WEBVTT 00:00:16.879 --> 00:00:20.199 Welcome to Networking Unleashed, Building Profitable 00:00:20.199 --> 00:00:23.460 Connections, the place where real people, real 00:00:23.460 --> 00:00:27.780 stories, and real relationships create real opportunity. 00:00:28.199 --> 00:00:31.620 I'm your host, Michael Foreman, and today's episode 00:00:31.620 --> 00:00:35.520 is special. I'm joined by two sisters who bring 00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:38.960 personal growth, resilience, and practical wisdom 00:00:38.960 --> 00:00:42.820 straight to the entrepreneurial journey. They've 00:00:42.820 --> 00:00:45.859 built together, grown together, and faced challenges 00:00:45.859 --> 00:00:49.500 head -on using connection, trust, and honest 00:00:49.500 --> 00:00:53.299 conversation as fuel. We're digging into how 00:00:53.299 --> 00:00:57.179 relationships shape resilience, how growth happens 00:00:57.179 --> 00:01:00.840 faster when you don't go it alone, and how entrepreneurs 00:01:00.840 --> 00:01:04.840 can build circles that support when things get 00:01:04.840 --> 00:01:08.340 tough, not just when things look good. If you've 00:01:08.340 --> 00:01:13.000 ever felt stuck, isolated, or unsure who should 00:01:13.000 --> 00:01:15.780 be in your corner as you grow, this conversation 00:01:15.780 --> 00:01:20.019 is for you. I'd like to welcome to the podcast 00:01:20.019 --> 00:01:23.719 Andy and Danielle. Each of them will introduce 00:01:23.719 --> 00:01:26.859 themselves, but I want you guys to give me a 00:01:26.859 --> 00:01:29.859 little bit of a backstory, a little bit of how 00:01:29.859 --> 00:01:34.299 you got here, what you told me, what you went 00:01:34.299 --> 00:01:37.420 through, but give me a general overview, and 00:01:37.420 --> 00:01:40.609 then we can start. Sure. Thank you for having 00:01:40.609 --> 00:01:43.090 us. As you mentioned, Andy and I are sisters. 00:01:43.329 --> 00:01:47.390 And so our dad owned a delivery same day delivery 00:01:47.390 --> 00:01:52.670 company. And we took over in 2012, about a year 00:01:52.670 --> 00:01:56.150 after he was diagnosed with cancer. So at the 00:01:56.150 --> 00:01:59.390 time, I was home raising three young children. 00:01:59.430 --> 00:02:03.109 And Andy was at her dream job in New York at 00:02:03.109 --> 00:02:06.480 the NHL. And it's just us. There's no other siblings. 00:02:06.599 --> 00:02:08.979 And so we made the decision, OK, we're going 00:02:08.979 --> 00:02:11.099 to come back to the or really go into the family 00:02:11.099 --> 00:02:15.240 business with little to zero experience. About 00:02:15.240 --> 00:02:18.400 a week, about a couple of weeks after we buried 00:02:18.400 --> 00:02:20.879 our dad, we had a longtime employee take the 00:02:20.879 --> 00:02:24.419 top three customers. And so at that point, it 00:02:24.419 --> 00:02:27.659 was really. Is there even a business anymore? 00:02:27.939 --> 00:02:31.219 And so the decision, we kept going with the decision 00:02:31.219 --> 00:02:33.659 to come back, but really we were in for the fight 00:02:33.659 --> 00:02:39.159 of our lives. I'm sure. Andy, you want to add 00:02:39.159 --> 00:02:42.759 anything to that? No, that really sets the stage. 00:02:42.939 --> 00:02:46.319 I think the biggest thing was we had little jobs 00:02:46.319 --> 00:02:48.139 here and there throughout our early years, college 00:02:48.139 --> 00:02:50.659 years, stuff like that, but nothing to do with 00:02:50.659 --> 00:02:53.120 running the business at all. So we were coming 00:02:53.120 --> 00:02:58.560 in very green. Bold. Yes. OK, I'm sure. OK, so 00:02:58.560 --> 00:03:03.199 your sisters and business partners, how has growing 00:03:03.199 --> 00:03:06.259 up together shaped the way you build trust and 00:03:06.259 --> 00:03:10.379 connection with others in business? Oh, that's 00:03:10.379 --> 00:03:13.419 a good question. I think it's all about trust. 