. 00:04:22.290 --> 00:04:26.069 So it was the foundation for practically every 00:04:26.069 --> 00:04:28.779 business I started. You have to get out there 00:04:28.779 --> 00:04:30.800 and let people hear about you and see about you. 00:04:30.879 --> 00:04:33.839 And I've been doing this for about 34 years in 00:04:33.839 --> 00:04:35.420 business. I've been an entrepreneur for about 00:04:35.420 --> 00:04:40.040 34 years. So we have other opportunities. Now 00:04:40.040 --> 00:04:42.259 we can network online. We can network offline. 00:04:42.540 --> 00:04:46.180 I love to merge those two worlds. I love to teach 00:04:46.180 --> 00:04:48.959 people how to do that, a hybrid model where they 00:04:48.959 --> 00:04:52.779 are doing both. But before really the internet 00:04:52.779 --> 00:04:56.029 or before it was mainstream for all of us. We 00:04:56.029 --> 00:04:58.470 didn't have any options except to get out there 00:04:58.470 --> 00:05:01.689 and meet and greet and get connected with people 00:05:01.689 --> 00:05:06.670 in that way. Yeah, I always say that when you 00:05:06.670 --> 00:05:09.790 meet the person, you feel the vibe of the person. 00:05:09.889 --> 00:05:13.670 Oh, yeah. The vibe of the room. And it's so telling. 00:05:13.850 --> 00:05:16.670 I've been in networking situations where I've 00:05:16.670 --> 00:05:19.069 walked out of the room because I didn't like 00:05:19.069 --> 00:05:21.970 the vibe of the room. I didn't like the direction 00:05:21.970 --> 00:05:24.269 where they were going. You can't really do that 00:05:24.269 --> 00:05:26.939 on Zoom. You can't just turn your computer off. 00:05:28.339 --> 00:05:30.620 Oops, we're having technical problems. Sorry 00:05:30.620 --> 00:05:34.839 about that. Okay. Can you share a memorable story 00:05:34.839 --> 00:05:38.980 of how networking led to a significant breakthrough 00:05:38.980 --> 00:05:43.120 in your career? Oh, my goodness. I just think 00:05:43.120 --> 00:05:46.759 about. So many stages that I got on came from 00:05:46.759 --> 00:05:49.579 networking opportunities where I would just let 00:05:49.579 --> 00:05:51.259 people know, hey, I'm looking for more speaking 00:05:51.259 --> 00:05:53.920 engagements. I'm looking for this or building 00:05:53.920 --> 00:05:56.639 relationships with people, but also strategic 00:05:56.639 --> 00:05:59.100 partnerships. I've been able to build amazing 00:05:59.100 --> 00:06:02.899 partnerships and teams. even hired employees 00:06:02.899 --> 00:06:05.660 as a result of networking. I could go on and 00:06:05.660 --> 00:06:08.540 on, really. It was the foundation for starting, 00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:11.180 again, for starting businesses and getting those 00:06:11.180 --> 00:06:14.019 businesses going. Now most of my networking is 00:06:14.019 --> 00:06:16.660 online. I don't do much offline anymore. But 00:06:16.660 --> 00:06:18.860 even when I go out and speak, I'm still networking 00:06:18.860 --> 00:06:21.500 with people that are in the audience. I'm one 00:06:21.500 --> 00:06:23.699 of those speakers that I'll show up and I'll 00:06:23.699 --> 00:06:26.180 hang out and I visit with people. And I still 00:06:26.180 --> 00:06:29.519 love that person -to -person connection. Yeah, 00:06:29.579 --> 00:06:32.180 that's the way to go. I speak on stages as well. 00:06:32.300 --> 00:06:35.199 I do workshops and breakout sessions and everything. 00:06:35.399 --> 00:06:37.920 But there's nothing like the before and after 00:06:37.920 --> 00:06:40.920 the talk. You get to see the people, you get 00:06:40.920 --> 00:06:43.639 to see the way they're responding to you, but 00:06:43.639 --> 00:06:46.259 you get to really see what they're feeling. And 00:06:46.259 --> 00:06:50.420 I think that is so much better than Zoom. Okay, 00:06:50.519 --> 00:06:55.600 so on that, what's a common networking mistake? 