WEBVTT 00:00:16.750 --> 00:00:19.989 Welcome back to Networking Unleashed, Building 00:00:19.989 --> 00:00:23.149 Profitable Connections, where we go to beyond 00:00:23.149 --> 00:00:26.730 handshakes and dive into the conversations that 00:00:26.730 --> 00:00:30.629 create real impact. Today's guest is someone 00:00:30.629 --> 00:00:33.909 who brings the perfect blend of strategy and 00:00:33.909 --> 00:00:37.450 soul to the small business world. He's a speaker, 00:00:37.609 --> 00:00:41.409 coach, and advocate for entrepreneurs, known 00:00:41.409 --> 00:00:43.950 for helping leaders find the courage to lead, 00:00:44.170 --> 00:00:47.659 unlock their cash flow, and face the biggest 00:00:47.659 --> 00:00:51.000 challenges business owners encounter head -on. 00:00:51.359 --> 00:00:54.399 But here's the question. How does networking 00:00:54.399 --> 00:00:58.100 play into all that? How do the right relationships 00:00:58.100 --> 00:01:02.340 help unlock revenue, resilience, and real growth? 00:01:02.700 --> 00:01:06.200 We're about to find out. So get ready for a conversation 00:01:06.200 --> 00:01:09.859 full of wisdom. real talk, and tangible takeaways, 00:01:10.159 --> 00:01:12.599 because today we're not just talking business, 00:01:12.780 --> 00:01:16.260 we're unleashing connections that profit with 00:01:16.260 --> 00:01:20.239 purpose. Harlan, welcome to the podcast. Welcome 00:01:20.239 --> 00:01:23.480 to the show. I am so thankful to have you on 00:01:23.480 --> 00:01:26.099 my show. You want to give us just a little bit 00:01:26.099 --> 00:01:29.640 of your background? Sure. And thanks, Michael. 00:01:29.700 --> 00:01:31.739 I had you on my podcast, love talking to you, 00:01:31.780 --> 00:01:33.840 and I'm glad to be back on your podcast now. 00:01:33.900 --> 00:01:36.060 I've been looking forward to this. So my background 00:01:36.060 --> 00:01:38.099 is pretty varied. I grew up in Southern California. 00:01:38.379 --> 00:01:40.480 I worked at Lockheed Aircraft for a while, then 00:01:40.480 --> 00:01:43.219 went to college. And when I came out, I found 00:01:43.219 --> 00:01:46.560 a job as a consultant. And so for the... Next 00:01:46.560 --> 00:01:48.780 30 some odd years, I was a management consultant, 00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:51.459 organizational change and business transformation. 00:01:51.719 --> 00:01:53.439 So working with companies that were undergoing 00:01:53.439 --> 00:01:55.739 some major time to change, like a merger acquisition, 00:01:56.120 --> 00:01:58.879 a process re -engineering, a new software implementation, 00:01:59.200 --> 00:02:01.140 something like that. Anything that touched the 00:02:01.140 --> 00:02:04.400 people, processes or technology in the business 00:02:04.400 --> 00:02:07.540 is a change. And if you're not careful how you 00:02:07.540 --> 00:02:09.360 manage that change, you could lose some employees, 00:02:09.479 --> 00:02:11.699 some key employees along the way. So our job 00:02:11.699 --> 00:02:13.539 was to get with the executive team to help them 00:02:13.539 --> 00:02:16.310 understand the impacts. the change would have 00:02:16.310 --> 00:02:17.909 and could potentially have on their business, 00:02:18.069 --> 00:02:20.229 help them communicate that change and lead their 00:02:20.229 --> 00:02:22.370 people through the change. So they were as productive 00:02:22.370 --> 00:02:24.150 after as they were before. That was our goal. 00:02:24.250 --> 00:02:26.150 But that meant getting on an airplane every Monday 00:02:26.150 --> 00:02:28.250 and every Friday, flying to a client side, flying 00:02:28.250 --> 00:02:30.469 home on the weekends. And it got to be a little 00:02:30.469 --> 00:02:33.659 bit much. So after about... however long, 25, 00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:36.639 30 years. I told my wife, I think I want to stop 00:02:36.639 --> 00:02:38.620 traveling for a little while. So I started networking 00:02:38.620 --> 00:02:41.400 locally and business coaching for some of the 00:02:41.400 --> 00:02:43.199 local businesses. So I've worked a lot with a 00:02:43.199 --> 00:02:44.939 lot of different varied businesses. And right 00:02:44.939 --> 00:02:46.699 now I'm working with commercial and residential 00:02:46.699 --> 00:02:50.060 contractors to help them improve their cashflow 00:02:50.060 --> 00:02:52.740 and maximize their profits so that their business 00:02:52.740 --> 00:02:54.360 can thrive and they get to take home as much 00:02:54.360 --> 00:02:56.740 of the hard -earned money that they make. So 00:02:56.740 --> 00:02:58.419 that's what I've been doing the last eight, nine 00:02:58.419 --> 00:03:01.500 years. Wow, that sounds great. That sounds jam 00:03:01.500 --> 00:03:05.159 -packed. Your background is so varied with so 00:03:05.159 --> 00:03:07.979 many different businesses. You probably have 00:03:07.979 --> 00:03:11.400 a lot to offer them. So hopefully that will just 00:03:11.400 --> 00:03:14.800 continue. But now let's get into just the networking 00:03:14.800 --> 00:03:18.159 and leadership. You talk a lot about courage. 00:03:18.599 --> 00:03:22.400 What role does courage play in reaching out and 00:03:22.400 --> 00:03:26.639 building authentic business relationships? I 00:03:26.639 --> 00:03:29.789 think courage is huge. I wasn't used to networking 00:03:29.789 --> 00:03:31.509 and I got involved, like I said, when I came 00:03:31.509 --> 00:03:33.430 in off the road, went to a few different networking 00:03:33.430 --> 00:03:35.930 groups. And what I loved was realizing that a 00:03:35.930 --> 00:03:39.509 lot of these people are just like I am. A lot 00:03:39.509 --> 00:03:41.270 of them were starting their businesses, starting 00:03:41.270 --> 00:03:43.810 off so they were a little nervous, speaking up 00:03:43.810 --> 00:03:45.229 in front of people and getting up in front of 00:03:45.229 --> 00:03:47.389 people and talking. To get that courage to step 00:03:47.389 --> 00:03:50.210 onto a stage and talk, even if it's about yourself, 00:03:50.370 --> 00:03:52.900 even if it's a topic you really know well. can 00:03:52.900 --> 00:03:55.120 be daunting for some people. So getting that 00:03:55.120 --> 00:03:58.219 courage to get up and share. And the thing I 00:03:58.219 --> 00:04:00.379 learned about networking, Bob Berg has a great 00:04:00.379 --> 00:04:03.819 book, The Go -Giver. Don't go into a networking 00:04:03.819 --> 00:04:08.259 environment wanting to take, wanting to get referrals. 