Welcome to another episode of Networking Unleashed,
building profitable connections, where we explore
the people, principles, and conversations that
move relationships and businesses forward. Today's
guest brings a perspective that's not just about
profit, but about protection, preparation, and
purpose. She's an expert in estate planning,
but don't let the legal title fool you. Her work
isn't about stuffy documents. It's about empowering
families, guiding small business owners, and
making sure our young adults enter the world
equipped to thrive both personally and legally.
We're diving into some of the most overlooked
conversations in both life and networking. Why
estate planning matters, even if you're not rich.
How to build trust -driven relationships in a
profession where connection is everything. And
how a servant -hearted approach to networking
doesn't just grow a business, it builds a legacy.
Whether you're a parent, a business owner, or
someone just trying to build smarter, stronger
relationships, this episode is packed with real
talk and real takeaways. And I would like to
introduce... I call her Dr. Kelly, but Dr. Kelly
King. I'd like to welcome you to the podcast
and give us a little bit about your background.
Thank you so much, Michael, for. Firstly, having
this venture, doing your podcast and giving people
an opportunity to chat about what's on their
hearts and what's important to them. But just
to share with you a little bit of my background,
I am a native New Yorker, born and raised in
New York. Yes, two thumbs up for that. And then
I went to school in New Hampshire. So I went
to Dartmouth College and then... the street and
went to the medical school. And I am, in terms
of all of the different titles, I am an obstetrician
gynecologist. So I love bringing life into the
world. I am a wife. I've been married for 20
years, celebrated our 20th year anniversary this
year. I am the mom of a 17 and 18 year old. And
I will go into a little bit of that in terms
of why it's important to be Thinking about them
right from the beginning, which was the estate
planning part for me, and now thinking about
them as they are young adults. And so I'm doing
some work to help parents like myself who are
having kids who are young adulting. Mom of two
dogs, a golden retriever and a labradoodle. So
those are just my backgrounds, but I'm also a
business owner. I've been in business. Working
in the legal services arena, helping small business
owners, families, employee groups have affordable
legal protection. That's something that's also
very dear to me, and I've been doing this now
for over 15 years. Hard to believe. You'd never
know by looking at you. Thank you. I just want
to say, because I am too a native New Yorker,
and I love talking to other native New Yorkers
who moved out of New York and into where we are
in Georgia. And I've been married almost 37 years.
Oh my goodness. Congratulations. You taught me,
but it's a good way to be. It's a good way. It's
a good way. Okay. Let's delve right into the
questions that I have prepared for you. Most
people think estate planning is just for the
wealthy. I'm sorry. Let's bust that myth. Why
is estate planning actually critical for every
family, regardless of net worth? I love that
question, Michael. And I'll just share with you
a little bit of my journey. My husband and I,
we got started doing estate planning actually
when I was pregnant. We had heard about estate
planning. I was really blessed to have parents
who had done estate planning. Both of my parents
did a will and they did a trust. And I will tell
you, when they passed away and they were not
rich by any... standard that we would think of
as rich. My mom was a registered nurse. My dad
worked for the New York Department of Transportation
for many decades. And so they would be, I would
say, comfortably middle class, right? So there
was no huge estate. But when they passed away,
for my family, for my sister and I, and then
for my stepbrothers, everything was clear. We
didn't have to argue. We didn't have to fight.
We knew where everything was. There was a sense
of peace and transparency at their passing. And
it was a beautiful thing that they left that
legacy for us, which wasn't millions of dollars,
but a legacy of having a family that was still
cohesive after the passing of my parents because
they had that plan in place. But for me, again,
I knew about it. It was always peripherally in
my head. This is something that I should do.
But both my husband and I are obstetricians and
gynecologists. And we knew that while Life is
beautiful. We also know that it's not guaranteed.
And so I wanted to have a plan in place that
had nothing to do initially with money. It had
everything to do with the fact that when my son
was born, I wanted a very clear plan about who
would raise him if for some reason my husband
and I were not going to be able to raise him,
right? We knew that a part of the will is also
appointing a guardian for your children if you
pass away and you cannot raise them. That was
the number one. one reason that we did a state
plan. It had nothing to do with money. Now that
being said, Everything that we worked hard for,
we wanted to clearly pass down to first my son
and then my daughter about a year and a half
later. We didn't want there to be confusion about
it. We knew particularly when they were young,
how would they know what we had and what to do
and where to go? So we wanted it to be clear.