00:06:56.620 --> 00:06:59.540 professionals make and how could they avoid, 00:06:59.660 --> 00:07:03.180 how could you avoid them? I think one of the 00:07:03.180 --> 00:07:05.500 mistakes I see is people are not strategic in 00:07:05.500 --> 00:07:08.699 their networking. And if you don't have a strategy 00:07:08.699 --> 00:07:11.139 really with any kind of marketing and really 00:07:11.139 --> 00:07:13.300 that's what networking is, right? You're marketing 00:07:13.300 --> 00:07:15.360 your business. You're out there. Yes, you're 00:07:15.360 --> 00:07:17.339 building relationships, but it's all to grow 00:07:17.339 --> 00:07:19.800 your business or to build your business. And 00:07:19.800 --> 00:07:21.839 so if you're not strategic with what you're doing, 00:07:21.879 --> 00:07:24.980 you can burn up a lot of time. And before I really 00:07:24.980 --> 00:07:27.920 learned that. I would network and network and 00:07:27.920 --> 00:07:30.680 it wouldn't go anywhere. And part of the problem 00:07:30.680 --> 00:07:33.920 with that is because I didn't really have a great 00:07:33.920 --> 00:07:36.180 strategy behind I was doing. So I was in the 00:07:36.180 --> 00:07:38.899 wrong rooms with the wrong people who didn't 00:07:38.899 --> 00:07:42.060 either know people that could become. part of 00:07:42.060 --> 00:07:45.339 my business or they weren't my people. And having 00:07:45.339 --> 00:07:47.579 a strategy behind what you're doing can save 00:07:47.579 --> 00:07:50.339 you a lot of time and energy. And at the end 00:07:50.339 --> 00:07:53.139 of the day, we still only have so much time and 00:07:53.139 --> 00:07:55.699 time is our most valuable resource. So I feel 00:07:55.699 --> 00:07:57.639 like that's the biggest mistake people make. 00:07:57.740 --> 00:08:00.709 And when I work with my clients. I'm helping 00:08:00.709 --> 00:08:03.889 them develop that strategy for their networking 00:08:03.889 --> 00:08:07.029 so that they're getting the most really bang 00:08:07.029 --> 00:08:10.069 for their buck, so to speak, and the most out 00:08:10.069 --> 00:08:12.629 of their time, the most return on their investment. 00:08:13.290 --> 00:08:15.949 You need to have that strategy because if you 00:08:15.949 --> 00:08:18.769 go in there willy nilly, you're just not going 00:08:18.769 --> 00:08:20.970 to say you're going to flounder and you're not 00:08:20.970 --> 00:08:23.870 going to know a direction for you to go. And 00:08:23.870 --> 00:08:26.410 it'll hurt you more than help you. And yes, you're 00:08:26.410 --> 00:08:30.370 right. Time is. The only thing you can't get 00:08:30.370 --> 00:08:33.230 back once you've spent it, you spent it. If you 00:08:33.230 --> 00:08:36.870 spent it wrong, then you don't know what you're 00:08:36.870 --> 00:08:39.789 doing. You're confused. But that's very good. 00:08:40.129 --> 00:08:46.029 How can you balance the online networking and 00:08:46.029 --> 00:08:50.059 the non -online networking? Yeah, I think one 00:08:50.059 --> 00:08:52.059 of the things that I used to teach when I was 00:08:52.059 --> 00:08:54.639 doing a lot of networking and I was the education 00:08:54.639 --> 00:08:58.419 person in our group, in the networking group 00:08:58.419 --> 00:09:00.899 that I was in, one of the things that I would 00:09:00.899 --> 00:09:03.580 teach is that you want to bring really the offline 00:09:03.580 --> 00:09:06.559 world into the online world. So for example, 00:09:06.580 --> 00:09:09.759 you go out and you meet people offline and you 00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:12.259 get their business card and what typically happens, 00:09:12.340 --> 00:09:14.620 you put their business card aside, you might 00:09:14.620 --> 00:09:17.679 call them, you might not. But one way to speed 00:09:17.679 --> 00:09:20.220 the know and trust and really build that relationship 00:09:20.220 --> 00:09:23.019 even faster is to bring that into the online 00:09:23.019 --> 00:09:25.919 world. So for example, reach out to them on LinkedIn, 00:09:25.960 --> 00:09:28.720 reach out to them on Facebook, ask people when 00:09:28.720 --> 00:09:30.299 you're talking