WEBVTT 00:00:13.839 --> 00:00:17.300 Welcome back to Networking Unleashed, Building 00:00:17.300 --> 00:00:20.219 Profitable Connections, the show where we go 00:00:20.219 --> 00:00:23.339 beyond business cards and dive deep into the 00:00:23.339 --> 00:00:27.859 relationships that drive real results. Today's 00:00:27.859 --> 00:00:30.620 guest brings a fresh and powerful perspective 00:00:30.620 --> 00:00:34.179 on what it really takes to succeed in business. 00:00:34.460 --> 00:00:39.259 He's the mind behind Shigeto equation, success 00:00:39.259 --> 00:00:45.640 equals IQ. times EQ, times FQ, where IQ is the 00:00:45.640 --> 00:00:49.579 ability to generate ideas, EQ is the emotional 00:00:49.579 --> 00:00:52.719 intelligence that brings others on the journey, 00:00:52.820 --> 00:00:58.259 and FQ is the focus to deliver it all. He's used 00:00:58.259 --> 00:01:00.859 this formula to help businesses unlock their 00:01:00.859 --> 00:01:05.200 full potential and to launch a thriving startup 00:01:05.200 --> 00:01:08.760 of his own. But here's the big question. How 00:01:08.760 --> 00:01:12.659 does networking amplify each part of that equation? 00:01:13.560 --> 00:01:17.219 We're about to find out. If you're looking to 00:01:17.219 --> 00:01:21.140 lead smarter, connect deeper, and execute with 00:01:21.140 --> 00:01:25.500 laser focus, this episode is for you. Let's unleash 00:01:25.500 --> 00:01:29.560 the power of connection and success. My guest 00:01:29.560 --> 00:01:34.450 today is Faris Aranki. and he has quite a background. 00:01:34.569 --> 00:01:37.150 I'm going to let him fill you in with his background 00:01:37.150 --> 00:01:39.209 so I don't butcher it any more than I already 00:01:39.209 --> 00:01:42.489 have. I don't think you could possibly butcher 00:01:42.489 --> 00:01:44.569 it, Michael, but what a lovely intro, and it's 00:01:44.569 --> 00:01:46.849 great to be with you, the listeners, the viewers. 00:01:47.189 --> 00:01:49.129 It's just great to be with anyone. That's the 00:01:49.129 --> 00:01:51.909 power of networking. Yes, yeah, my background. 00:01:52.010 --> 00:01:54.090 Where can I start? I've had lots of different 00:01:54.090 --> 00:01:56.349 aspects to my background, Michael. People may 00:01:56.349 --> 00:02:00.980 find it interesting. Okay. All right. So let's 00:02:00.980 --> 00:02:07.060 start with the IQ. Yeah. How do you see strong 00:02:07.060 --> 00:02:13.259 ideas connecting to strong networks? I think 00:02:13.259 --> 00:02:15.060 this is a really great place to start, right? 00:02:15.219 --> 00:02:18.159 Great ideas are not built necessarily by one 00:02:18.159 --> 00:02:21.240 individual. Okay. When I work with teams in my 00:02:21.240 --> 00:02:23.939 job today, I run a company where we go in and 00:02:23.939 --> 00:02:27.300 we get more out of teams than they would get 00:02:27.300 --> 00:02:31.659 on their own. OK. And when we work on the IQ 00:02:31.659 --> 00:02:34.099 pillar, i .e. the quality of their ideas, quality 00:02:34.099 --> 00:02:36.580 of their strategy, one of the biggest problems 00:02:36.580 --> 00:02:39.139 they have is they're not generating enough ideas. 00:02:39.919 --> 00:02:42.879 Often because either one person is doing it. 00:02:43.180 --> 00:02:45.960 either explicitly i they're only handing it over 00:02:45.960 --> 00:02:48.080 and saying john you come up with all the ideas 00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:51.460 or they are effectively doing that without realizing 00:02:51.460 --> 00:02:53.960 because the boss has a favorite in the room or 00:02:53.960 --> 00:02:56.259 the extroverts are dominating and you're sitting 00:02:56.259 --> 00:02:58.400 in the room as an independent going there's 10 00:02:58.400 --> 00:03:00.419 people in this room but only one person is talking 00:03:00.419 --> 00:03:03.849 if only they networked more, got to know each 00:03:03.849 --> 00:03:06.129 other more, saw the value that they'd have, suddenly 00:03:06.129 --> 00:03:08.889 they'd have 10 times the volume of ideas. Yeah, 00:03:08.969 --> 00:03:10.509 okay, not every idea is going to be great, but 00:03:10.509 --> 00:03:12.330 wouldn't you rather have 10 times the volume 00:03:12.330 --> 00:03:15.169 of ideas to start from and then sharpen those 00:03:15.169 --> 00:03:17.629 than to just start with one person's ideas, even 00:03:17.629 --> 00:03:19.830 if they're really good ideas? And that's where 00:03:19.830 --> 00:03:23.590 networking really can unlock your IQ. Talk to 00:03:23.590 --> 00:03:26.750 more people, be more curious, and suddenly your 00:03:26.750 --> 00:03:31.240 ideas will go through the roof. Great, great. 