Whether you have a lot of money or a little bit
of money, if you have someone you love and care
about, you should get estate planning done. Leave
the need for whether you need to have super estate
planning done for that later time. But everybody
18 and above should have a plan in place for
leaving, for making sure that the people that
they love know what they have and how they foresee
that those assets going. And particularly if
you have children under the age of 18, you need
to think of estate planning in terms of the guardianship
part of it. So twofold. I agree a thousand percent.
I used to think that just having a will was all
I needed. And it wasn't until later on that I
got a trust. My wife and I did a trust. And for
my two children, I understand the importance.
And it's like having a left and a right shoe.
You have one shoe on, but what about the other
shoe? And I think a will and a trust work together
just like that. Okay, so. What are some of the
biggest mistakes families make by waiting too
long to plan? And how can a simple conversation
now prevent major heartbreak later? Absolutely.
Another great question, Michael. I am a big believer
the best time to have these conversations is
when everyone is healthy, everyone is well. It
feels very... confrontational and uncomfortable
when the conversations happen when either two
things are happening. Someone is ill, they're
not doing well, or quite frankly, the conversation
never happened and it's too late. So the best
time to have these conversations is when everybody
is okay. It's less threatening. We're really
just talking about finances in our future. I
like to have people have conversations. Some
people are very direct when they're having a
conversation about estate planning and they'll
say, hey, this is what I envision at the time
of my passing and let's have a conversation about
it. Other times it's easier to start the conversation
when something has happened maybe to someone
else, maybe a neighbor. maybe a friend, maybe
you hear something on TV and you say, you know
what? That incident reminds me that you and I
need to have this conversation about what we
envision at our passing. Again, it's a very non
-threatening way to bring these things up before
it's too late. Now, I don't believe it's ever
too late. Even if someone is ill or you're ill,
it's still okay to bring up the conversation,
right? But at the same time, it's actually better
to bring it up before those critical moments
when it becomes a little bit more uncomfortable.
I got my first estate planning done again when,
actually I said when I was pregnant, we could
not leave something to my son until he was born.
So we had all of the paperwork ready to go. And
then as soon as, he was born, we were able to
put his name in as the beneficiary. And then
when my daughter was born, then of course it
became 50 -50. So we're pretty simple. It was
50 -50 split, but we had those conversations,
obviously, and my kids are now 17 and 18, well
before it needed to happen, but that's the best
time to do it. It is. I agree that you should
have that conversation when everybody's healthy,
when everybody is sound mind and that you can
discuss it rationally. It gets a little sticky
when somebody gets sick and that's where problems
begin. But you're right. It's never too late.
Never too late. OK, let's shift to networking.
How has building genuine relationships helped
you grow your estate planning business in a field
where trust is absolutely everything? Absolutely.
I will just say in general, networking is at
the core of building my business in general.
I have found that like many people, we all live
in a pool where people do something similar to
what you do. It is pretty rare to have a business
where what you do is the you're the only one
you're the. only one who created this thing,
right? As soon as you're the only one who creates
it, someone else is going to come along with
it anyway. So we all live in a world where there
are people who do something similar. And the
ability to network and to have relationships
with people is, in my opinion, the thing that
helps people to distinguish themselves within
a certain community. It's the way that people
can truly get to understand who you are. understand
what your passion is, and even understand your
business above that superficial understanding
of what it is that you do. So I feel like it's
one of the most efficient and effective ways
to create a unique voice around what you're doing
because then people get to know who you are uniquely
and not just what your business does. So I think
that sums it up for... Any part of someone who's
a business owner, networking should be on their
list of things to do to be able to grow their
business. I've said it a thousand times and I'll
probably say it a thousand more. I feel that
networking is the base of all businesses. And
if you don't do it correctly. You're leaving
money on the table, but you're leaving more.
You can do so much more for somebody else. And
we'll get into networking with a servant's heart
later on. But there is so much more that you
can do for somebody else than somebody can do
for you. And you have no pressure. You have no
pressure. It's doing good. And like I said, we'll
get to it later on the podcast. But that's a
beautiful way of looking at the networking. Estate
planning isn't just paperwork. It's deeply personal,
as you just shared. How do you network in a way
that builds the kind of trust required to talk
about life, death, and legacy? So that's a difficult
question. And so I think my role in networking
and introducing the concept of legal services
is more on that level. How are legal services
valuable to you? Now, I can only know that by
networking and getting to know that person. I
can't, I can assume. It is valuable to everybody,
right? And that's where I think people go wrong.
