Hello, and welcome to Networking Unleashed, Building
Profitable Connections. Welcome back to the show,
folks. I'm your host, Michael Foreman, and you're
listening to the podcast where networking is
more than just awkward handshakes and bad coffee.
It's an art and a talent. But here's the twist.
It's an art and talent you can actually learn.
Yes, even if you're the person hiding in the
corner at every event pretending to check emails.
Networking isn't just a nice skill to have, it's
a game changer. And when you get good at it,
you'll wonder why you didn't start sooner. More
connections, more opportunities, more profits.
It's like unlocking a cheat code for life. So
whether you're just the life of the party or
just let me stay at home and text type, we've
got something for you. So stick around. Let's
turn those awkward small talk moments into big
wins. Now, I've got an interesting guest today.
Her name is Celia Tablet, and she works for Revved
Up Kids, a nonprofit organization, which I firmly
believe in wholeheartedly. So I'm going to tell
you that she's right now, she's the program's
director. But since Rubbed Up Kids is a nonprofit,
she's still an assistant trainer, a networker,
and a fundraiser. Oh, by the way, she's also
the program's coordinator. So let me introduce
Celia and let her give you a little bit more
of her background. Celia, how are you? Michael,
I'm doing great. How are you? I'm doing just
fine. Tell us a little bit about your background.
I came to Rubbed Up Kids, I was a housewife for...
20 years raising my kids and I came to Rev'd
Up Kids because Allie and David Neal are the
co -founders of Rev'd Up Kids and they've been
friends of mine for years and years. When they
created Rev'd Up Kids, they came to me with the
idea and pitched it to me and wanted my feedback.
I gave them a little bit of feedback and then
a few years later they called me and said, hey,
we need some help on getting some surveys. Can
you come and do this? went and started working
for them part -time. And then the next thing
I knew, they needed administrative help. And
then they just kept passing things to me. And
about two years ago, they said, we found out
that you can talk. We'd like for you to go out
and start networking. Okay, great. That's great.
And really, that's how we've come to know and
love Celia. Okay, first, how did you get involved
in? networking within the nonprofit sector? This
has been difficult for me because basically I
was just thrown into it. I had been in the business
world for a few years prior to having kids. I
was a sales systems engineer. And so I'd really
not done networking, but I'd always been able
to talk to people on a regular basis and give
presentations and things like that. So when I
was thrown into the networking, I can remember
my very first networking meeting. I walked in.
I was by myself. I knew not a soul. And I was
shy and bashful and stood in the corner and pretended
to check my emails on my phone. Good. Okay. Okay.
Since you brought us into that, as an assistant
trainer and programs coordinator, how has networking
shaped your career path? I don't know about shaped
my career path. It has really defined who I am.
The networking, being able to go out there and
talk to people, to be able to relate to revved
up kids and to sell revved up kids because I
passionately believe in revved up kids. So it's
made me an integral. part of the organization.
It's just as I've had more of the administrative
things taken away from me as Allie has pushed
me more toward the networking because she's realized
that I really enjoy it. Good. And listen, the
fact that you enjoy the networking just helps
you in all the arenas, because if you are passionate
about revved up kids, which you are, and you
enjoy the networking, then it's really just,
it's fun. After a while, you're just playing.
You're not really working, but you're working
when you have to get the money. Okay. What unique
challenges and opportunities Does networking
present in the nonprofit world? It is very difficult
in the networking world. A nonprofit relies on
corporate sponsors. We rely on donations. We
rely on others to be able to recognize and to
believe in us as much as we believe in what we're
doing. So when you get out there and you're networking,
telling the story of what you do and as a nonprofit.