00:04:08.500 --> 00:04:11.599 Go in with a giving heart, right? give referrals, 00:04:11.740 --> 00:04:15.219 recommend people, refer people, and that reciprocity 00:04:15.219 --> 00:04:16.660 will kick in. And that's what I started finding 00:04:16.660 --> 00:04:18.600 out is the more that I helped other people achieve 00:04:18.600 --> 00:04:20.540 their goals, the more they were willing to help 00:04:20.540 --> 00:04:23.060 me achieve mine. And I think networking is key 00:04:23.060 --> 00:04:25.560 to any business. If you're in business and you're 00:04:25.560 --> 00:04:27.639 not networking, you're missing a big opportunity. 00:04:28.819 --> 00:04:31.480 Absolutely. And that's one of my biggest points 00:04:31.480 --> 00:04:35.040 when I coach and when I go on the road to talk 00:04:35.040 --> 00:04:37.560 about networking is you give with what's called 00:04:37.560 --> 00:04:40.819 a servant's heart. You always give before you 00:04:40.819 --> 00:04:43.699 receive and it will definitely come around to 00:04:43.699 --> 00:04:47.379 you. Have you ever made a connection that completely 00:04:47.379 --> 00:04:51.139 changed the trajectory of your business or leadership 00:04:51.139 --> 00:04:57.379 path? I've made a lot of amazing connections. 00:04:57.680 --> 00:05:00.180 I'll tell you, I actually met with this guy this 00:05:00.180 --> 00:05:02.300 morning. We just happened to bump into each other 00:05:02.300 --> 00:05:05.500 at a networking event and he is a business coach 00:05:05.500 --> 00:05:07.560 like I am. So you'd think we're in a competing 00:05:07.560 --> 00:05:10.379 area. that there'd be some animosity between 00:05:10.379 --> 00:05:13.139 us. This is one of the most giving men I've ever 00:05:13.139 --> 00:05:17.819 met, Jeff Bartholomew. He helps anybody that 00:05:17.819 --> 00:05:20.079 asks him for help. So I'll bounce ideas off of 00:05:20.079 --> 00:05:22.459 him. He'll give me some direction from either 00:05:22.459 --> 00:05:24.839 problems or things that happened to him in his 00:05:24.839 --> 00:05:26.560 past to say, hey, watch out for this, watch out 00:05:26.560 --> 00:05:29.500 for that. And he's really helped me as I go and 00:05:29.500 --> 00:05:31.759 approach these different new businesses. Sometimes 00:05:31.759 --> 00:05:34.100 you come into a new business. I'm not familiar 00:05:34.100 --> 00:05:35.800 with every business in the world. I know the 00:05:35.800 --> 00:05:38.120 business of business, right? So I can help people 00:05:38.120 --> 00:05:40.939 with their strategies, their systems, cashflow, 00:05:40.980 --> 00:05:43.720 things like that. But the finer details of the 00:05:43.720 --> 00:05:46.000 business, sometimes those elude me. So I can 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:47.519 go with Jeff, we'll sit down and have a cup of 00:05:47.519 --> 00:05:49.240 coffee, bounce ideas off of each other and stuff. 00:05:49.319 --> 00:05:51.980 And I come out recharged, ready to go. So yeah, 00:05:52.060 --> 00:05:54.360 the networking, he has been a great mentor for 00:05:54.360 --> 00:05:58.540 me. That's great that you can find somebody in 00:05:58.540 --> 00:06:02.079 your same lane. And you're not in competition, 00:06:02.300 --> 00:06:05.540 but you actually help one another. And I think 00:06:05.540 --> 00:06:07.779 that's the true meaning of doing business and 00:06:07.779 --> 00:06:10.899 networking and having the servant's heart. So 00:06:10.899 --> 00:06:14.360 that's right on all the levels. In your experience, 00:06:14.660 --> 00:06:18.860 how can networking directly impact a small business's 00:06:18.860 --> 00:06:23.779 cash flow for better or worse? One thing I try 00:06:23.779 --> 00:06:26.180 to get my clients to understand is networking. 00:06:26.300 --> 00:06:28.920 You never know who you're talking to and how 00:06:28.920 --> 00:06:31.639 they're connected. So getting out in opportunities 00:06:31.639 --> 00:06:33.759 to talk to people, let them know what it is that 00:06:33.759 --> 00:06:36.180 you do and how you do it, I think is great for 00:06:36.180 --> 00:06:38.899 business. The one thing that happens a lot with 00:06:38.899 --> 00:06:42.240 cashflow, it's not so much the money coming in, 00:06:42.300 --> 00:06:44.319 it's the things that are going on in the business. 00:06:44.839 --> 00:06:47.000 how they use the money that's going out, the 00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:49.540 profitability. By getting out and networking 00:06:49.540 --> 00:06:52.759 with people, you can run into what we call gate 00:06:52.759 --> 00:06:55.860 openers. The people who may not ever buy the 00:06:55.860 --> 00:06:57.339 product or service you're selling, but they work 00:06:57.339 --> 00:06:59.899 with the same. clients or customers that you 00:06:59.899 --> 00:07:02.040 do. And they may be able to bring you in when 00:07:02.040 --> 00:07:04.579 the client buys this, maybe your product or service 00:07:04.579 --> 00:07:07.540 is the next little piece they're missing. And 00:07:07.540 --> 00:07:09.819 so these gate openers can actually introduce 00:07:09.819 --> 00:07:12.079 you to people. And anytime you can get an introduction 00:07:12.079 --> 00:07:14.519 to someone that carries so much weight, that 00:07:14.519 --> 00:07:16.959 halo effect, if they've already bought from this 00:07:16.959 --> 00:07:19.420 person, they're in good standing, right? People 00:07:19.420 --> 00:07:22.720 can trust. that halo effect shines on you. And 00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:25.079 when they introduce you, you've got their credibility 00:07:25.079 --> 00:07:27.959 standing in for you. So