00:03:31.379 --> 00:03:35.719 That's fantastic. And being in business myself, 00:03:36.199 --> 00:03:40.620 I was in a position to teach others. But that's 00:03:40.620 --> 00:03:43.659 really a sure sign of leadership, the person 00:03:43.659 --> 00:03:46.960 who's controlling the meeting. And as well as 00:03:46.960 --> 00:03:49.680 I do, when you are a leader instead of a boss, 00:03:49.919 --> 00:03:53.360 you're leading others to become future leaders. 00:03:53.520 --> 00:03:55.360 And that's getting them to come out with their 00:03:55.360 --> 00:03:57.439 ideas and everything else. So it's very good. 00:03:57.979 --> 00:04:01.879 In your experience, how has access to the right 00:04:01.879 --> 00:04:08.060 people sharpened your best ideas? Oh, 100%. Every 00:04:08.060 --> 00:04:10.819 idea I ever had has been better by contact with 00:04:10.819 --> 00:04:13.939 the enemy. If it sits in your head, it's going 00:04:13.939 --> 00:04:15.840 to be good, but it's not going to be great. And 00:04:15.840 --> 00:04:18.699 I'm constantly reminded of that, that get my 00:04:18.699 --> 00:04:21.180 ideas out. And just this morning, I was talking 00:04:21.180 --> 00:04:23.980 about how I built my business, right? And it 00:04:23.980 --> 00:04:26.220 was an idea. I was sitting in a corporate job. 00:04:26.870 --> 00:04:29.230 very happily paid and i had this idea i'm going 00:04:29.230 --> 00:04:31.269 to start this business and i was a strategic 00:04:31.269 --> 00:04:33.990 thinker i was a partner in a strategy consulting 00:04:33.990 --> 00:04:37.290 firm for 12 years and so i walked away fairly 00:04:37.290 --> 00:04:39.310 confident in my own abilities i said i've got 00:04:39.310 --> 00:04:42.670 an idea sat in a room wrote it down spent two 00:04:42.670 --> 00:04:45.410 weeks and then i went out and had contact with 00:04:45.410 --> 00:04:48.919 the enemy and they ripped my idea to shreds Because 00:04:48.919 --> 00:04:50.500 that's what happens when you start a business. 00:04:50.720 --> 00:04:52.860 You're so full of confidence. You're so sure. 00:04:53.060 --> 00:04:55.860 But actually, it's not about your surety because 00:04:55.860 --> 00:04:58.540 you're not the one paying for it. Yeah, it's 00:04:58.540 --> 00:05:00.839 going out and hearing people go, that's rubbish 00:05:00.839 --> 00:05:02.800 idea or just looking at you blankly. That's what 00:05:02.800 --> 00:05:04.439 most people do. They politely nod and go, yeah, 00:05:04.480 --> 00:05:05.980 great idea. And then they move the conversation 00:05:05.980 --> 00:05:07.759 on and you're like, that means it's not a great 00:05:07.759 --> 00:05:10.220 idea. They're just being polite until they part 00:05:10.220 --> 00:05:13.800 money for your idea. It's not a great idea. And 00:05:13.800 --> 00:05:17.230 that is. Constantly running my own business, 00:05:17.350 --> 00:05:18.389 and I'm sure it's the same for you, Michael, 00:05:18.430 --> 00:05:23.129 reminds me about why the networking, being introduced 00:05:23.129 --> 00:05:25.329 to others really helps you, even if it feels 00:05:25.329 --> 00:05:29.449 painful in the short term. And it could be painful 00:05:29.449 --> 00:05:32.889 because here you are thinking that you have the 00:05:32.889 --> 00:05:36.709 best idea that anybody's ever heard and everybody 00:05:36.709 --> 00:05:40.730 else is poo -pooing it. You stuck it through. 00:05:41.339 --> 00:05:43.980 And you developed it and you started your business. 