00:03:13.479 --> 00:03:16.699 And really, it's just I think we had to trust 00:03:16.699 --> 00:03:19.419 each other first and foremost that it was going 00:03:19.419 --> 00:03:24.180 to be OK. And then we trickle that to our clients 00:03:24.180 --> 00:03:27.340 and our customers. We learned early on that they 00:03:27.340 --> 00:03:29.979 needed to trust us and that we needed to say 00:03:29.979 --> 00:03:32.659 that we could do things that we knew we really 00:03:32.659 --> 00:03:35.039 could and that we were honest with them. And 00:03:35.039 --> 00:03:37.599 whether that meant, no, we can't take on that 00:03:37.599 --> 00:03:39.919 work right now because we just don't think we 00:03:39.919 --> 00:03:41.860 could do a really good job at that. Just really 00:03:41.860 --> 00:03:43.379 about being honest, whether we're going to be 00:03:43.379 --> 00:03:46.199 late on a delivery, all the things. But I just 00:03:46.199 --> 00:03:50.020 think trust was a big thing. I don't think. we 00:03:50.020 --> 00:03:52.280 really didn't trust there wasn't a moment we 00:03:52.280 --> 00:03:55.080 never trusted each other yeah and I think as 00:03:55.080 --> 00:03:58.159 sisters growing up in a house that was encouraged 00:03:58.159 --> 00:04:02.000 just honesty but we it was just the four of us 00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:03.659 it was our mom our dad and Danielle and I and 00:04:03.659 --> 00:04:06.400 so communication was everything we weren't afraid 00:04:06.400 --> 00:04:09.139 to say how we felt it was welcomed and it was 00:04:09.139 --> 00:04:12.349 expected and so I think That's just who we are. 00:04:12.469 --> 00:04:14.330 So when we came to the business, it was like, 00:04:14.349 --> 00:04:15.849 we're not going to pretend to be something we're 00:04:15.849 --> 00:04:17.370 not. And we're not going to say things that we 00:04:17.370 --> 00:04:19.829 don't mean because that is not, it was, it's 00:04:19.829 --> 00:04:22.009 just not in our DNA. And I think that carried 00:04:22.009 --> 00:04:24.810 a lot of weight. It was very helpful too. Yeah, 00:04:24.850 --> 00:04:28.209 I'm sure, you know, in the networking and communication 00:04:28.209 --> 00:04:33.209 world, trust is such a major factor. And there's 00:04:33.209 --> 00:04:36.250 a mantra. If they know you, if they like you 00:04:36.250 --> 00:04:38.610 and they trust you, they'll do business with 00:04:38.610 --> 00:04:42.079 you. So now. Everybody knows you. You're the 00:04:42.079 --> 00:04:44.920 daughters so that everybody knew you. Everybody 00:04:44.920 --> 00:04:48.060 likes you. But let's narrow down the scope a 00:04:48.060 --> 00:04:50.980 little bit because everybody won't like you. 00:04:51.139 --> 00:04:55.160 But trust is such a major factor. And the fact 00:04:55.160 --> 00:04:58.759 that you two can trust one another puts you a 00:04:58.759 --> 00:05:02.879 step ahead of just another two people going into 00:05:02.879 --> 00:05:06.480 business. Owned many businesses, brick and mortar. 00:05:07.149 --> 00:05:10.829 From pizzerias to restaurants to ice cream stores. 00:05:11.149 --> 00:05:14.009 It's great. I was in it with my two brothers. 00:05:14.490 --> 00:05:19.430 So we had that immediate trust factor. And that 00:05:19.430 --> 00:05:24.509 helped us along. Okay. Entrepreneurship tests 00:05:24.509 --> 00:05:29.529 resilience fast. When setbacks hit, how did your 00:05:29.529 --> 00:05:32.990 relationships help you recover faster or see 00:05:32.990 --> 00:05:36.839 options you couldn't see alone? I mean, I think 00:05:36.839 --> 00:05:38.959 our relationship was everything. And I think 00:05:38.959 --> 00:05:43.699 we, that's how I think we got through all the 00:05:43.699 --> 00:05:47.240 obstacles was together. I don't think one of 00:05:47.240 --> 00:05:49.160 us could have done this alone. I'll speak for 00:05:49.160 --> 00:05:52.060 myself. There's no shot in the world. I would 00:05:52.060 --> 00:05:55.339 have or could have done this by myself or with 00:05:55.339 --> 00:05:57.860 even anybody else in business, anyone that even 00:05:57.860 --> 00:06:00.180 stayed. I think it had to be Andy. It had to 00:06:00.180 --> 00:06:03.079 be the two of us. We had to figure this out from 00:06:03.079 --> 00:06:06.060 the beginning alone with each other. I just think 00:06:06.060 --> 00:06:08.699 that's how we grew and that's how the business 00:06:08.699 --> 00:06:13.379 grew. Yeah, and we often say to each other, my 00:06:13.379 --> 00:06:15.540 weaknesses are Danielle's strengths and vice 00:06:15.540 --> 00:06:19.360 versa. And so that's huge. And we knew what they 00:06:19.360 --> 00:06:21.160 are. We know what they are. We're sisters. But 00:06:21.160 --> 00:06:23.379 in business, you learn it too. And you can see 00:06:23.379 --> 00:06:26.300 it pretty clearly. It's a beautiful thing to 00:06:26.300 --> 00:06:29.639 have as well. That's a major step. If you know 00:06:29.639 --> 00:06:33.860 your weaknesses, your strengths are very valuable. 