I think networking is 00:07:27.959 --> 00:07:30.759 huge. And I've seen it change people's lives 00:07:30.759 --> 00:07:32.839 where they will make a connection that connects 00:07:32.839 --> 00:07:34.680 them with the second or third party who then 00:07:34.680 --> 00:07:36.939 becomes a big customer for them. So you just 00:07:36.939 --> 00:07:39.579 never know where it's going to go. So you're 00:07:39.579 --> 00:07:42.720 not networking necessarily with the person you're 00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:45.620 speaking to. You're networking with their network 00:07:45.620 --> 00:07:48.860 of people. And whether it's two or three times 00:07:48.860 --> 00:07:52.079 removed, because if they've purchased from you 00:07:52.079 --> 00:07:54.920 or from somebody that is associated with you, 00:07:54.980 --> 00:07:59.920 they like you already. That trust factor is already 00:07:59.920 --> 00:08:02.980 there. So they can recommend you. That's very 00:08:02.980 --> 00:08:07.680 true. And I always believe in talking to the 00:08:07.680 --> 00:08:11.000 person as if they're the center of their network. 00:08:12.220 --> 00:08:14.939 So that's very good. Do you believe referrals 00:08:14.939 --> 00:08:19.160 are the most underutilized revenue stream in 00:08:19.160 --> 00:08:23.459 a small business? Absolutely. Absolutely. A lot 00:08:23.459 --> 00:08:26.019 of the mindset is we've sold something to these 00:08:26.019 --> 00:08:28.420 people. They've done their part. I've done my 00:08:28.420 --> 00:08:30.579 part and we're done with them. I try to get my 00:08:30.579 --> 00:08:33.299 clients, keep involved, email them every once 00:08:33.299 --> 00:08:34.929 in a while. Check in with them. If you're in 00:08:34.929 --> 00:08:37.070 the neighborhood, stop by and say hello. If it's 00:08:37.070 --> 00:08:38.509 business to business or something like that, 00:08:38.570 --> 00:08:40.350 try to stay in front of them as much as possible 00:08:40.350 --> 00:08:42.490 because you never know when they're going to 00:08:42.490 --> 00:08:44.669 be talking to someone or someone in their family 00:08:44.669 --> 00:08:47.090 needs something. And you want to stay top of 00:08:47.090 --> 00:08:49.470 mind with them. If you sell and then you walk 00:08:49.470 --> 00:08:51.070 away, then you know better than some of the big 00:08:51.070 --> 00:08:53.590 box retail stores. They don't come and see how 00:08:53.590 --> 00:08:59.649 things are going. If you buy a product. I can't 00:08:59.649 --> 00:09:04.330 hear. Okay. I can't. Oh, now I can hear you. 00:09:05.230 --> 00:09:08.789 All right. Are we back? Sorry. Sorry. I told 00:09:08.789 --> 00:09:11.330 you technical difficulties. If somebody buys 00:09:11.330 --> 00:09:13.009 a product or service from you, check in with 00:09:13.009 --> 00:09:15.669 them after a month or two. See how that product 00:09:15.669 --> 00:09:17.529 is working. Did it do everything that you thought 00:09:17.529 --> 00:09:20.370 it would? Did we perform the way we thought we 00:09:20.370 --> 00:09:23.070 could? Those type of interactions, I think, grow. 00:09:23.269 --> 00:09:24.970 If people have a really good experience, they're 00:09:24.970 --> 00:09:27.309 going to tell all their friends and colleagues 00:09:27.309 --> 00:09:29.669 about what you do. So always keep those relationships 00:09:29.669 --> 00:09:34.919 forefront. I truly believe that the days of building 00:09:34.919 --> 00:09:39.080 your customer list is really passe. Now you're 00:09:39.080 --> 00:09:42.419 building the relationships. And after you've 00:09:42.419 --> 00:09:45.639 given them a service, whatever the case may be, 00:09:45.759 --> 00:09:48.559 you put them into your CRM and do some sort of 00:09:48.559 --> 00:09:50.659 a drip campaign. So you're always staying top 00:09:50.659 --> 00:09:52.340 of mind. So I always say, oh, you know what? 00:09:52.879 --> 00:09:55.980 Harlan knows that. Let me give him a call. And 00:09:55.980 --> 00:09:57.899 he just gives you a call. She gives you a call. 00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:01.059 I'm a firm believer in the relationship building 00:10:01.059 --> 00:10:04.059 as opposed to just adding to your client list, 00:10:04.200 --> 00:10:07.899 your customer list. You often say small business 00:10:07.899 --> 00:10:13.120 owners face one major problem. How can the right 00:10:13.120 --> 00:10:21.220 network help solve it? I often quote Mike Michalowicz, 00:10:21.320 --> 00:10:23.899 a business author, profit first, fix us next. 00:10:24.100 --> 00:10:26.779 Mike Michalowicz said, the biggest problem business 00:10:26.779 --> 00:10:29.059 owners have is that they don't know what their 00:10:29.059 --> 00:10:33.500 biggest problem is. And I found that true with 00:10:33.500 --> 00:10:35.279 some of the clients that I work with. They know 00:10:35.279 --> 00:10:37.220 something's wrong. The business isn't quite working 00:10:37.220 --> 00:10:39.019 the way they thought it should, but they have 00:10:39.019 --> 00:10:40.879 no idea what they do. So they end up working 00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:43.879 longer, working harder, trying to get more sales, 00:10:44.019 --> 00:10:46.960 right? And that's rarely the problem that's happening. 00:10:47.389 --> 00:10:49.590 By going out and networking, talking to other 00:10:49.590 --> 00:10:51.250 people, talking to them about their businesses, 00:10:51.309 --> 00:10:52.870 see the struggles that they're going through, 00:10:52.990 --> 00:10:55.309 you may realize, hey, I'm marking up the wrong 00:10:55.309 --> 00:10:57.909 three. That's not really what's going on. Find 00:10:57.909 --> 00:10:59.409 out what they're using. If you're looking to 00:10:59.409 --> 00:11:01.309 change your point of sale system, what are other 00:11:01.309 --> 00:11:03.769 people using? Network with them and ask the questions. 00:11:04.029 --> 00:11:06.129 People love to talk about themselves. They love 00:11:06.129 --> 00:11:08.309 to talk about their business. Go up and ask somebody, 00:11:08.450 --> 00:11:11.590 how do you guys do this? And again, yes, you 00:11:11.590 --> 00:11:15.450 may be in a similar industry. You may be competitors. 