to them, hey, are you on social 00:09:30.299 --> 00:09:33.860 media? What platforms are you on? And then connect 00:09:33.860 --> 00:09:36.539 with them on those platforms and start conversations 00:09:36.539 --> 00:09:40.259 there. So one of the things that I see that we 00:09:40.259 --> 00:09:42.220 have available now that we didn't always have 00:09:42.220 --> 00:09:45.879 is the online resources. and tools like Zoom 00:09:45.879 --> 00:09:49.080 and some of the social media platforms that we 00:09:49.080 --> 00:09:51.720 have. So you can really carry that conversation 00:09:51.720 --> 00:09:55.879 on without having to go out and meet people face 00:09:55.879 --> 00:09:58.080 -to -face. You and I are doing it right now. 00:09:58.120 --> 00:10:01.100 I have a podcast. I do the same thing. And so 00:10:01.100 --> 00:10:03.899 utilizing those tools, we don't have to be running 00:10:03.899 --> 00:10:06.440 around anymore the way we used to have to do 00:10:06.440 --> 00:10:09.559 that. So it's great to have that one -to -one 00:10:09.559 --> 00:10:13.059 face -to -face or... have that opportunity, but 00:10:13.059 --> 00:10:16.220 speed that up and save your time, really leverage 00:10:16.220 --> 00:10:19.879 your time in the meantime. And it used to be, 00:10:19.899 --> 00:10:22.179 they would say, okay, stack one -to -one. So 00:10:22.179 --> 00:10:24.679 you go out, you network and you stack block time 00:10:24.679 --> 00:10:26.799 and stack those one -to -ones. That's one way 00:10:26.799 --> 00:10:28.659 to do it. But another way to do it is you can 00:10:28.659 --> 00:10:30.799 actually bring those conversations and those 00:10:30.799 --> 00:10:33.840 meetings online now, once you've meet that person 00:10:33.840 --> 00:10:36.529 face -to -face. So I think a lot of people aren't 00:10:36.529 --> 00:10:38.909 doing that enough. And I think, again, we don't 00:10:38.909 --> 00:10:40.730 get time back. We can always make more money. 00:10:40.970 --> 00:10:43.750 We will never make more time. And so I guard 00:10:43.750 --> 00:10:46.769 my time and I'm very, and I don't, like for me, 00:10:46.809 --> 00:10:48.789 I didn't live close to a lot of the networking 00:10:48.789 --> 00:10:52.269 things that I went to. So there was an hour drive 00:10:52.269 --> 00:10:55.789 there, an hour drive back. All of that is time 00:10:55.789 --> 00:10:58.809 you'll never get back. So I'm so thankful for 00:10:58.809 --> 00:11:01.629 the resources we have now that, but merge those 00:11:01.629 --> 00:11:06.080 two worlds. So take that meeting. or that relationship 00:11:06.080 --> 00:11:09.259 that you've started to build and build on it 00:11:09.259 --> 00:11:12.960 online. So that was probably a long -winded answer, 00:11:13.100 --> 00:11:16.879 but. No, but it was very, you explained it perfectly 00:11:16.879 --> 00:11:20.100 where you can meld the two together, but you 00:11:20.100 --> 00:11:24.519 just touched on a fact of the follow -up. And 00:11:24.519 --> 00:11:27.299 to me, the follow -up is almost, if not more 00:11:27.299 --> 00:11:29.740 important than the actual meeting of the person 00:11:29.740 --> 00:11:34.500 themselves. What system do you have in place 00:11:34.500 --> 00:11:38.419 for a follow -up and how do you do it? Yeah, 00:11:38.460 --> 00:11:41.860 so one of the things you have to realize too 00:11:41.860 --> 00:11:44.519 is that you can't follow up with, everyone may 00:11:44.519 --> 00:11:48.039 not be someone to follow up with. So again, really 00:11:48.039 --> 00:11:51.559 having that strategy. So if you meet people in 00:11:51.559 --> 00:11:53.620 networking, because you'll probably meet a variety 00:11:53.620 --> 00:11:56.659 of people, really pick and choose the people 00:11:56.659 --> 00:12:00.509 that you see. OK, I need we want to further this 00:12:00.509 --> 00:12:03.590 relationship. We want to build on this. It doesn't 00:12:03.590 --> 00:12:06.809 mean you discard the others, but you don't maybe 00:12:06.809 --> 00:12:10.490 necessarily set up meetings with them or you 00:12:10.490 --> 00:12:13.149 don't necessarily really build on that relationship. 