00:05:44.040 --> 00:05:50.920 And that's fantastic. Okay. EQ is all about bringing 00:05:50.920 --> 00:05:55.860 others with you. How does networking play into 00:05:55.860 --> 00:05:59.339 that emotional journey? Quite simply, you can't 00:05:59.339 --> 00:06:01.560 take others with you if you don't know, if you 00:06:01.560 --> 00:06:06.839 don't speak to others. There's a big link to 00:06:06.839 --> 00:06:11.720 the IQ pillar here, which is. We often we communicate 00:06:11.720 --> 00:06:14.759 and we go through life with our own lenses on. 00:06:15.240 --> 00:06:18.339 And that's great. And, you know, yeah, if you're 00:06:18.339 --> 00:06:19.839 lucky and you're surrounded by people who think 00:06:19.839 --> 00:06:21.740 like you have experienced the same things as 00:06:21.740 --> 00:06:24.079 you, they'll be swept along and they'll enjoy 00:06:24.079 --> 00:06:26.259 the journey. But if you soon as you meet people 00:06:26.259 --> 00:06:29.139 who have a different frame of reference, your 00:06:29.139 --> 00:06:31.699 way of approaching things will be very alien 00:06:31.699 --> 00:06:33.920 to them. And don't be surprised if they start 00:06:33.920 --> 00:06:36.699 putting up resistance. So this is where EQ is, 00:06:36.819 --> 00:06:39.449 because it reminds you. your view isn't the only 00:06:39.449 --> 00:06:42.769 view. And B, it brings in that richness of new 00:06:42.769 --> 00:06:44.850 ideas, new people that will help you on your 00:06:44.850 --> 00:06:47.209 journey. And I've got so many examples of this 00:06:47.209 --> 00:06:50.629 that it really is probably the number one area 00:06:50.629 --> 00:06:53.730 that I do personally. It's my default setting, 00:06:53.889 --> 00:06:56.290 meet more people, find out what you don't know, 00:06:56.470 --> 00:06:58.329 approach them how they like to be approached. 00:06:58.490 --> 00:07:01.009 But it's also the number one thing I end up doing 00:07:01.009 --> 00:07:04.110 in teams, in companies, is getting more people 00:07:04.110 --> 00:07:07.269 to know each other. to a deeper level, because 00:07:07.269 --> 00:07:09.850 that always seems to just get teams working better 00:07:09.850 --> 00:07:14.089 together. That's so true. I personally believe 00:07:14.089 --> 00:07:19.170 that networking is the base for every company. 00:07:19.389 --> 00:07:22.870 Yeah. And without networking, you really can't 00:07:22.870 --> 00:07:28.209 have a company because you can't grow. And, you 00:07:28.209 --> 00:07:31.149 know, I have a little thing here on my shirt 00:07:31.149 --> 00:07:34.540 says connect, learn and grow. But first you're 00:07:34.540 --> 00:07:36.980 connecting, then you're learning about the other 00:07:36.980 --> 00:07:40.060 person and you're growing with them. So it's 00:07:40.060 --> 00:07:41.920 a very good thing. And a lot of people think 00:07:41.920 --> 00:07:44.319 I'm crazy, but I think this will resonate with 00:07:44.319 --> 00:07:46.779 you, Michael. I often recommend to companies 00:07:46.779 --> 00:07:49.540 that have reached a certain size to just employ 00:07:49.540 --> 00:07:54.379 someone who is an interconnector. Their job is 00:07:54.379 --> 00:07:57.839 chief networker. They have no content. Their 00:07:57.839 --> 00:08:00.560 job is just to walk the halls and go, hey, John, 00:08:00.639 --> 00:08:02.660 do you know Steve? Hey, Sarah, have you ever 00:08:02.660 --> 00:08:05.629 met? Peter and broker that intro because that 00:08:05.629 --> 00:08:08.750 will return its investment 10 times over in that 00:08:08.750 --> 00:08:11.529 company by just making those conversations a 00:08:11.529 --> 00:08:14.910 little bit easier. Great idea. I haven't heard 00:08:14.910 --> 00:08:18.509 that before, but that's a great idea. And if 00:08:18.509 --> 00:08:21.509 somebody who has a company is listening, I would 00:08:21.509 --> 00:08:23.490 really pay attention to what Faris is saying. 00:08:24.269 --> 00:08:28.569 What do emotionally intelligent networkers do 00:08:28.569 --> 00:08:32.850 differently than the rest? Probably the single 00:08:32.850 --> 00:08:34.610 biggest thing they do is they listen more than 00:08:34.610 --> 00:08:38.110 they talk. They might talk just to start the 00:08:38.110 --> 00:08:41.850 conversation, but then they are not only listening 00:08:41.850 --> 00:08:44.750 by time, but they're listening actively. They 00:08:44.750 --> 00:08:46.850 generally seem interested in what the other person 00:08:46.850 --> 00:08:48.370 has to say. They're not just waiting to speak 00:08:48.370 --> 00:08:50.529 themselves and boast about what they're doing. 