Let's say what I have is good for everyone and
they leave it at that. But you don't really know
what's truly good for people until you actually
get to know them at some level. And I think that's
where networking comes in. Now that I've had
an opportunity to know you, now that I have an
opportunity to know that you have underage children,
now that I have an opportunity to know that you
have adult children, you've got grandchildren,
that helps me. to really act as a consultant
to see how I can best serve them with the legal
services, whether it be estate planning part
of what my legal services offer or whether they
be a business owner and they're looking to trademark.
I can't know that until I have a relationship
with someone to know what their needs would be.
Otherwise, it's like what you feel like sometimes
when you go into a store, people are just trying
to sell you anything and everything, but they
don't really know what your needs are. So I think
that would be the way that I would put it as
you've got to understand people's needs to be
able to serve them. whether it be estate planning
or it be creating a website, right? That's not
what I do, but I'm just saying you have to know
what the person's needs are. And I think networking
gives you the opportunity to know what their
needs are. And it also builds in some ways, Michael,
that trust relationship, right? Because when
you know someone. you're going to trust that
they're going to be looking out for your best
interests. And I think that's a critical part
of both the conversation about estate planning
and legal services, because that's one part of
the legal services is estate planning, but also
that relationship with the other person. It bridges
those two things together. I always say before
the pandemic, which was only five years ago,
networking was very transactional. It's like,
what you do for me, what I can do for you, so
on and so forth. Ever since the pandemic, everybody
was shut in and everybody has to get out. And
now it's no longer building your customer base,
but a relationship base. And you have to build
that relationship with customers because once
you build a relationship, you have that person
for life. If your networking is just transactional,
your customer is your customer for as long as
you have that peace. And you no longer have that
relationship. So I feel what you're saying. Networking
is all relationships. And again, that's what
I live my life by. Okay, you've also made it
a mission to prepare young adults legally for
the real world. What are a few things most parents
don't know but absolutely should? I love that
question because I'm living that world right
now. So my son turned 18 in January and very
shortly after he turned 18, I remember receiving
something from the pediatrician's office about,
hey, you no longer have access to his information.
And there were a few other things, little reminders
that my baby was now an adult. And I will tell
you, I totally respect that our kids grow up.
And they do become adults and they should and
can make their own decisions. The question for
parents of young adults is if something catastrophic
happens and they're not in a position to make
medical decisions or to maintain their finances,
do you have the automatic right to step in? And
the answer is after 18, you don't. So what you
have to do, and we don't think about this, we
just assume I'm the mom, I'm the dad. Of course
I can step in, but legally you cannot. So you
want to have things set up ahead of time in collaboration
with your young adults that If this should happen
or if that should happen, we want it to be clear
to the courts, to the doctors, to the medical
authority that you are giving permission for
mom, dad, sister, brother, whomever it is that
you trust to step in and help you to make decisions
that perhaps you can't make at that time. There's
unfortunately situations that kids get into,
whether it be a car accident or some other type
of medical situation where they're not not able
to speak for themselves, who then steps in their
place. And so we think it's important, not we
think, I know it's important for parents and
for young adults to have these conversations
because mom and dad are not going to be automatic
anymore to talk about that medical power of attorney,
to talk about adorable power of attorney. When
my son went away to college, I was expecting
the tuition to come to me. And I was like, okay,
everything else has come, but the tuition didn't
come. And I was like, okay, let me call the school.
Turns out they said something that I thought
was profound. They said the tuition is his responsibility,
but as a parent, if you'd like to have access,
he has to sign a waiver. At first I was like,
yes. The tuition is his responsibility. And then
I was like, no, he can't pay the tuition. So
he had to sign that waiver to say that I can
step in and help assist him. Those sound like
small, but they're critical things. What they
are telling us as parents is he or she is responsible.
But we also need to be reminded that 18, 19,
20 year olds may not have the. financial ability
to be fully responsible. So you do need to have
some of these waivers put in place so that you
can come alongside your young adult, helping
to set them up for success and helping to be
by their side if you're needed. Again, I am very
careful that I want, we raise our children to
become independent, but we also understand it
doesn't happen right at that one date in time.