00:11:16.990 --> 00:11:18.809 what, seven, eight billion people in the world? 00:11:18.889 --> 00:11:20.450 There are plenty of people. There are plenty 00:11:20.450 --> 00:11:22.610 of customers around there. Don't get hung up 00:11:22.610 --> 00:11:25.029 on that. Talk to people, ask them about their 00:11:25.029 --> 00:11:27.389 business, share some ideas, trade with them. 00:11:27.669 --> 00:11:30.009 And yeah, I think you can really find out how 00:11:30.009 --> 00:11:32.529 to improve that because everybody needs a little 00:11:32.529 --> 00:11:34.649 help along the way. And picking up a tidbit from 00:11:34.649 --> 00:11:44.340 this. Okay, yeah, I firmly believe that if you 00:11:44.340 --> 00:11:48.259 ask somebody for their point of view, not necessarily 00:11:48.259 --> 00:11:51.600 their health, but their point of view, have them 00:11:51.600 --> 00:11:54.440 tell about themselves in their work environment 00:11:54.440 --> 00:11:57.179 or something. People, as you said, people love 00:11:57.179 --> 00:12:00.120 to talk about themselves, but they love to give 00:12:00.120 --> 00:12:04.120 you advice. You feel that you've made it when 00:12:04.120 --> 00:12:08.269 somebody asks you for your advice. So it puts 00:12:08.269 --> 00:12:11.049 them up and it puts you on a higher pedestal 00:12:11.049 --> 00:12:14.850 when you ask because it shows that you are truly 00:12:14.850 --> 00:12:19.169 interested. Okay, so here's a good one, right? 00:12:19.929 --> 00:12:22.929 What's the biggest mistake entrepreneurs make 00:12:22.929 --> 00:12:30.789 when trying to build their network? So I think 00:12:30.789 --> 00:12:32.750 one thing is going in, again, with that mindset 00:12:32.750 --> 00:12:35.289 that I'm here to get rather than I'm here to 00:12:35.289 --> 00:12:38.799 give. they burst into a little cluster of people 00:12:38.799 --> 00:12:40.860 talking and start talking about themselves and 00:12:40.860 --> 00:12:42.860 what they do and handing out business cards and 00:12:42.860 --> 00:12:45.559 everything. And I think you put people off and 00:12:45.559 --> 00:12:47.980 they're not going to think about you. They're 00:12:47.980 --> 00:12:49.860 not going to refer to you if they get a client. 00:12:50.019 --> 00:12:52.740 If you come in, listen, ease yourself into a 00:12:52.740 --> 00:12:55.100 conversation and then ask some pointed questions 00:12:55.100 --> 00:12:56.899 about the people that are already in there talking. 00:12:57.639 --> 00:12:59.320 Even if you turn around and walk away from the 00:12:59.320 --> 00:13:01.159 group, you're going to be one of the most interesting 00:13:01.159 --> 00:13:03.529 people they've met that day. because you took 00:13:03.529 --> 00:13:05.529 the time to listen and ask them about their business. 00:13:05.690 --> 00:13:09.009 So make your networking about getting with other 00:13:09.009 --> 00:13:11.049 people and asking them about their business. 00:13:11.129 --> 00:13:13.669 Make it about helping them or referring people 00:13:13.669 --> 00:13:17.769 to them and your business will grow. Absolutely. 00:13:17.850 --> 00:13:20.950 You hit the nail right on the head. Everything 00:13:20.950 --> 00:13:23.330 that I go out and I speak about and everything 00:13:23.330 --> 00:13:26.370 else and what you have to do, you said it really 00:13:26.370 --> 00:13:31.210 so eloquently, but you really just... got to 00:13:31.210 --> 00:13:34.110 the base of what I would say would be a huge 00:13:34.110 --> 00:13:37.009 mistake of anybody trying to network is going 00:13:37.009 --> 00:13:40.110 and talking. That they should listen and it should 00:13:40.110 --> 00:13:43.769 be active listening. Not just listening to hear, 00:13:43.909 --> 00:13:48.049 but listening to listen and respond to them with 00:13:48.049 --> 00:13:50.129 what they're saying. So yes, listening and all 00:13:50.129 --> 00:13:51.950 that with you. Giving out the business cards 00:13:51.950 --> 00:13:54.570 is a major no -no off the bat. I'll tell you 00:13:54.570 --> 00:13:58.029 a funny story. I was at a networking event. And 00:13:58.029 --> 00:14:00.809 it was about five of us at a table. And a guy 00:14:00.809 --> 00:14:02.909 comes walking up. Hey, how are you doing? What's 00:14:02.909 --> 00:14:05.029 going on? Hey, I know all of you. Hey, wait a 00:14:05.029 --> 00:14:07.230 second. Here, take my card. Zip, zip. Listen, 00:14:07.429 --> 00:14:09.049 I want to get in touch with all of you. You all 00:14:09.049 --> 00:14:11.250 have my contact information. Can I have your 00:14:11.250 --> 00:14:14.690 cards? Because I want to. And he was off. And 00:14:14.690 --> 00:14:17.710 we all looked around like, what just happened? 00:14:18.570 --> 00:14:21.289 We all just took his card and threw it out. That's 00:14:21.289 --> 00:14:25.169 the number one way of not doing it. That's the 00:14:25.169 --> 00:14:28.049 way of not doing it. Be engaged and be engaged. 00:14:28.169 --> 00:14:30.710 I had a one -to -one meeting with a guy that 00:14:30.710 --> 00:14:32.690 I thought I would either be able to help him 00:14:32.690 --> 00:14:35.710 or help some of his clients and friends. He spent 00:14:35.710 --> 00:14:37.429 the entire meeting talking about himself, me, 00:14:37.549 --> 00:14:39.769 and then his phone rang and he picked up his 00:14:39.769 --> 00:14:41.370 phone and talked on his phone for the next 20 00:14:41.370 --> 00:14:45.370 minutes. And then our time was up. And I will 00:14:45.370 --> 00:14:47.769 never do business with somebody like that. I 00:14:47.769 --> 00:14:49.629 want to know that if they're sitting with me, 00:14:49.730 --> 00:14:51.909 I try to be as engaged as possible. I put my 00:14:51.909 --> 00:14:55.110 phone away. I put my face down. I try to. look 00:14:55.110 --> 00:14:57.590 them in the eye, ask them questions, be engaged 00:14:57.590 --> 00:15:00.549 with what they're saying. He was all about me. 00:15:00.990 --> 00:15:03.809 And that just doesn't work. Yeah, no, absolutely. 