00:08:50.809 --> 00:08:52.750 They are there going, wow, that's fascinating. 00:08:52.889 --> 00:08:56.710 And yeah, oh, tell me more. And yeah, that is. 00:08:57.309 --> 00:08:59.690 like the closest thing to being loved. They say 00:08:59.690 --> 00:09:01.470 being listened to is the closest thing to being 00:09:01.470 --> 00:09:04.309 loved. So if you are a great networker, you are 00:09:04.309 --> 00:09:07.690 listening maybe 70, 80 % of the conversation. 00:09:09.169 --> 00:09:12.769 That's a big thing with networking as a whole. 00:09:13.149 --> 00:09:16.409 And I have something that I developed. I didn't 00:09:16.409 --> 00:09:19.529 develop it. I actually stole it, but I use it. 00:09:19.950 --> 00:09:23.289 It's F -O -R -M because I have that in my head 00:09:23.289 --> 00:09:27.480 when I sit down with somebody. It's family. occupation, 00:09:27.779 --> 00:09:31.679 recreation, and a message. And you just pick 00:09:31.679 --> 00:09:35.379 one of them and have the other person speak about 00:09:35.379 --> 00:09:38.100 themselves, speak about their family, what they 00:09:38.100 --> 00:09:40.940 do, and have them talk. And you're not saying 00:09:40.940 --> 00:09:44.200 a word. You're just listening. But you're active 00:09:44.200 --> 00:09:46.700 listening. That's correct. I just thought I'd 00:09:46.700 --> 00:09:51.159 throw that in there. Okay, so FQ is all about 00:09:51.159 --> 00:09:55.190 delivering results. How can a well -built network 00:09:55.190 --> 00:10:01.149 help you stay focused and finish strong? FQ is, 00:10:01.409 --> 00:10:04.210 we all get distracted. And this FQ isn't about 00:10:04.210 --> 00:10:06.429 not one level. It's about not using your phone 00:10:06.429 --> 00:10:10.129 and not multitasking. But the real emphasis of 00:10:10.129 --> 00:10:16.149 focus quotient is prioritization. Okay. Is prioritizing 00:10:16.149 --> 00:10:18.490 and being really clear on what's important to 00:10:18.490 --> 00:10:20.429 you and therefore saying no to other things. 00:10:21.480 --> 00:10:24.159 And so how networking can help you is in one 00:10:24.159 --> 00:10:27.379 of two ways. One, surround yourself. Go and find 00:10:27.379 --> 00:10:29.159 other people who prioritize the same thing as 00:10:29.159 --> 00:10:32.940 you. It is easier to have that discipline and 00:10:32.940 --> 00:10:34.899 that prioritization if the people around you 00:10:34.899 --> 00:10:38.779 also. Yeah. So that's number one. And number 00:10:38.779 --> 00:10:42.440 two, finding other people that you can hand over 00:10:42.440 --> 00:10:45.360 the tasks that are non -priorities for you is 00:10:45.360 --> 00:10:47.980 equally important way. Because obviously there's 00:10:47.980 --> 00:10:49.600 all these other tasks they still need to get 00:10:49.600 --> 00:10:51.830 done. They just don't need to get done by you. 00:10:52.649 --> 00:10:55.470 So go and find the perfect person to hand all 00:10:55.470 --> 00:10:59.090 those other things to. So that's why you need 00:10:59.090 --> 00:11:01.429 to network and not just for the sake of networking, 00:11:01.610 --> 00:11:03.690 but find people to surround yourself who will 00:11:03.690 --> 00:11:06.269 help you prioritize and find people you can hand 00:11:06.269 --> 00:11:09.830 off the non -priority tasks to. Very good. And 00:11:09.830 --> 00:11:13.889 being a former business owner myself, I learned 00:11:13.889 --> 00:11:17.509 something early on. I did the things I enjoyed 00:11:17.509 --> 00:11:20.639 doing. But the things I really did enjoy doing, 00:11:20.759 --> 00:11:24.100 I handed off or I hired somebody to do those 00:11:24.100 --> 00:11:27.200 things so I can really put the emphasis on the 00:11:27.200 --> 00:11:30.179 things I enjoy doing. Yeah. So that goes right 00:11:30.179 --> 00:11:34.820 along with what you're saying. Okay. Have you 00:11:34.820 --> 00:11:38.220 ever leaned on your network to help move a stalled 00:11:38.220 --> 00:11:43.600 idea into execution? Yeah. It goes back to what 00:11:43.600 --> 00:11:45.879 we said about or what we talked about being spending 00:11:45.879 --> 00:11:49.070 too much time in your own head. Right. The great 00:11:49.070 --> 00:11:52.929 thing about a network and about the world today 00:11:52.929 --> 00:11:55.590 is you are never the first person to solve the 00:11:55.590 --> 00:11:59.250 problem. OK, and this is something I learned 00:11:59.250 --> 00:12:02.059 when I moved into consulting. We were encouraged 00:12:02.059 --> 00:12:04.340 to bring others on board and get others involved 00:12:04.340 --> 00:12:07.480 in the problem solving early. Whereas my first 00:12:07.480 --> 00:12:09.500 career was as a school teacher. That was very 00:12:09.500 --> 00:12:11.399 isolated. I felt I had to solve every problem 00:12:11.399 --> 00:12:14.340 myself, every lesson, design it myself and similar. 