And what I say, sometimes I feel really bad about
it, but I say that I'm begging for money, but
it's the only way that we survive. It's a big
challenge. Yeah. I was friendly with the executive
director of Meals on Wheels. And he told me almost
exactly the same thing verbatim. He said, look,
nobody likes to ask for money, but that's the
only way that we survive. So if it's the only
way, then that's what you have to do. How has
networking skills contributed to your success
in fundraising? I don't know if it's contributed
to my success in fundraising. It's just making
friends. Believe it or not, networking is all
about First, you have a passion for I have a
passion for my job. I have a passion for getting
out there and talking about revved up kids. Networking
is just a part of it. And then you've got to
make friends. You've got to get to know the people
that you're talking to. And it's been really
tough for me because I thought I should be nothing
but revved up kids and not Celia Talbot. So I
realized after a while that I had to be Celia
Talbot, that I had to be that person that makes
me and let everybody know about my passion for
revved up kids. You're talking about relationships.
You're not in a client -based organization because
everything is about emotions. And you're building
these relationships because it's not just a one
-off, oh, here, I'm going to give you $25. You
want to go back to that person over and over
again, but you want to make them want to give
you the money. So you need to create that relationship.
And from what I can see, you're doing it very
well. Okay. Okay. So give me your top strategy
for creating a meaningful networking connection.
Walking, when you meet somebody for the very
first time, it is a, hi, how are you? Welcome.
If it's their first meeting, it's a welcome.
And opening up the conversation by, hey, What
do you do? And then when they ask you, then you're
clear, concise. And I hope that you enjoy this
networking group. There are a lot of good people
here. It's just, it's all about relationships.
It is. And that's a networking event. You're
not looking to receive. I know you're looking
for money, but you're looking to give. So you're
saying, how can I be a good referral source for
you? How can I make you more successful? And
by doing that enough, it'll come back. What goes
around does come around. And if you build up
that type of relationship, then you're going
to make it. It's no two ways about it. But it's
definitely a relationship business. And you have
to look. It's very important to look to give
and not receive. Almost like 99 % of the time.
Yeah. How do you balance in -person networking
and digital? I don't do much digital networking.
It's very difficult. I'm an in -person type person.
I enjoy, I tell people all the time, I get paid
to go out and make friends. It's fantastic. Absolutely.
I think digitally it's a little bit more difficult,
but I guess as far as networking is concerned,
you've got LinkedIn, you've got your social media
and things like that. So I do try to have a presence
out there, but with Zooms and things like that,
it's a lot more difficult as far as if that's
what you're asking. How do you keep it all straight?
Let's say you have a good relationship with somebody.
Let's say at the chamber meeting, you meet three
or four people that you really want to stay in
contact with. How do you do it? Emails. I get
home and I immediately email them and say, hey,
I'd like to meet with you one -on -one. And then
I have one -on -one times where we have coffee.
lunch and we just sit down and talk and we get
to know each other a little bit better. Do you
use a CRM at all or just strictly you keep track
of yourself? It's pretty much me keeping track
of myself. We do have... a database that I'm
able to use, but I think that's mostly for clients
and things like that. So our customers, but I
just, I'll keep, I keep it all with me because
I'm a personal type person. I tend to remember
people fairly well. Okay. Okay. Okay. Give me
a common networking mistake that you see people
make and how they can avoid it. not talking more
not they don't there's not a firm handshake or
a smile even or being scared to say anything
I guess I haven't seen too many mistakes but
it would be Not being able to communicate. That's
the biggest thing, because you do have to be
able to talk freely. You have to be able to express
what you do. And if you're unable to do, that's
the very beginning, the very start, you turn
people away. I always believe that if you're
present, if you're authentic, then it makes everything
that much easier. If you are present and authentic.
And you are able to talk about what you do. Now,
this is easy for an extrovert. If you're an introvert,
it takes a little more for you to get used to
it. But I just had a podcast earlier with somebody
who said, if you're an introvert, it's actually
easier than an extrovert. And I said, what do
you mean? Because introverts have what's called
active listening. They can listen a whole lot
better than an extrovert. And when I say be authentic,
be real, be present, then that gives them a much
more of an opportunity to do that. So it's right
that they're right. Okay, so this is pretty much
an easy question, but how do you measure success
with the networking? Gosh, for us, it's being
able to get donations. It's being able to get
funding from people. It's having participation
with our fundraisers. Okay. Very easy. Yeah,
I said that was easy, right? Okay. What approach
to nurturing and maintaining the relationships
over time? What sort of system do you have in
place? Mine is going to all of my meetings regularly.