00:12:13.289 --> 00:12:15.870 It becomes more of an acquaintance at that point, 00:12:15.990 --> 00:12:18.289 because let's say you go to a networking event, 00:12:18.490 --> 00:12:20.750 Michael, and there's 40 or 50 people in the room 00:12:20.750 --> 00:12:23.919 and maybe you meet. Maybe you get 30 or 40 of 00:12:23.919 --> 00:12:26.620 those business cards. You still, everyone's not 00:12:26.620 --> 00:12:29.259 going to be the right person. And so again, just 00:12:29.259 --> 00:12:32.100 really understanding who you're looking for, 00:12:32.279 --> 00:12:34.759 whether that's someone to partner with, someone 00:12:34.759 --> 00:12:37.620 that could become a client, someone that you 00:12:37.620 --> 00:12:40.139 see a connection there where you can build on 00:12:40.139 --> 00:12:42.799 that and help each other out, refer to each other. 00:12:43.080 --> 00:12:45.399 So just really know what you're trying to do 00:12:45.399 --> 00:12:49.480 and leverage your time that way. Yeah, as far 00:12:49.480 --> 00:12:53.480 as systems. Just have a database, have a CRM 00:12:53.480 --> 00:12:56.460 system. If you're talking about an actual tool 00:12:56.460 --> 00:13:00.220 that you can keep, stay top of mind with people, 00:13:00.340 --> 00:13:03.299 you can continue to email them, check with them. 00:13:03.320 --> 00:13:05.820 Again, I love to use social media to connect 00:13:05.820 --> 00:13:07.820 with people and I like to follow up that way. 00:13:08.559 --> 00:13:12.059 Yeah, I use the CRM, but those business cards 00:13:12.059 --> 00:13:15.019 that you collect, I figure a networking event, 00:13:15.019 --> 00:13:18.840 it's three or four hours. And if you get 15 or 00:13:18.840 --> 00:13:24.379 20, relationship type, those business cards from 00:13:24.379 --> 00:13:27.779 those people, then you can start with that. The 00:13:27.779 --> 00:13:30.679 other people, they're ancillary and you can put 00:13:30.679 --> 00:13:33.399 them into your drip campaigns and just keep your 00:13:33.399 --> 00:13:37.940 name in front of them. But you follow up with 00:13:37.940 --> 00:13:41.840 those 15 or 20. And I have a secret sauce. There's 00:13:41.840 --> 00:13:45.240 a way to follow up in which they're bound to 00:13:45.240 --> 00:13:48.909 answer you positively or negatively. Either way, 00:13:48.990 --> 00:13:51.889 but you have an answer. So that's very good. 00:13:52.149 --> 00:13:56.269 How do you measure ROI when it comes to networking 00:13:56.269 --> 00:14:01.929 efforts? Results. It's actually pretty easy. 00:14:02.070 --> 00:14:05.009 Did I get business from it? Is it growing my 00:14:05.009 --> 00:14:09.110 business? Am I getting referrals? Am I able to 00:14:09.110 --> 00:14:11.789 give back to other people? It's great to give, 00:14:11.870 --> 00:14:14.470 but you're still there at some point to get back, 00:14:14.629 --> 00:14:16.850 right? You still have to get an ROI or you're 00:14:16.850 --> 00:14:21.330 not going to do it for very long. And so to me, 00:14:21.389 --> 00:14:24.629 it's just really easy to see how your business 00:14:24.629 --> 00:14:27.889 is growing. And if it's not growing, you might 00:14:27.889 --> 00:14:30.090 have to make a shift in your strategy. You might 00:14:30.090 --> 00:14:31.830 have to make a shift in where you're networking. 