00:12:14.440 --> 00:12:16.759 And once you realize that's why you keep a good 00:12:16.759 --> 00:12:18.899 network. And one of the best things I did early 00:12:18.899 --> 00:12:21.039 on in starting a business was creating a network 00:12:21.039 --> 00:12:23.919 for small business owners. And every month we 00:12:23.919 --> 00:12:26.519 get together and each person takes it in turn 00:12:26.519 --> 00:12:28.120 to throw out their biggest challenge for that 00:12:28.120 --> 00:12:31.779 month. And then we ask anyone who has faced that 00:12:31.779 --> 00:12:34.440 challenge to talk through how they got through 00:12:34.440 --> 00:12:36.779 it. Not somebody to speculate how they might 00:12:36.779 --> 00:12:39.159 get through the challenge, because that's great. 00:12:39.220 --> 00:12:41.019 Everyone's got a hypothesis and everyone's got 00:12:41.019 --> 00:12:42.919 an opinion on how they might do something. But 00:12:42.919 --> 00:12:45.139 if someone has actually solved it, let's give 00:12:45.139 --> 00:12:48.539 the floor to them. Let's hear them. And so many 00:12:48.539 --> 00:12:50.379 times, not only has that helped other people, 00:12:50.419 --> 00:12:51.840 that's helped me with my problems. I've turned 00:12:51.840 --> 00:12:54.440 up and said, I've had this month. I really don't 00:12:54.440 --> 00:12:56.559 know what to do. And someone steps from the shadows 00:12:56.559 --> 00:12:58.500 on the call and says, don't worry, that happened 00:12:58.500 --> 00:13:00.940 to me two years ago. This is what I did. And 00:13:00.940 --> 00:13:03.799 it's just immense having that pool of knowledge. 00:13:04.820 --> 00:13:07.720 That's great. That's great. I developed a networking 00:13:07.720 --> 00:13:12.019 group when I was in New York. And actually, I 00:13:12.019 --> 00:13:13.899 had two of them, one in New York, one in New 00:13:13.899 --> 00:13:17.720 Jersey. It was a group of small businesses. And 00:13:17.720 --> 00:13:20.080 that was really because I should have thought 00:13:20.080 --> 00:13:23.399 of that also. But it was just a weekly networking 00:13:23.399 --> 00:13:26.399 group that we got together. We all exchanged 00:13:26.399 --> 00:13:29.759 ideas or problems that we were having, and we 00:13:29.759 --> 00:13:33.860 all worked through them together. But it's almost 00:13:33.860 --> 00:13:36.279 the same thing. But I like your idea better because 00:13:36.279 --> 00:13:38.960 you really emphasize the problem that you were 00:13:38.960 --> 00:13:41.720 having. And somebody else who went through it 00:13:41.720 --> 00:13:44.559 is going to help you get through it yourself. 00:13:45.159 --> 00:13:49.620 So I like that a lot. OK, so let's bring this 00:13:49.620 --> 00:13:54.659 all together. When all three IQ, EQ and FQ are 00:13:54.659 --> 00:13:59.299 firing, how does networking act as the glue that 00:13:59.299 --> 00:14:03.100 holds it together? I think you'll hit this. You'll 00:14:03.100 --> 00:14:06.840 be in your flow and it will. What will happen 00:14:06.840 --> 00:14:10.600 is you will dip into your network to top up your 00:14:10.600 --> 00:14:14.279 own levels of IQ, EQ and FQ. But you'll also 00:14:14.279 --> 00:14:16.740 give back to that group. And that's where the 00:14:16.740 --> 00:14:19.200 real power of networking comes. Together you 00:14:19.200 --> 00:14:23.299 all grow and then it begins to compound. And 00:14:23.299 --> 00:14:26.019 that's how I really see the networking being 00:14:26.019 --> 00:14:28.899 the glue. Because at times you might be low on 00:14:28.899 --> 00:14:30.679 one of those aspects and you need to dip into 00:14:30.679 --> 00:14:32.419 the group. And that's why you keep a network. 