00:15:04.090 --> 00:15:06.850 Absolutely. That's not going in with the servant's 00:15:06.850 --> 00:15:10.250 heart. That's not going in to give rather than 00:15:10.250 --> 00:15:14.649 receive. So yeah, I understand that wholeheartedly. 00:15:15.250 --> 00:15:19.789 Okay, so how do you personally decide which relationships 00:15:19.789 --> 00:15:28.500 to invest in and which to let go? As far as to 00:15:28.500 --> 00:15:30.440 invest in, I'm always looking for the people 00:15:30.440 --> 00:15:32.460 who work with the same type of clients I work 00:15:32.460 --> 00:15:35.860 with, either a peripheral type service or product 00:15:35.860 --> 00:15:39.360 that I can then go in and help on top of that. 00:15:39.500 --> 00:15:41.940 I'm looking for those people to make connections 00:15:41.940 --> 00:15:44.379 with. Other people I want to get to know because 00:15:44.379 --> 00:15:46.580 who knows, something will come up and maybe I'll 00:15:46.580 --> 00:15:50.639 be able to refer somebody to them. But if I put 00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:52.700 a call into them or put an email into them and 00:15:52.700 --> 00:15:54.960 they don't respond to me. If I send a referral 00:15:54.960 --> 00:15:57.299 to them and they don't respond to that referral, 00:15:57.519 --> 00:16:01.639 I'm done because it's my reputation that's on 00:16:01.639 --> 00:16:04.820 the line. When I send a referral to you, I've 00:16:04.820 --> 00:16:06.559 already cleared with this person that they are 00:16:06.559 --> 00:16:08.419 looking for your product and service. If I say, 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:10.639 hey, I've got somebody I network with, the guy's 00:16:10.639 --> 00:16:12.600 great, blah, blah, blah. I turn them over to 00:16:12.600 --> 00:16:15.200 you. If you drop the ball, I look bad. And now 00:16:15.200 --> 00:16:16.559 it's hard for me to go back in front of that 00:16:16.559 --> 00:16:20.120 person and give any referral. So that's one of 00:16:20.120 --> 00:16:23.669 the big things that I look. If somebody doesn't 00:16:23.669 --> 00:16:25.950 respect the referrals I'm giving them, if they 00:16:25.950 --> 00:16:29.610 don't respect my time and my effort, sorry, I 00:16:29.610 --> 00:16:32.090 just won't do business with them. Respect goes 00:16:32.090 --> 00:16:35.570 such a long way. And you have to know how to 00:16:35.570 --> 00:16:38.769 respect the other person. And as you said, you 00:16:38.769 --> 00:16:40.350 take your phone, you put it in your pocket or 00:16:40.350 --> 00:16:42.809 face down. It's away from you. You don't even 00:16:42.809 --> 00:16:45.629 consider looking at it. You're looking at the 00:16:45.629 --> 00:16:48.610 person square in the eye. You're engaging with 00:16:48.610 --> 00:16:53.019 the person. So you're 100 % present. And if they 00:16:53.019 --> 00:16:56.659 can't give you the same respect, then you really 00:16:56.659 --> 00:16:59.679 don't have a relationship at all. You've told 00:16:59.679 --> 00:17:04.200 me how successful you've become. But why don't 00:17:04.200 --> 00:17:07.259 you give me a mistake that you've made personally 00:17:07.259 --> 00:17:14.079 and how you overcame it? So I was in the first 00:17:14.079 --> 00:17:16.759 networking group that I went to. I was that guy 00:17:16.759 --> 00:17:19.279 that wanted to talk about myself and how great 00:17:19.279 --> 00:17:22.529 I am and everything that I know. everything I've 00:17:22.529 --> 00:17:26.329 experienced and it was one of the mentors from 00:17:26.329 --> 00:17:27.650 the group that kind of came over and put his 00:17:27.650 --> 00:17:29.890 arm around me and said let's take a walk and 00:17:29.890 --> 00:17:32.809 he introduced me to the servant's heart and I 00:17:32.809 --> 00:17:35.809 had no idea I was there to promote me and that 00:17:35.809 --> 00:17:39.109 just didn't work and I it was tough kind of getting 00:17:39.109 --> 00:17:41.369 back in with that group and building that rapport 00:17:41.369 --> 00:17:43.150 that I shouldn't have done in the first place 00:17:43.150 --> 00:17:45.730 getting to know them and asking about them that 00:17:45.730 --> 00:17:48.210 took a while to build that back up now that's 00:17:49.130 --> 00:17:51.750 When I go in, that's my first thought is be quiet, 00:17:51.809 --> 00:17:54.970 listen, ask questions, but just be there and 00:17:54.970 --> 00:17:57.289 just soak it all in. And then if somebody turns 00:17:57.289 --> 00:18:00.789 and says, hey, tell me about you. OK, they've 00:18:00.789 --> 00:18:02.410 told me enough about themselves. Fine, I can 00:18:02.410 --> 00:18:05.750 talk then. But I try to wait and say, you're 00:18:05.750 --> 00:18:07.750 far more interesting than I am. I'd love to know 00:18:07.750 --> 00:18:09.490 more about like and get them to start talking 00:18:09.490 --> 00:18:12.029 again. But yeah, I was the guy that dropped the 00:18:12.029 --> 00:18:14.910 ball that first time. I just came in. I had flyers. 00:18:14.910 --> 00:18:16.710 I had business cards. I had all kinds of stuff 00:18:16.710 --> 00:18:18.490 that I wanted to pass out to every single person 00:18:18.490 --> 00:18:21.609 in the room. It's not the way to do it. And it's 00:18:21.609 --> 00:18:24.529 not easy to do, is it? It's not easy just to 00:18:24.529 --> 00:18:27.509 turn that around because you grew up. You always 00:18:27.509 --> 00:18:31.069 thought you're here to sell something, your services 00:18:31.069 --> 00:18:35.109 or whatever the case may be. And you want to 00:18:35.109 --> 00:18:37.549 tell everybody what you have. That's why you're 00:18:37.549 --> 00:18:41.039 there. But it's a whole different mindset, a 00:18:41.039 --> 00:18:43.740 whole mind shift. And it's not easy to do. It's 00:18:43.740 --> 00:18:46.079 not something you can do overnight. It's something 00:18:46.079 --> 00:18:48.460 you have to practice. Because listen, networking 00:18:48.460 --> 00:18:52.779 is a skill and it's a talent. So you have to 00:18:52.779 --> 00:18:56.440 