00:14:32.210 --> 00:14:34.909 Michael, as I work with clients and I'm helping 00:14:34.909 --> 00:14:37.090 them build their business, one of the things 00:14:37.090 --> 00:14:40.129 I see is often people will stay in the same networking 00:14:40.129 --> 00:14:42.730 group for years. And I don't find that to be 00:14:42.730 --> 00:14:45.970 valuable. Because once you've really built those 00:14:45.970 --> 00:14:48.610 relationships with people, you can stay with 00:14:48.610 --> 00:14:51.250 those people. You can be connected to them. You 00:14:51.250 --> 00:14:53.990 can still follow up with them. But to keep yourself 00:14:53.990 --> 00:14:57.289 in the same circle isn't going to grow or expand 00:14:57.289 --> 00:14:59.549 you. And I think a lot of people make that mistake 00:14:59.549 --> 00:15:01.649 and they do it because it's comfortable. Oh, 00:15:01.649 --> 00:15:04.029 I built friends here and I like it here. But 00:15:04.029 --> 00:15:06.070 yet they don't get business there. They're not 00:15:06.070 --> 00:15:09.009 nothing's growing. And so it becomes to me, it 00:15:09.009 --> 00:15:12.129 becomes more social than it does as a business 00:15:12.129 --> 00:15:15.799 growth strategy. And networking is, it's a business 00:15:15.799 --> 00:15:19.039 growth strategy. You have to treat it that way. 00:15:19.179 --> 00:15:22.019 And again, you have to leverage your time, but 00:15:22.019 --> 00:15:24.879 it's easy to see if you're paying attention to 00:15:24.879 --> 00:15:27.759 your business, it's easy to see what kind of 00:15:27.759 --> 00:15:32.360 an ROI you get. How do you feel about like a 00:15:32.360 --> 00:15:36.769 B &I group? I was in BNI for years and it's a 00:15:36.769 --> 00:15:39.970 great strategy for, I think, certain industries. 00:15:40.029 --> 00:15:43.269 It's really great for, I think for other industries, 00:15:43.350 --> 00:15:45.889 it's a great starting strategy. And it really 00:15:45.889 --> 00:15:48.190 just comes down to, is it the right place for 00:15:48.190 --> 00:15:49.970 you? Are you going to be in front of the right 00:15:49.970 --> 00:15:53.070 people? And then having a strategy going in. 00:15:53.330 --> 00:15:57.570 So if you're in a room full of people that. really 00:15:57.570 --> 00:16:00.350 couldn't refer you business or wouldn't become, 00:16:00.490 --> 00:16:02.970 they couldn't become a client, which a BNI is 00:16:02.970 --> 00:16:06.509 more versatile. So you have a wider variety of 00:16:06.509 --> 00:16:09.730 people in there, but really again, be strategic 00:16:09.730 --> 00:16:12.509 about what you're doing. But yeah, I think BNI 00:16:12.509 --> 00:16:16.509 is a fantastic opportunity. There are so many 00:16:16.509 --> 00:16:19.429 good networks out there and it's really finding 00:16:19.429 --> 00:16:22.389 the right ones for you. But I, the thing I love 00:16:22.389 --> 00:16:25.610 about BNI is things are tracked that you do. 00:16:26.059 --> 00:16:28.419 have to pay attention to what's going on and 00:16:28.419 --> 00:16:30.740 you're easy. It's really easy to track numbers 00:16:30.740 --> 00:16:32.360 and things like that because those things have 00:16:32.360 --> 00:16:35.220 to be reported. But no, it's a great strategy. 00:16:35.360 --> 00:16:37.340 I recommend it to a lot of people, especially 00:16:37.340 --> 00:16:39.080 if they're just getting started in business. 00:16:39.820 --> 00:16:43.720 Yeah, I've been part of BNI. I've also created 00:16:43.720 --> 00:16:47.159 my own networking groups, one in New York, one 00:16:47.159 --> 00:16:50.639 in Jersey, about 30 businesses in each. And it 00:16:50.639 --> 00:16:56.450 has, it grew to. It was a great thing. We met 00:16:56.450 --> 00:17:00.429 every week. I then moved. I had to stop it. But 00:17:00.429 --> 00:17:03.830 there's nothing like the networking, the feeling 00:17:03.830 --> 00:17:07.829 of networking and the attitude of the people 00:17:07.829 --> 00:17:10.730 that you're networking with to give you that 00:17:10.730 --> 00:17:14.250 good feeling. And I love that you created your 00:17:14.250 --> 00:17:16.430 own because that would be one of the strategies 00:17:16.430 --> 00:17:22.549 I now teach people is build your own stage. Yeah, 00:17:22.569 --> 00:17:24.650 then you get to pull in who you want. That's 00:17:24.650 --> 00:17:28.609 true. But I felt that the more because I talked 00:17:28.609 --> 00:17:30.789 in the beginning, we went around the table, of 00:17:30.789 --> 00:17:33.829 course, and everybody gave their little speech. 00:17:34.289 --> 00:17:37.390 But I felt that because I brought something to 00:17:37.390 --> 00:17:40.569 the table each week, something new about networking. 