00:14:32.659 --> 00:14:34.940 At other times you've got to give back out. And 00:14:34.940 --> 00:14:38.879 that's why I love, A, not only expanding my network 00:14:38.879 --> 00:14:40.639 and meeting new people who will add to that pool, 00:14:40.820 --> 00:14:44.629 but I keep a part of my week every week. to ask 00:14:44.629 --> 00:14:47.970 for help, but also to give help. Because I know 00:14:47.970 --> 00:14:50.309 it's an investment back in myself, right? It's 00:14:50.309 --> 00:14:52.470 that whole, is there ever truly an altruistic 00:14:52.470 --> 00:14:55.389 activity? And I often joke to someone I'm helping 00:14:55.389 --> 00:14:57.909 who might be stuck, I'll say, don't worry, buddy, 00:14:58.049 --> 00:15:00.049 in 10 years from now, when you're a unicorn, 00:15:00.210 --> 00:15:02.070 I'll come knocking and remind you of this very 00:15:02.070 --> 00:15:03.929 conversation. But for now, you take what you 00:15:03.929 --> 00:15:09.549 need. Really, the main focus of networking is 00:15:09.549 --> 00:15:12.649 really to give, not to receive. So if you're 00:15:12.649 --> 00:15:15.610 going with that, Zig Ziglar said this the best, 00:15:15.730 --> 00:15:19.830 but if you go and if you just think of what you 00:15:19.830 --> 00:15:22.509 can do for somebody else, what you can do to 00:15:22.509 --> 00:15:24.929 give them, you're going to receive it afterwards. 00:15:25.169 --> 00:15:28.049 But don't look to receive anything. Just look 00:15:28.049 --> 00:15:30.669 to give. And there are a few, I have a few ideas 00:15:30.669 --> 00:15:33.370 and thoughts, but we'll go on to that later on. 00:15:33.649 --> 00:15:38.250 Yeah. Okay. So do you think it's possible to 00:15:38.250 --> 00:15:41.590 succeed? with just one or two parts of the equation, 00:15:41.789 --> 00:15:46.509 or is it networking that connects them all? I 00:15:46.509 --> 00:15:48.210 think you need all three parts of the equation, 00:15:48.370 --> 00:15:51.429 I'll be honest. And networking does link it all, 00:15:51.549 --> 00:15:53.710 but I guess what sits above it is self -awareness. 00:15:53.809 --> 00:15:56.669 If you're unaware that you are low in one of 00:15:56.669 --> 00:16:00.389 those areas, you're less likely to go looking 00:16:00.389 --> 00:16:04.029 to do the networking to fill in the gaps. So 00:16:04.029 --> 00:16:05.649 you can be the greatest networker in the world, 00:16:05.690 --> 00:16:07.230 but if you don't get off your ass and realize 00:16:07.230 --> 00:16:10.009 you need to network, then it's all for now. And 00:16:10.009 --> 00:16:13.070 that's the bit that is often missing. People 00:16:13.070 --> 00:16:14.730 tell me, I'm a great networker. I'm like, yeah, 00:16:14.750 --> 00:16:16.490 but when was the last time you networked? Because 00:16:16.490 --> 00:16:18.929 you've got too overconfident in your own abilities 00:16:18.929 --> 00:16:22.190 or you've got too lazy or you've got too comfortable. 00:16:22.389 --> 00:16:24.070 That's a bit that I think we need to throw into 00:16:24.070 --> 00:16:28.409 the mix. Absolutely. And when I speak, I go across 00:16:28.409 --> 00:16:30.809 the country and I speak on this, on the networking. 00:16:31.350 --> 00:16:35.169 I always say. Put networking on your schedule. 00:16:35.549 --> 00:16:38.370 Make it a scheduled event, let's say even two 00:16:38.370 --> 00:16:42.690 times a month. But get out there, make it, network. 00:16:43.090 --> 00:16:45.169 And just because the first time you're going 00:16:45.169 --> 00:16:47.490 to go out, you're really not going to do well. 00:16:47.750 --> 00:16:50.549 By the third, fourth, fifth time, you're doing 00:16:50.549 --> 00:16:53.809 better and better. But make it a scheduled event 00:16:53.809 --> 00:16:57.309 and go out there with the thought of giving. 