It's a transition. It's adulting. So that's part
of some of my things. I am actually doing some
webinars. We'll be talking about HIPAA, durable
power of attorney, medical power of attorney,
FERPA, all of these terms that maybe parents
of young adults don't know, or young adults don't
know themselves. Yeah, no, that's good. And really,
at the end of the podcast, I want you to give
me all of that. But let me continue. In your
experience, what are the best kinds of networking
environments for building long term, meaningful
business referrals, especially in a service based
profession like yours? That is a hard one, and
I'm going to answer it in part. I'm going to
say I participate in both what's called open
networking, things like your Chamber of Commerce's.
There's so many different open networking, and
open networking just simply means that there
may be. There may be multiple people in your
industry that are coming to the event. There's
not as many strict criteria for it. It's open.
You just come and read from it whatever you can
get. Now, I like open networking in the sense
that... You see a lot of new faces. You have
the ability to connect with a lot of new people.
But sometimes if you've been to open networking,
it can get a little bit transactional. People
come and maybe they don't understand how networking
really works. And they're just passing out business
cards and they're just sharing all of the information
about themselves, not understanding that it needs
to be a two -way street. Again, the benefit is
that it tends to be vibrant. It tends to be different
people coming in so you can get to know new people.
Now, I also participate in closed networking.
Closed just simply means that there's one seat
per industry. Some of the beauty of that is that
you're not competing within that space with someone
who does something very similar, exactly the
same as you. Closed networking tends to be very
intentional because Not that you are forced,
but you are monitored. I like to use that word
based on how many times you get together with
someone, how many referrals you pass out, attendance.
And those have that benefit. But sometimes that
can get a little stagnant for people. There's
not as many people coming and going. And both
of those have pluses and minuses. And I think
that people who intend to add networking to their
marketing strategy. or even their growth strategy
as a business owner, because I say networking
is not even always about the business you will
get. It should be about that. as the primary
reason. But sometimes we all need to grow as
business owners. And in networking events, when
I'm growing as a business owner, I'm learning
something. Someone is teaching me something.
I'm still benefiting, even if it wasn't directly
a client that I got. But going back to the question,
I think people, including myself, have to choose
which environment just feels right at its core.
And I've been in networking events where I just
felt at its core, it just did not fit for me.
Maybe it was very clicky or maybe it was people
who had been there a bazillion years and they
really weren't allowing new faces to come in
and to contribute. And then I've been in others
where, again, it was just. People are just buzzing
around, but they're not making true connections.
I feel that you should have your own criteria
for it. You should give it some time. You need
to come back several times to really find out
if it's the right event for you. But you need
to feel like at its core, you can both give and
receive. If you're in an event and you're not
willing to give and you might not be the right
person in that event, it might not be the event.
It just may not be that maybe that you're not
the right person in that event. But I think you
need to feel out which environment is good for
you. I agree about the open and closed networking.
And I also feel that everybody should actually
take part in. Both of them, because both of them
bring something else. I belong to a few networking
groups, one of which comes to mind. It's called
The Local Link. you know, happens to be founded
by yourself. And you've created a networking
group that really, I've seen it from 15 people
to about, I think, 60 people was our largest
one. It has really grown because people feel
the need that they need to go out and show what
they have. And quite honestly, about three quarters
of them. don't know how to network. They don't
know what to say, what to do. I hope last week
was a little opening for them so that they can
understand what true networking is. But it's
a skill that they have to get better at. And
the only way they can get better at or people
can get better is practice. You go out to different...
networking events, listen, the first time you
go out, you're going to suck. It's going to be
horrible. It's going to be so bad, but you just
take the good from it. The next time they get
a little bit better, a little bit better, a little
better. And after a while, you're going to say,
this is easy. This is a piece of cake and everybody's
going to do it. Okay. So what does a great networking
connection look like for you? And how do you
nurture those relationships beyond the handshake
or business card? Yeah, I'll start with the nurturing
part of it. So the nurturing part of it for me
means sitting down with people outside of the
networking event. Networking events are great
ways to make introductions for people to know
on a... high scale what you do, but the way to
really get to know about a person and for them
to get to know about you is after the networking
event. So if you've heard the term before, one
-to -ones, it just means After the event, let's
sit down for coffee. Let's sit down for a Zoom
and have a conversation where we can both go
into more details. And I feel like everybody
who does networking needs to have a plan in place
to do that. Again, it shouldn't be everybody
at the networking event. It should truly be you
choosing people that you feel like you can give
to them. and potentially receive for them. And
that falls into the second part of your question,
which is what do those people look like for you
or for me? And for me, it would be the best connections
are people who cannot just connect me directly
to themselves, which is that one -to -one interaction,
but people who have a client base, a family base.
or a PTA base where they can then connect me
to others who need my services. And I think that's
a really key takeaway too for people who network.