00:17:40.930 --> 00:17:44.630 I was teaching them about networking, but I was 00:17:44.630 --> 00:17:48.170 teaching myself as well. So I was always learning. 00:17:48.269 --> 00:17:51.619 And that's my key to success. is I'm constantly 00:17:51.619 --> 00:17:55.220 learning. Can you share some tips for introverts 00:17:55.220 --> 00:17:58.940 who struggle with networking? Get over it? No. 00:18:00.539 --> 00:18:04.339 I'm sorry. Get over it. No, here's the thing. 00:18:04.440 --> 00:18:06.019 If you're going to build a business, you have 00:18:06.019 --> 00:18:08.420 to put yourself out there and you just really 00:18:08.420 --> 00:18:10.559 have to do it. You have to start. You have to 00:18:10.559 --> 00:18:14.039 do it. It really is hard for introverts to do 00:18:14.039 --> 00:18:16.960 that, but it's a skill set you can learn. Just 00:18:16.960 --> 00:18:19.140 like anything else, just like sales or anything 00:18:19.140 --> 00:18:22.420 else, you can learn to do it. And you just have 00:18:22.420 --> 00:18:24.380 to start. It's like starting a business. You 00:18:24.380 --> 00:18:26.140 just have to start. You're going to learn as 00:18:26.140 --> 00:18:28.440 you go. You're going to learn once you start 00:18:28.440 --> 00:18:31.900 doing it. And it's not something you can sit 00:18:31.900 --> 00:18:35.160 there and you can give people tips and ideas, 00:18:35.339 --> 00:18:38.559 but until they actually step in and do it, they're 00:18:38.559 --> 00:18:40.859 not going to get comfortable with it. You can't 00:18:40.859 --> 00:18:43.099 talk to somebody about how to ride a bicycle, 00:18:43.220 --> 00:18:46.420 right? You can give them tips on how to do it, 00:18:46.440 --> 00:18:48.259 but until they actually get on the bike and pedal 00:18:48.259 --> 00:18:50.960 and try to keep it up and all of that, they're 00:18:50.960 --> 00:18:52.799 not going to really be able to ride the bicycle. 00:18:52.980 --> 00:18:57.119 And so it's the same thing. That's great. That's 00:18:57.119 --> 00:19:00.279 a good analogy, by the way. How has your approach 00:19:00.279 --> 00:19:04.119 to networking evolved throughout your career 00:19:04.119 --> 00:19:08.880 as a consultant? I, again, I think when I first 00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:10.819 started, I don't think I know when I first started, 00:19:10.859 --> 00:19:13.059 I didn't have a strategy behind what I was doing. 00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:14.880 So I was just out there trying to meet people 00:19:14.880 --> 00:19:18.660 and I didn't really have a great pitch, so to 00:19:18.660 --> 00:19:21.160 speak, or a great, an elevator pitch, whatever 00:19:21.160 --> 00:19:26.140 you want to call it. I didn't really, there wasn't 00:19:26.140 --> 00:19:28.640 that clarity around how to do it and really make 00:19:28.640 --> 00:19:31.200 it as effective as I could. And so I just had 00:19:31.200 --> 00:19:34.019 to learn those things. along the way. And when 00:19:34.019 --> 00:19:36.900 I realized, wow, once you actually put a really 00:19:36.900 --> 00:19:39.039 great strategy behind networking, it's super 00:19:39.039 --> 00:19:40.900 powerful because then you're looking at, okay, 00:19:40.960 --> 00:19:44.119 what rooms do I need to be in? Where are my people? 00:19:44.460 --> 00:19:47.079 Where are the people that I can help them? They 00:19:47.079 --> 00:19:50.279 can help me. And you start thinking differently 00:19:50.279 --> 00:19:53.279 about what you're doing and you really quit wasting 00:19:53.279 --> 00:19:56.799 time. You become more efficient with the time 00:19:56.799 --> 00:19:59.519 that you are spending. So over time that all 00:19:59.519 --> 00:20:04.920 evolved and It just became where I'm, it was 00:20:04.920 --> 00:20:07.839 just much more of a growth strategy than more 00:20:07.839 --> 00:20:10.079 of a time killer. I think when you're first starting, 00:20:10.180 --> 00:20:12.180 if you don't have that strategy, it's more of 00:20:12.180 --> 00:20:14.619 a time killer and you're just getting your feet 00:20:14.619 --> 00:20:16.099 wet and you're getting out there and you're meeting 00:20:16.099 --> 00:20:18.220 people and that's great, but you don't often 00:20:18.220 --> 00:20:21.759 see an ROI for that. As you get better and more 00:20:21.759 --> 00:20:24.019 efficient, then you start to see ways that you 00:20:24.019 --> 00:20:26.259 can really leverage it and be more strategic. 