00:16:58.129 --> 00:17:00.950 Yeah, that's what I do. Yeah, I love it. Okay, 00:17:00.970 --> 00:17:05.210 so. As a startup founder, how did your network 00:17:05.210 --> 00:17:10.109 help you move from concept to company? Yeah, 00:17:10.170 --> 00:17:13.450 it's entirely based on my network. And I made 00:17:13.450 --> 00:17:15.190 the cardinal mistake that we all make at the 00:17:15.190 --> 00:17:18.490 start. So first of all, I did decide not to do 00:17:18.490 --> 00:17:22.529 any cold outreach. OK, I decided that's not for 00:17:22.529 --> 00:17:25.430 me. I'm working on emotional intelligence. I've 00:17:25.430 --> 00:17:27.470 got to lead with emotional intelligence. But 00:17:27.470 --> 00:17:30.920 the mistake I made was I just picked. people 00:17:30.920 --> 00:17:33.619 that I thought were rich and powerful. And I 00:17:33.619 --> 00:17:36.599 said, OK, yes, I know them a bit. And so therefore, 00:17:36.680 --> 00:17:38.079 these are going to be the people I'm going to 00:17:38.079 --> 00:17:40.140 build my business around. I'm going to sell them 00:17:40.140 --> 00:17:42.319 lots of work. And I didn't sell to any of them. 00:17:42.339 --> 00:17:44.619 I had a list, a hot list of 30 people. And all 00:17:44.619 --> 00:17:47.700 I did, Michael, was irritate them by contacting 00:17:47.700 --> 00:17:50.380 them too much. And unbeknownst to me, at the 00:17:50.380 --> 00:17:52.579 same time, something amazing happened from my 00:17:52.579 --> 00:18:03.079 network. on social media and contacted me out 00:18:03.079 --> 00:18:05.660 of the blue and said, I don't know if you remember 00:18:05.660 --> 00:18:08.619 me from 12 years ago, but you helped me out then. 00:18:09.079 --> 00:18:11.839 And I'm forever grateful. And now I'm in a position 00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:15.420 to repay you. Come and work, come and do some 00:18:15.420 --> 00:18:18.460 work for me and my company. And once that happened, 00:18:18.559 --> 00:18:20.980 I said, after we did it and we had a chat and 00:18:20.980 --> 00:18:23.119 he told me the story of how it helped him, I 00:18:23.119 --> 00:18:25.279 sat back and thought, maybe there's other people 00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:28.180 from all the years I've worked who also think 00:18:28.180 --> 00:18:32.890 of me fondly. Picking 30 powerful people now, 00:18:33.049 --> 00:18:36.049 let's just go looking for the people I enjoyed 00:18:36.049 --> 00:18:38.329 working with who left a smile on my face because 00:18:38.329 --> 00:18:41.650 maybe I left a smile on their face. And so I 00:18:41.650 --> 00:18:43.670 made it my mission to reconnect with those people. 00:18:44.130 --> 00:18:46.509 And do you know what? The more you find those 00:18:46.509 --> 00:18:48.690 people, those are the ones who became my clients. 00:18:49.329 --> 00:18:51.509 And those are the ones who helped me grow a successful 00:18:51.509 --> 00:18:54.809 business. Absolutely. Absolutely. And if you 00:18:54.809 --> 00:18:59.339 are good at what you do. or what you did, then 00:18:59.339 --> 00:19:02.599 it will come back to you. So that's right. So 00:19:02.599 --> 00:19:07.779 let's bring this full circle. What's one piece 00:19:07.779 --> 00:19:13.519 of networking advice you give to someone who 00:19:13.519 --> 00:19:17.579 has the IQ and FQ but struggles with the EQ? 00:19:19.779 --> 00:19:22.380 We've already talked about listening. Active 00:19:22.380 --> 00:19:25.160 listening. Active listening is the big question. 00:19:25.259 --> 00:19:29.119 So listen more and ask one more question than 00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:31.240 you normally would, is my advice that I normally 00:19:31.240 --> 00:19:35.019 give people. And if you struggle, walk into a 00:19:35.019 --> 00:19:38.259 room with 10 questions. So your form template 00:19:38.259 --> 00:19:40.200 is brilliant. That already provides you with 00:19:40.200 --> 00:19:42.500 four questions. Tell me about your family. Tell 00:19:42.500 --> 00:19:46.319 me about your job. Have a list of 10 questions 00:19:46.319 --> 00:19:50.579 and ask them. Just try them out. That will help 00:19:50.579 --> 00:19:53.099 you with your EQ and listen. And if you're feeling 00:19:53.099 --> 00:19:56.740 particularly vulnerable, try it with people you 00:19:56.740 --> 00:20:00.319 already know. You'll be amazed. You might not 00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:03.619 know all the answers already. Because linking 00:20:03.619 --> 00:20:05.940 back to what we said earlier, if you really are 00:20:05.940 --> 00:20:09.000 nervous around networking, I've got a newsflash 00:20:09.000 --> 00:20:11.240 for you. You don't need to network anyone new 00:20:11.240 --> 00:20:14.210 ever again. You've got enough people. Take from 00:20:14.210 --> 00:20:15.710 my story previously. You've probably got enough 00:20:15.710 --> 00:20:17.990 people who, for one reason or another, you haven't 00:20:17.990 --> 00:20:20.170 spoken to in a while. Just re -network them. 00:20:21.529 --> 00:20:24.910 And you could get the same gold out of meeting 00:20:24.910 --> 00:20:29.170 an entirely new person at a new event. Outstanding. 