Please remember when you are networking with
someone, they're also networking with you. And
so if you approach people all the time, you need
my services, it can be something that kind of
really puts people back. on their feet. Whoa,
wait a second. I'm really just connecting to
get to know you or to see how I can pass referrals
your way. Now, sometimes that person really does
need your services. And as you're talking, they're
like, you know what? I needed that yesterday.
By all means, nothing wrong with that. But I
feel like what we should mostly be looking for
are people who can connect us to other people.
So for me, with estate planning, Financial advisors
are great connectors. Usually financial advisors
are advising people about the here and the now,
but they're also advising about the future and
the future that involves. involves them not being
there. So often they are referring people to
estate planning attorneys or other people who
can do those services. People who are in real
estate, real estate is also good because they're
dealing with families. And what do families have?
Kids. And those are things that might be on the
minds of families is, hey, I know you just bought
this amazing home. But I want to make sure you
speak to someone about making sure that your
legacy doesn't end with just purchasing the home.
Insurance agents, because people who are thinking
about insurance are thinking about protection.
People who are thinking about protection are
also good potential referral clients. So for
me, yes, that mom who has a kid in college is
a great connection. But more importantly, if
that mom who has a kid in college is a great
connection for my adulting, if they are connected
to other parents, if they're part of the PTA,
if they're part of the community where they can
say, hey, what Dr. Kelly's offering is a valuable
service, I want to spread the word or spread
referrals her way. That is honestly the best
way to build your business and for me to build
my business. the very easy way to think about
everything you just said, right? Because you
said not only, you can't think of it as you're
expanding your network. You have to change places
with the other person. You have to say, how can
I become part of their network? Because their
network involves. XYZ people. So you have to
be part of their network for them to refer you.
So just a little mindset change, but it's an
important one. Very important. I love that because
we all have a Rolodex of maybe 200 people that
dates me when I say a Rolodex, but you know what
I mean? I was just going to say that. But imagine
those. 200 people have 200 of their own. We've
now expanded our network. And I think maybe as
you were mentioning, Michael, prior to the pandemic,
we only thought about the 200 people. What can
you do for me? And I'm going to expand my network
one by one. But if we change and flip that concept
around to I'm expanding my network by being a
part of their network, now we've multiplied,
right? We haven't just added. Very true. But
it's a mindset. And if you can change that mindset,
not only the person who you're talking to, but
your mindset. And once everybody's mindset turns
to that relationship building, it goes on. The
referrals can be endless. Okay. You work with
both families and small business owners. What
do you wish more entrepreneurs understood about
protecting their business legally as part of
their overall planning? I will tell you, I started
this business mostly focusing on families. And
then when I was exposed to what our legal services
can do for small businesses, it became another
passion. It didn't replace, but it was an add
-on to that passion because at our core, most
small businesses employ people. And you don't
have to be a target. You can be just a regular
small business owner. And so if we can keep small
business owners, keep their doors open, then
we're helping everyone, whether we're talking
about the small business owner or their employees.
But I will say this, a lot of small business
owners think of their business as their baby
and they think of their product or their service
solely. But Think of it this way, your business
at its core is a legal entity that does A, B,
or C. It is a legal entity that does A, B, or
C. Everyone is focused on the A, B, and C, but
we have to also remember it's a legal entity.
And with that in mind, you have to be aware that
there are legal pros and legal cons, and you
need to be aware of those things. And so unfortunately,
I've heard so many stories of small business
owners going into business with the best of intentions,
and they're not. left and right by things that
they never expected to happen or they just didn't
think would happen, wouldn't happen to them.