00:20:26.339 --> 00:20:28.579 And then it really does start growing your business. 00:20:29.740 --> 00:20:32.880 And that's great. And I can tell that we can 00:20:32.880 --> 00:20:35.839 probably go on for another three hours and talk 00:20:35.839 --> 00:20:38.200 about strategies and consulting and everything 00:20:38.200 --> 00:20:41.400 else. But if somebody wanted to get hold of you, 00:20:41.480 --> 00:20:45.099 either to be coached or to get some insights 00:20:45.099 --> 00:20:48.359 on business or consulting or anything, what's 00:20:48.359 --> 00:20:50.759 the best way for them to get hold of you? Yes, 00:20:50.759 --> 00:20:54.079 you can go to my website at annelcarden .com. 00:20:54.559 --> 00:20:58.119 And I have. free resources on there. You can 00:20:58.119 --> 00:21:00.799 book a call if you want some help in your business 00:21:00.799 --> 00:21:03.220 or in your marketing. I work in both of those 00:21:03.220 --> 00:21:07.019 areas and you can find me anywhere on social. 00:21:07.119 --> 00:21:09.339 And I've got a big YouTube channel as well, where 00:21:09.339 --> 00:21:11.299 I talk about a lot of these things. That's great. 00:21:11.440 --> 00:21:13.880 And I want to thank you again for coming on. 00:21:14.220 --> 00:21:17.500 You're a great guest. Thank you. Thank you. It 00:21:17.500 --> 00:21:22.250 was my pleasure. Well, hold on, folks. Don't 00:21:22.250 --> 00:21:25.069 go anywhere. Let me just read a few of our sponsors 00:21:25.069 --> 00:21:28.750 that we have. Struggling to read success? Maybe 00:21:28.750 --> 00:21:31.930 it's time to quit. In Quit Your Way to Success 00:21:31.930 --> 00:21:36.829 by Rodney Davis. This reveals 27 steps to breaking 00:21:36.829 --> 00:21:39.789 bad habits that hold you back. This powerful 00:21:39.789 --> 00:21:43.529 book helps you rewire your mindset, take control 00:21:43.529 --> 00:21:46.670 of your actions, and turn setbacks into stepping 00:21:46.670 --> 00:21:49.960 stones. With real -life examples. motivational 00:21:49.960 --> 00:21:53.940 quotes, and actionable lessons, especially for 00:21:53.940 --> 00:21:56.160 sales professionals. You'll gain the tools to 00:21:56.160 --> 00:21:58.559 quit, what's stopping you, and start winning. 00:21:58.759 --> 00:22:02.259 Transform your future today. 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And of course, a big shout out to you, 00:22:48.779 --> 00:22:52.400 our amazing listeners, for tuning in and spending 00:22:52.400 --> 00:22:56.000 your time with us. Remember, networking isn't 00:22:56.000 --> 00:22:58.640 about being perfect. It's about being present. 00:22:58.920 --> 00:23:01.680 So take what you've learned today, get out there 00:23:01.680 --> 00:23:04.950 and make some meaningful connections. If you 00:23:04.950 --> 00:23:07.450 enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe, 00:23:07.609 --> 00:23:10.529 leave us a review, and share it with someone 00:23:10.529 --> 00:23:12.710 who could use a little networking inspiration. 00:23:13.609 --> 00:23:17.009 Let's keep the conversation going. You can find 00:23:17.009 --> 00:23:21.329 me on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or my website, 00:23:21.630 --> 00:23:25.750 michaelaforman .remember. Until next time, keep 00:23:25.750 --> 00:23:28.670 practicing, keep connecting, and keep building 00:23:28.670 --> 00:23:31.609 those relationships. This is Michael A. Foreman 00:23:31.609 --> 00:23:34.690 signing off. Take care and happy networking.