practice, practice. The networking group that 00:18:56.440 --> 00:18:59.440 I'm involved in right now, they're very good 00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:02.640 about, one of their hard and fast rules is do 00:19:02.640 --> 00:19:05.809 not sell to anyone in this group. You're not 00:19:05.809 --> 00:19:07.829 here to sell to these people. Nobody gets up 00:19:07.829 --> 00:19:11.589 that early in the morning to be sold to. Tell 00:19:11.589 --> 00:19:15.089 them how they can help you. Here's who I helped, 00:19:15.109 --> 00:19:17.170 how I helped them, and a great referral for me 00:19:17.170 --> 00:19:20.269 would be X. And here's a good opening question, 00:19:20.430 --> 00:19:22.349 because that's one of the hardest things. I don't 00:19:22.349 --> 00:19:26.410 know exactly how to refer this person to a marriage 00:19:26.410 --> 00:19:28.789 counselor. How do you breach that, right? How 00:19:28.789 --> 00:19:30.569 do you say, hey, I've got a marriage counselor. 00:19:30.769 --> 00:19:34.559 It sets people off, right? They're teaching us 00:19:34.559 --> 00:19:37.079 how to give what they call a kindling question, 00:19:37.259 --> 00:19:40.079 just to get the fire going a little bit. Something 00:19:40.079 --> 00:19:42.000 thought -provoking, you can ask them, hey, have 00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:43.920 you ever considered this? Or how is this going? 00:19:44.019 --> 00:19:45.500 Or hey, I just read this article. Have you ever 00:19:45.500 --> 00:19:47.740 had that same issue? Just something little like 00:19:47.740 --> 00:19:49.160 that. And if they say, yeah, you know what? I 00:19:49.160 --> 00:19:51.720 am dealing with that right now. I may have somebody 00:19:51.720 --> 00:19:54.980 you can talk to. So trying to get that down, 00:19:55.119 --> 00:19:57.460 again, you're not selling to the people you're 00:19:57.460 --> 00:19:59.640 networking with. You're basically building your 00:19:59.640 --> 00:20:01.799 sales team. These are the people that are going 00:20:01.799 --> 00:20:05.059 to go out and think of you. So whatever you can 00:20:05.059 --> 00:20:07.460 do to help them keep you in their mind, that's 00:20:07.460 --> 00:20:10.319 what you want to do. And that's really the perfect 00:20:10.319 --> 00:20:13.960 way. You can't, I used to belong to a BNI and 00:20:13.960 --> 00:20:17.539 that was referral, whether it was a real referral 00:20:17.539 --> 00:20:21.759 or not. And most of the time, it was not okay. 00:20:21.859 --> 00:20:24.839 I did one year BNI because that's what I paid 00:20:24.839 --> 00:20:28.359 for. And I really cut it out when I was in New 00:20:28.359 --> 00:20:32.339 York. I had my own networking groups, one in 00:20:32.339 --> 00:20:35.119 New York, one in New Jersey. I had about 30 businesses 00:20:35.119 --> 00:20:38.299 in each. I took the best from B &I, the best 00:20:38.299 --> 00:20:41.500 from the tip, and I created my own networking 00:20:41.500 --> 00:20:43.299 group. And I did just about what we're talking 00:20:43.299 --> 00:20:47.220 about now. But it's been years and years of practice 00:20:47.220 --> 00:20:49.920 because nobody will get it right first time out. 00:20:51.519 --> 00:20:54.660 When building a network from scratch, what's 00:20:54.660 --> 00:20:57.180 the first thing a small business owner should 00:20:57.180 --> 00:21:04.789 do? I think the pre -work, understanding, number 00:21:04.789 --> 00:21:06.569 one, your products and services that you're going 00:21:06.569 --> 00:21:08.549 to talk about. Understand who your customer is 00:21:08.549 --> 00:21:10.809 so you have a good, clear picture of who that 00:21:10.809 --> 00:21:12.809 customer and how you can help them. What are 00:21:12.809 --> 00:21:14.789 the things they're struggling with? How does 00:21:14.789 --> 00:21:17.890 your product or service ease that pain or solve 00:21:17.890 --> 00:21:20.430 that issue that they have so that you know then 00:21:20.430 --> 00:21:23.250 how to go out and present your business to everybody? 00:21:23.470 --> 00:21:25.630 I think the other thing is then those peripheral 00:21:25.630 --> 00:21:29.019 people who offer similar services. or complimentary 00:21:29.019 --> 00:21:32.319 services, adjacent services, if you will, that 00:21:32.319 --> 00:21:34.759 they may be talking to some of the same customers 00:21:34.759 --> 00:21:37.140 that you are. For a long time, I was working 00:21:37.140 --> 00:21:41.500 with an investment person and a counselor. And 00:21:41.500 --> 00:21:44.099 I would bring in things about when you're getting 00:21:44.099 --> 00:21:45.799 ready to sell your business, some of the struggles 00:21:45.799 --> 00:21:47.680 you go through with the family business, how 00:21:47.680 --> 00:21:50.859 that impacts the family and things. We work with 00:21:50.859 --> 00:21:52.799 a lot of the same people. So we saw that there 00:21:52.799 --> 00:21:54.400 might've been a little bit of overlap. So we 00:21:54.400 --> 00:21:56.299 did a few presentations together. That was good. 00:21:56.359 --> 00:21:58.599 If you could. Find out who those other people 00:21:58.599 --> 00:22:01.740 are that those gate openers and try to, who would 00:22:01.740 --> 00:22:03.579 these people be? And then reach out to them. 00:22:03.660 --> 00:22:05.539 If they're not in your group, invite somebody 00:22:05.539 --> 00:22:07.539 to be in your group. Tell everybody else, I would 00:22:07.539 --> 00:22:10.380 love an introduction to this person or this person. 00:22:10.420 --> 00:22:12.339 Try to get them in your group. Always try to 00:22:12.339 --> 00:22:15.480 build your group. Think about who you know that 00:22:15.480 --> 00:22:17.779 could support somebody else in your group and 00:22:17.779 --> 00:22:20.559 start inviting them. That's very good advice. 00:22:20.799 --> 00:22:23.279 And actually that was the way that I built up 00:22:23.279 --> 00:22:27.700 my groups. to be so large. When I was doing the 00:22:27.700 --> 00:22:29.980 networking groups, I was in the mortgage industry. 