Whether it be, oh my gosh, I did this amazing
construction project and then the person didn't
pay me. Or I've had story after story of people
starting with a web design company and then their
information was hijacked and the website never
got put up. Or the story of a business owner
who started her business and she took over another
business. There were employees that didn't like
her style. They quit. but then they wanted to
collect unemployment. She's a brand new small
business owner. This was not on her list of I
do A, B, or C. It was on the side that I'm a
legal entity and I need to be aware of what do
my contracts say? What do my documents say? What
if someone does something? Who do I go to as
a resource, as a small business owner, when quite
frankly, the big legal dollars are not there
yet? to defend themselves or to get questions
answered. And so our legal service package with
LegalShield Small Business Solution gives them
an affordable package to be able to ask questions,
get documents taken care of, get documents reviewed,
to trademark, to copyright. The list goes on,
but in short. It is a resource for small business
owners to have so that they can protect their
business, which in and of itself keeps them in
business. Unfortunately, today's day, it's a
very litigious society and everybody will sue
anybody at the drop of a hat. And the only thing
that. Your offering is protection because I don't
care who sues me, whatever. If I'm protected,
then I know that, okay, I'm going to live to
fight another day. If I don't have that protection,
I'm going to give all my resources and all my
energy to protecting myself. And I'm going to
forget about the business. It's very important
to become protected. Sorry, go ahead. Yeah. Can
I just share too, the best way to be. protected
just like in health care is ahead of time. Too
many small business owners think Oh, I don't
need to think about that until it becomes a problem.
That's the same concept of I won't think about
the heart attack until I have it. No, you want
to be proactive in your legal services, just
like you want to be proactive in your health
care. So that means before it becomes a problem,
before you sign the contract, before you sign
the document, when it's at the beginnings of
a problem, get the attorney involved so that
it's not catastrophic and it's not fatal. because
the cost then becomes too high for a small business
owner. Because you can go anywhere to get legal
services, but the fact is, depending on how many
dollars you have to protect yourself, it may
be something that causes you to be a little ill
or causes it to be fatal for your business. And
we don't want that situation. We want to make
sure we take care of it and keep you well. And
if you're getting just a little ill, we're right
there to try to nip it in the bud before it becomes
something catastrophic. I have to tell you, I've
been a Legal Shield member for 15 years. So I
know both sides of the equation. And it's just,
I call the legal representative, the attorney's
firm, probably once a month. So it's just a little
question because questions and answers all day
long, they're going to give you. But if I went,
I'm not going to tell you now, but The story
that I had about when I stayed in a hotel out
in Savannah, Georgia, they took care of my problem
like within a day. It was just all handled. So
I have the greatest admiration for LegalShield.
I think they're the best. Can you share a time
when a single networking connection created unexpected
momentum, either in your business or in a client's
life? I'll share with you how networking can.
go around in a circle. So you had mentioned that
during the pandemic, networking really changed,
right? And so I went from networking in person.
And honestly, my networking in person prior to
the pandemic wasn't overly effective, Michael.
So when you talk about it, we all need to understand
how to be effective networkers. And when the
pandemic happened, many of us went to online
networking. And I thought, oh my gosh, this is
the greatest thing ever. How convenient. I could
just put on a shirt. I can be bummy until the
moment that I get there. But what I found, Michael,
was that I was It was convenient, but it wasn't
as effective. It wasn't as effective because
there is just sometimes you need to shake a hand
and give a hug. And there's just something about
personal relationships. You need to feel the
vibe of the person. You need to feel the vibe
of the room. And when I shake hands with somebody
that I'm friendly with in business, we... Do
that small man hug. And we talk about anything
else but business because that's how you begin.
But you're absolutely right. Listen, even through
Zoom, right? I'm talking to you, but I have to
realize that you're a person. Yes. So 90 % of
the networking has to be the same, but I don't
have that feeling, that vibe. Yes. And that's
what's missing. So it's very important. Networking
is a very, I say it again, I'll say it again.
Networking is the base of all business and you
have to go out there and do it. Before I ask
you the last question, I know what you have done
in the past and I'm sure that all of it was not
rosy. So what mistakes have you made? Just give
me a general mistake. And how did you come out
of it? Just to finish off on what I had started
with networking prior to the pandemic, I literally
was one of those people that you mentioned was
transactional. Like I went into networking events
with me. Even if I wasn't saying it, I was really
acting it out, which was what can you do for
me and how much have you done for me lately?
And that's that song. We may not like to admit
it, but sometimes we come off like that. And
I had to take a step back and say, you know,
I think you used this word about being a servant
networker. Okay, if I'm going to a closed networking
event and I'm not willing to give, then there's
a problem because it has to come from me giving
first. And when I created the local link, I spend
more time thinking, and that's that intentionality,
thinking about how can I give to the people in
my local link community. So I would say the mistake
that I made in the beginning was thinking it
was all about me, even if I wasn't thinking.