I have a lot of different groups that I have
joined that I participate in, and it's maintaining
relationships through those meetings. I can say
with each one that I walk into, I always have
a big smile on my face. I'm greeting people.
personally, and so excited to see them. I always
feel like I'm walking into the friendliest place.
These are all my friends. I know that they're
business associates, but they're also my friends.
And it's just, and then getting together, like
I said, with one -on -ones, going for lunch,
going for dinner. Hey, let's go out and grab
some coffee. It's all about just maintaining
relationships. Considering for me, everybody's
a friend. Okay. What advice would you give somebody
just starting to build their professional network
in the nonprofit sector? To not be afraid. That's
the hardest. Like I said, the very first time
I walked in, I was absolutely terrified. But
not to be afraid to talk about your nonprofit
and not to be afraid to say the only way we survive
is by donations. So if you really believe in
us, even if it's a tiny little bit, or even if
you're able to volunteer for a fundraiser or
volunteer with our organization, you have to
ask. And that's the hardest thing with being
with a nonprofit is that you have to ask. Okay.
So this kind of works into the same thing. What
advice would you give to somebody just starting
to build their network in the nonprofit sector?
Get out there and ask. Just get out there and
start doing it, right? Yes. Yeah. You have to
introduce what you're doing and you have to believe
in what you're doing. I think if I weren't so
passionate about revved up kids. That I would
not be able to get out there and talk about it,
talk to people about it the way I do. If you
don't believe in it, you're not going to get
anywhere. True. That's very true. So what does
Revved Up Kids, what big is happening in the
near future for Revved Up Kids? We have our largest
fundraiser of the year coming up. It is called
Shamrock and Roll. It is a casino night. It's
at the Roswell Museum and it's on March 15th.
It is a lot of fun. We've got raffle baskets
that we'll be giving away. We've got auction
items up for auction. We have a super raffle
that opens up this coming Friday. I've heard
through the rumor mill that we've got an $800
bottle of scotch that's going to be raffled away
in the super raffles. Bidding will open up on
that one this coming Friday. Like I said, March
15th, grab a friend, a significant other, and
come to the computer museum and have a casino
night and be able to gamble and have fun. Celia,
that's great. And I'm so happy that you are the
front man. Because I don't believe Dave is the
front man. You are the front man for Revved Up
Kids. And you do such an excellent job. And I
just can't begin to tell you how thankful I am
for Revved Up Kids to be at least in my area.
And the more you do, the better. It's just absolutely
wonderful. If anybody wants to get hold of you,
either to talk to you, to donate, to find out
what your events are, how would they do? They
would go to revvedupkids .org and it's revved,
R -E -V -V -E -D, upkids .org. So we have two
V's in it, which makes it a little different.
Okay, good, good. All right, Celia, I can't begin
to thank you enough. You were a great guest.
You did a wonderful job and I'll talk to you
soon. Sounds good. Thank you, Michael. All right,
bye -bye. Okay. Well, hold on, folks. Don't go
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-E -V -V -E -D -U -P -K -I -D -S dot org. Well,
that's a wrap, folks. A huge thank you to our
special guests for sharing such incredible insights
today. And of course, a big shout out to you,
our amazing listeners, for tuning in and spending
your time with us. Remember, networking isn't
about being perfect. It's about being present.
So take what you've learned today, get out there
and make some meaningful connections. If you
enjoyed this episode. don't forget to subscribe,
leave us a review, and share it with someone
who could use a little networking inspiration.
Let's keep the conversation going. You can find
me on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or my website,
michaelaforman .com. Remember, until next time,
keep practicing, keep connecting, and keep building
those relationships. This is Michael A. Foreman
signing off. Take care and happy networking.