00:20:29.509 --> 00:20:31.970 Outstanding. Ferris, I can't. First of all, I 00:20:31.970 --> 00:20:35.130 can talk to you for another hour. You are that 00:20:35.130 --> 00:20:39.039 interesting. But if somebody were to want to 00:20:39.039 --> 00:20:42.519 contact you, want to ask you about coaching or 00:20:42.519 --> 00:20:44.740 starting a business or whatever the case may 00:20:44.740 --> 00:20:47.059 be, what's the best way that they can get hold 00:20:47.059 --> 00:20:50.380 of you? So one of two ways. One, come and visit 00:20:50.380 --> 00:20:52.599 ShearGhetto .com. That's the company website. 00:20:52.819 --> 00:20:54.980 We have some tips on there. We have some articles. 00:20:55.160 --> 00:20:58.000 You can contact me and the team or contact me 00:20:58.000 --> 00:21:00.130 directly. Come and find me on LinkedIn. I spend 00:21:00.130 --> 00:21:02.309 probably a disproportionate amount of my time. 00:21:02.369 --> 00:21:04.130 Incidentally, I do a lot of networking on LinkedIn, 00:21:04.250 --> 00:21:06.890 but come and find me. It's Farah Saranki. There's 00:21:06.890 --> 00:21:09.430 only one of us. There's only one of me. And I 00:21:09.430 --> 00:21:12.789 do post every day, sharing tips, tricks, but 00:21:12.789 --> 00:21:15.410 also I reply to every message so they can get 00:21:15.410 --> 00:21:19.400 hold of me. Outstanding. Farris, I can't believe 00:21:19.400 --> 00:21:23.700 this happened so short. This podcast seemed to 00:21:23.700 --> 00:21:26.440 me like it was five minutes, but it's been longer. 00:21:26.680 --> 00:21:29.079 You were a great guest. Thank you very much for 00:21:29.079 --> 00:21:31.220 coming on, and I hope to speak with you soon. 00:21:31.880 --> 00:21:35.940 Thank you very much, Mike. Well, hold on, folks. 00:21:36.099 --> 00:21:38.660 Don't go anywhere. Let me just read a few of 00:21:38.660 --> 00:21:41.599 our sponsors that we have. Struggling to read 00:21:41.599 --> 00:21:45.299 success? Maybe it's time to quit. 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Revved Up Kids is 00:22:29.420 --> 00:22:32.839 on a mission to protect children and teens from 00:22:32.839 --> 00:22:35.680 sexual abuse. exploitation, and trafficking. 00:22:35.920 --> 00:22:38.619 They provide prevention training programs for 00:22:38.619 --> 00:22:42.259 children, teens, and adults. To learn more, go 00:22:42.259 --> 00:22:47.160 to revvedupkids .org. That's R -E -V -V -E -D 00:22:47.160 --> 00:22:54.319 -U -P -K -I -D -S dot org. Well, that's a wrap, 00:22:54.400 --> 00:22:57.220 folks. A huge thank you to our special guests 00:22:57.220 --> 00:23:00.559 for sharing such incredible insights today. And 00:23:00.559 --> 00:23:03.960 of course, a big shout out to you, our amazing 00:23:03.960 --> 00:23:06.880 listeners, for tuning in and spending your time 00:23:06.880 --> 00:23:10.779 with us. Remember, networking isn't about being 00:23:10.779 --> 00:23:14.119 perfect. It's about being present. So take what 00:23:14.119 --> 00:23:16.700 you've learned today, get out there and make 00:23:16.700 --> 00:23:19.700 some meaningful connections. If you enjoyed this 00:23:19.700 --> 00:23:22.670 episode. Don't forget to subscribe, leave us 00:23:22.670 --> 00:23:25.309 a review, and share it with someone who could 00:23:25.309 --> 00:23:28.589 use a little networking inspiration. Let's keep 00:23:28.589 --> 00:23:32.309 the conversation going. You can find me on Apple, 00:23:32.450 --> 00:23:36.789 Spotify, YouTube, or my website, Michael. Remember, 00:23:37.069 --> 00:23:40.690 until next time, keep practicing, keep connecting, 00:23:40.890 --> 00:23:44.009 and keep building those relationships. This is 00:23:44.009 --> 00:23:47.230 Michael signing off. Take care and happy networking.