00:22:30.700 --> 00:22:34.880 So I obviously invited real estate, financial, 00:22:35.200 --> 00:22:38.839 insurance, because we talked to the same people 00:22:38.839 --> 00:22:42.119 in different parts. So we all helped one another, 00:22:42.259 --> 00:22:45.819 but the two groups grew to be quite large. And 00:22:45.819 --> 00:22:47.440 I had to leave them to come down to Georgia, 00:22:47.559 --> 00:22:51.079 but that's what I did. Has there ever been a 00:22:51.079 --> 00:22:54.619 time where networking saved your business or 00:22:54.619 --> 00:23:01.019 your sanity? Sanity, definitely. Every business 00:23:01.019 --> 00:23:02.880 goes through ups and downs, right? You're on 00:23:02.880 --> 00:23:05.759 the roller coaster. And a lot of times you think, 00:23:05.880 --> 00:23:07.700 is it something that I'm doing? Is it something 00:23:07.700 --> 00:23:11.480 that I'm not doing or I'm doing wrong? By being 00:23:11.480 --> 00:23:13.900 in the network and sharing that, here's the concern 00:23:13.900 --> 00:23:16.539 that I have and stuff, you realize a lot of people 00:23:16.539 --> 00:23:18.200 are going through the same thing you are. And 00:23:18.200 --> 00:23:19.920 maybe you can help support each other through 00:23:19.920 --> 00:23:23.240 that. And I did that when I first got into coaching. 00:23:23.640 --> 00:23:25.220 There were a lot of times where I'd hit drop 00:23:25.220 --> 00:23:28.140 spells. What am I doing wrong? And everybody 00:23:28.140 --> 00:23:30.660 said, no, everybody's slow right now. COVID is 00:23:30.660 --> 00:23:32.779 a great example for a lot of businesses that 00:23:32.779 --> 00:23:35.400 impacted people. And it's like, just we'll get 00:23:35.400 --> 00:23:37.640 through this. Maybe here's some options you could 00:23:37.640 --> 00:23:39.099 do. Here's some things you might be able to do. 00:23:39.470 --> 00:23:41.549 Instead of going personally into these different 00:23:41.549 --> 00:23:43.630 offices, can you offer online courses? Can you 00:23:43.630 --> 00:23:45.769 offer any online meetings and things like that? 00:23:46.029 --> 00:23:48.329 So trying to help each other through those tough 00:23:48.329 --> 00:23:50.809 times. I've made some friends in the networking 00:23:50.809 --> 00:23:52.789 groups I've been in that we're still friends 00:23:52.789 --> 00:23:55.029 and we probably will be for life. And we do try 00:23:55.029 --> 00:23:56.930 to help each other whenever we can. So I think 00:23:56.930 --> 00:24:01.049 that's a big part of it. How can you balance 00:24:01.049 --> 00:24:06.849 the in -person networking groups or in -person 00:24:06.849 --> 00:24:13.299 networking events? with digital? And I think 00:24:13.299 --> 00:24:15.859 there are a lot of both now. People are used 00:24:15.859 --> 00:24:19.700 to using Zoom and Teams to conduct work. So I 00:24:19.700 --> 00:24:22.660 don't think they're as standoffish as they were 00:24:22.660 --> 00:24:24.579 for a while. Everybody, if you're not meeting 00:24:24.579 --> 00:24:27.160 in person, it's not valuable. I don't agree. 00:24:27.339 --> 00:24:29.920 I have a group of other business coaches that 00:24:29.920 --> 00:24:33.619 I meet with every other month and we're scattered 00:24:33.619 --> 00:24:36.279 all over, but we get together and share online. 00:24:36.910 --> 00:24:38.710 And it's nice to build that rapport. I think 00:24:38.710 --> 00:24:40.349 you can do it. You have to be a little bit more 00:24:40.349 --> 00:24:43.609 specific on how you build those long distance 00:24:43.609 --> 00:24:47.829 relationships. Be intentional about it. Be engaged. 00:24:48.130 --> 00:24:50.069 You don't want to be on camera and be looking 00:24:50.069 --> 00:24:51.930 off to the side, doing something or playing with 00:24:51.930 --> 00:24:53.950 your dog or whatever. You want to make sure that 00:24:53.950 --> 00:24:55.529 you're engaged, just like you are in a meeting, 00:24:55.589 --> 00:24:58.750 sitting with people. Have your camera on. I've 00:24:58.750 --> 00:25:00.670 been in a few meetings where people have their 00:25:00.670 --> 00:25:03.369 camera off. That's almost like being in a conference 00:25:03.369 --> 00:25:06.380 room. But you turn your chair around to face 00:25:06.380 --> 00:25:08.700 the window and not look at the people you're 00:25:08.700 --> 00:25:10.859 meeting with. Have your camera on and be engaged 00:25:10.859 --> 00:25:13.019 and ask questions and things like that. So it's 00:25:13.019 --> 00:25:15.759 all the same rules that would apply in a live 00:25:15.759 --> 00:25:18.960 event. But having those Zoom type meetings, I 00:25:18.960 --> 00:25:21.039 think are great because you can get yourself 00:25:21.039 --> 00:25:23.160 involved in other areas where you might not be 00:25:23.160 --> 00:25:26.240 able to drive to all the time. Get involved in 00:25:26.240 --> 00:25:28.059 those meetings and you can still meet with these 00:25:28.059 --> 00:25:29.880 people, still get in front of them and find out 00:25:29.880 --> 00:25:31.099 what they're doing and how you can help them. 00:25:31.470 --> 00:25:34.009 And the intern can help you. So yeah, I think 00:25:34.009 --> 00:25:36.630 it's a great tool. I love the online meetings. 00:25:36.970 --> 00:25:40.569 Yeah, it's great. I do virtual workshops, which 00:25:40.569 --> 00:25:43.869 was new to me because I'm used to going to the 00:25:43.869 --> 00:25:46.049 business and doing a workshop and everything. 00:25:46.269 --> 00:25:50.769 But I always give them a standard rules, a list 00:25:50.769 --> 00:25:53.789 of standard rules. Have your camera on, be attentive, 00:25:54.109 --> 00:25:56.809 be interactive. Don't look down at your phone. 00:25:56.950 --> 00:25:59.450 Don't, you know, make believe that you're in 00:25:59.450 --> 00:26:03.819 a conference room. And I would say 90 % of the 00:26:03.819 --> 00:26:06.720 time it works because that other 10 % of the 00:26:06.720 --> 00:26:11.420 time, nothing works. Okay, let's bring this full 00:26:11.420 --> 00:26:16.720 circle. What's one networking habit or ritual 00:26:16.720 --> 00:26:19.920 you swear by that our listeners could start doing 00:26:19.920 --> 00:26:27.740 today? In the networking group that I'm in right 00:26:27.740 --> 00:26:31.210 now, we write down the one best thing. that we 00:26:31.210 --> 00:26:32.809 may go around the table and introduce yourself. 