It wasn't like my brain was saying that, but
I think my actions were saying that in some ways,
right? And so transforming that thinking was
a big deal for me. But also one of the things
that I'm also still currently working on, Michael,
because we're all in the process of growing,
is thinking it is a business. We want to give,
but we also need to be able to receive. And to
be able to communicate in a way where people
understand what we need to receive. And then
also working on closing, right? Because again,
it's a give and a take. We don't want people
to think. Oh, it's all about giving and I'm just
here to spread the love. There is, you want that
to be a part of the core, but you also want it
to be fruitful time. And I think that's one of
the things that you're helping people to do when
you're talking about the art of networking is
you want it to be the give and the receive and
to have that time be fruitful. And it wasn't
always fruitful in the beginning. That's very
true and realistic. I use, I would say, a line,
but I don't want to make it seem as though it's
just a line. But when I'm having a one -on -one
with somebody, and before I even discuss what
I do for a living, I look at them and I say,
look, I like you. I like the way you do business.
I like what you do. But how can I make you more
successful? How can I be a good referral source
for you? And it usually blows them away. Michael,
you haven't even said what you do yet. And you're
already trying to help me. I said, that's the
whole idea. I am here to help you get business,
to help you become more successful. And listen,
if you could do it for me also, that's fine.
That's not my goal. And that's how it should
all begin. Okay. You ready? If someone listening
today. wants to begin both protecting their family
and building their network with intention, what's
the first conversation they should start tomorrow?
Say that again for me, Michael, because it was
a big question. If someone listening today wants
to begin both protecting their family and building
their network with intention, what's the first
conversation they should start tomorrow? If they're
local, I would love to invite them out to the
local link where they can both, one, connect
with me as well as build their own business community.
We are in the Johns Creek area for where we are
networking at the local link. People can also
reach out to me directly. And I don't know if
you'll be able to post my contact information
in the podcast. Yeah. So the best way to reach
me is via email. It's Kelly. It's Kelly at AskDrKelly
.com. I had to think about that. I also have
a website, but the website is not the best way
to reach out to me. The best way to reach out
to me is either by phone. My direct number is
678 -563 -1500. We'll put everything in the...
some way that you can link up to me or email
me. The website is really meant for after we've
had a conversation and we're making a decision
about what would be the best choices for you.
So really reach me directly because that's how
I work is having conversations with people, understanding
what their best needs are, whether it be for
the legal services or what their needs are as
a small business owner to see if I can connect
them with a networking event that might work
for them. The best way to check out for a networking
event, go to meetup .com, meetup .com, eventbrite
.com. You can check out all the local links.
But if you're in the Johns Creek, Cumming, Alpharetta,
even Gwinnett County, if you're around the area,
check out the local link with Dr. Kelly, because
I've been a member for, I think, two months now.
Yes. And I've enjoyed it. I want to tell you
that this was a fun and fantastic podcast. And
do you have any last words of wisdom? My last
words of wisdom is be true to yourself as a business
owner. Know what makes you passionate and be
able to share that passion to others. People
will gravitate towards you because they feel
from you that you care about them because you
care about what you do. Very good. I want to
thank you again for coming on the podcast, and
I look forward to talking to you soon. Awesome.
Thank you so much, Michael. So glad to be here
and also glad to be able to hopefully serve your
community. Well, hold on, folks. Don't go anywhere.
Let's hear from our sponsors. David Neal, co
-founder, Revved Up Kids. Revved Up Kids is on
a mission to protect children and teens from
sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking.
They provide prevention training programs for
children, teens, and adults. To learn more, go
to revvedupkids .org. Henry Kaplan, Century 21.
When it comes to making the biggest financial
decision of your life, leave it in the hands
of a proven professional, Henry Kaplan. Henry
is a global real estate agent with Century 21,
celebrating his 41st year in business. No matter
where you're moving, Henry has the right connections
for you. You can contact Henry at 561 -427 -4888.
A huge thank you to our guests for sharing such...
insights today. And of course, a big shout out
to you, our amazing listeners, for tuning in
and spending your time with us. If you're interested
in my digital courses, being coached or having
me come and talk to your company, just go to
Michael and fill out the request form. 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've enjoyed this episode, please 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, Pandora, YouTube,
or my website, foreman .com slash podcasts.