00:26:33.150 --> 00:26:35.349 Here's my business. Who's who I work with and 00:26:35.349 --> 00:26:38.690 what I do and how I help them. We write down 00:26:38.690 --> 00:26:40.750 the one best thing we learn from each person. 00:26:41.190 --> 00:26:42.869 And then towards the end of the meeting, we can 00:26:42.869 --> 00:26:44.809 stand up and say, Hey, I really liked how you 00:26:44.809 --> 00:26:46.710 said this. I really love the quote you gave on 00:26:46.710 --> 00:26:49.049 this. And it gives some support and feedback 00:26:49.049 --> 00:26:51.970 out on the back, which everybody needs, right? 00:26:52.150 --> 00:26:54.289 Just some encouragement to keep doing what you're 00:26:54.289 --> 00:26:57.819 doing. We can also jot down maybe tips. Hey, 00:26:57.900 --> 00:27:00.119 you missed an opportunity to say this or talk 00:27:00.119 --> 00:27:02.359 about this. We share those opportunities then 00:27:02.359 --> 00:27:04.700 with the person afterwards. So again, we're there 00:27:04.700 --> 00:27:06.759 to help support each other and build each other 00:27:06.759 --> 00:27:09.339 up, not just to get referrals from you, but to 00:27:09.339 --> 00:27:12.039 build that, the morale of the whole team. And 00:27:12.039 --> 00:27:13.559 so, yeah, that's what I like to do. I take a 00:27:13.559 --> 00:27:15.160 lot of notes during the meeting and I share those 00:27:15.160 --> 00:27:17.059 with everybody during the meeting and after. 00:27:18.079 --> 00:27:21.960 That's great. And I'm sure that's taken practice. 00:27:22.420 --> 00:27:25.160 You didn't just get out of college and all of 00:27:25.160 --> 00:27:27.900 a sudden start doing all these fantastic things. 00:27:28.099 --> 00:27:31.420 You had to learn. And that's what I'm trying 00:27:31.420 --> 00:27:34.380 to get at with my listeners, that first of all, 00:27:34.400 --> 00:27:37.259 you go out and you start. You just do it. Because 00:27:37.259 --> 00:27:39.440 the first time, you're going to suck. There's 00:27:39.440 --> 00:27:41.359 no two ways about it. You're not going to get 00:27:41.359 --> 00:27:44.019 it. But by the second, third, fourth, fifth time. 00:27:44.680 --> 00:27:46.420 You're going to get better and you're going to 00:27:46.420 --> 00:27:49.519 enjoy it. And the last thing is, I'm sure that 00:27:49.519 --> 00:27:51.640 whenever you go to a networking event, you have 00:27:51.640 --> 00:27:54.559 a good time, right? You enjoy yourself because 00:27:54.559 --> 00:27:59.160 nobody likes going out and working without them 00:27:59.160 --> 00:28:01.880 getting any type of. feedback or anything else 00:28:01.880 --> 00:28:05.059 like that. So that's it. So Harlan, I want to 00:28:05.059 --> 00:28:09.180 tell you, this was fantastic. You were a great 00:28:09.180 --> 00:28:12.319 guest. And if somebody wanted to get hold of 00:28:12.319 --> 00:28:14.759 you for coaching or for otherwise, how can they 00:28:14.759 --> 00:28:18.720 do it? They can start on my website. The website 00:28:18.720 --> 00:28:23.680 is ib4e -coaching .com. A lot of information 00:28:23.680 --> 00:28:25.500 out there. I've got some PDFs and things like 00:28:25.500 --> 00:28:26.960 that you can download from their free content. 00:28:27.160 --> 00:28:29.420 And yeah, if they'd like to talk to me, you can. 00:28:30.450 --> 00:28:33.009 Connect with me there. Connect with me on LinkedIn. 00:28:33.329 --> 00:28:36.650 Harlan Hammock on LinkedIn. And love to chat. 00:28:36.789 --> 00:28:40.609 Love to talk with you. Fantastic. Harlan, I can't 00:28:40.609 --> 00:28:42.529 wait to speak with you again. I'll speak with 00:28:42.529 --> 00:28:46.710 you soon. Awesome. Thanks, Michael. Well, hold 00:28:46.710 --> 00:28:49.589 on, folks. Don't go anywhere. Let me just read 00:28:49.589 --> 00:28:52.509 a few of our sponsors that we have. Struggling 00:28:52.509 --> 00:28:56.049 to reach success? Maybe it's time to quit. In 00:28:56.049 --> 00:28:59.900 Quit Your Way to Success. by Rodney Davis. 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Revved Up Kids is 00:29:40.730 --> 00:29:44.150 on a mission to protect children and teens from 00:29:44.150 --> 00:29:47.009 sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking. 00:29:47.250 --> 00:29:49.910 They provide prevention training programs for 00:29:49.910 --> 00:29:53.579 children. teens, and adults. To learn more, go 00:29:53.579 --> 00:29:58.440 to revvedupkids .org. That's R -E -V -V -E -D 00:29:58.440 --> 00:30:05.640 -U -P -K -I -D -S .org. Well, that's a wrap, 00:30:05.700 --> 00:30:08.559 folks. A huge thank you to our special guests 00:30:08.559 --> 00:30:11.900 for sharing such incredible insights today. And 00:30:11.900 --> 00:30:15.279 of course, a big shout out to you, our amazing 00:30:15.279 --> 00:30:18.220 listeners, for tuning in and spending your time 00:30:18.220 --> 00:30:22.109 with us. Remember, networking isn't about being 00:30:22.109 --> 00:30:25.430 perfect. It's about being present. So take what 00:30:25.430 --> 00:30:28.029 you've learned today, get out there, and make 00:30:28.029 --> 00:30:31.029 some meaningful connections. If you enjoyed this 00:30:31.029 --> 00:30:33.990 episode, don't forget to subscribe, leave us 00:30:33.990 --> 00:30:36.630 a review, and share it with someone who could 00:30:36.630 --> 00:30:39.930 use a little networking inspiration. Let's keep 00:30:39.930 --> 00:30:43.630 the conversation going. You can find me on Apple, 00:30:43.769 --> 00:30:48.089 Spotify, YouTube, or my website, Michael. Remember. 00:30:48.650 --> 00:30:52.029 Until next time, keep practicing, keep connecting, 00:30:52.150 --> 00:30:55.329 and keep building those relationships. This is 00:30:55.329 --> 00:30:58.309 Michael A. Foreman signing off. Take care and 00:30:58.309 --> 00:30:59.309 happy networking.