00:06:34.180 --> 00:06:37.339 But your weaknesses, that's where the business 00:06:37.339 --> 00:06:40.879 can fall apart. If you two can pick up one another, 00:06:41.220 --> 00:06:45.459 then again, you're a step ahead. Now put your 00:06:45.459 --> 00:06:49.579 two steps ahead. So you went into it with that, 00:06:49.660 --> 00:06:51.959 I don't know about the financial aspect or anything 00:06:51.959 --> 00:06:56.519 else like that, but as personnel goes, you already 00:06:56.519 --> 00:07:01.579 have a symbiont, a togetherness that no other 00:07:01.579 --> 00:07:05.339 two people can have other than sisters. Okay, 00:07:05.379 --> 00:07:08.939 so many entrepreneurs focus on skills before 00:07:08.939 --> 00:07:12.699 people. At what point did you realize relationships 00:07:12.699 --> 00:07:17.660 were the real accelerant for growth? Day one. 00:07:18.560 --> 00:07:25.680 There was no skills. We did not have the skills 00:07:25.680 --> 00:07:28.639 to do what we did, but we knew how to treat people. 00:07:28.860 --> 00:07:32.220 And we knew how to be vulnerable and ask for 00:07:32.220 --> 00:07:34.759 help with the team that was there. And we knew 00:07:34.759 --> 00:07:37.300 we couldn't come in and say, this is what we 00:07:37.300 --> 00:07:40.339 want to do. Not that we really had an idea, but 00:07:40.339 --> 00:07:42.160 we knew that we had to earn the trust of the 00:07:42.160 --> 00:07:46.540 team and learn. From day one, we knew that people 00:07:46.540 --> 00:07:49.040 and how we treated people was the foundation 00:07:49.040 --> 00:07:52.959 of that company. So I realized that, and that's 00:07:52.959 --> 00:07:56.740 true in any business, that is the way you treat 00:07:56.740 --> 00:08:00.800 your customers or other personnel is how you 00:08:00.800 --> 00:08:03.839 start your business. What was your learning curve 00:08:03.839 --> 00:08:09.740 for your business? It was, it couldn't be more 00:08:09.740 --> 00:08:12.860 steep. It was everything. Like we joke, we didn't 00:08:12.860 --> 00:08:14.180 know what a PNL was. I didn't even know what 00:08:14.180 --> 00:08:18.480 it stood for. Everything. The only thing that 00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:21.360 we knew how to do, we had people skills. That's 00:08:21.360 --> 00:08:23.920 it. And so two people had stayed on when our 00:08:23.920 --> 00:08:26.399 dad passed. And I didn't feel like we're still 00:08:26.399 --> 00:08:29.660 learning their trust. It's been 13 years, but 00:08:29.660 --> 00:08:34.220 it was just relying on them and learning as you 00:08:34.220 --> 00:08:36.559 go and making mistakes. And it's okay to make 00:08:36.559 --> 00:08:38.940 mistakes. And it's, okay to not know anything 00:08:38.940 --> 00:08:41.259 we didn't know anything just getting comfortable 00:08:41.259 --> 00:08:43.580 with that and knowing you can learn as you go 00:08:43.580 --> 00:08:49.500 suppose those two employees had to be that trustworthy 00:08:49.500 --> 00:08:53.679 in order for them for you to because it would 00:08:53.679 --> 00:08:56.779 have been very easy for them to lead you astray 00:08:56.779 --> 00:09:01.730 oh yes or leave Or secure their own future and 00:09:01.730 --> 00:09:04.929 say, this is unstable and I need to, and we wouldn't 00:09:04.929 --> 00:09:07.289 have faulted them for that. It was such rocky 00:09:07.289 --> 00:09:10.289 times that I would have understood that decision 00:09:10.289 --> 00:09:13.889 too. But for some reason, they really, I think 00:09:13.889 --> 00:09:16.009 because of our dad and the history of the company, 00:09:16.009 --> 00:09:19.149 they stayed and they learned to trust us. It 00:09:19.149 --> 00:09:21.809 took a while, but our faith was in them really 00:09:21.809 --> 00:09:23.730 from day one. A hundred percent. And I think 00:09:23.730 --> 00:09:25.610 they might've just, they trusted the company, 00:09:25.750 --> 00:09:29.009 but what we were doing and. It had been, it's 00:09:29.009 --> 00:09:30.950 been around since 81 and they had been there 00:09:30.950 --> 00:09:35.190 for a long time. So I, maybe they, yeah. Thank 00:09:35.190 --> 00:09:36.809 God they stayed because we wouldn't be there. 00:09:37.110 --> 00:09:39.889 They felt a little, they felt loyalty to you 00:09:39.889 --> 00:09:41.809 because of your dad? I think to the company. 00:09:42.009 --> 00:09:44.769 Yeah. Yeah. To the company and our dad. Yeah. 00:09:45.809 --> 00:09:50.309 Okay. Okay. What's one hard moment in your journey 00:09:50.309 --> 00:09:54.450 where a single conversation or connection changed 00:09:54.450 --> 00:09:58.149 the direction of your business? I don't know 00:09:58.149 --> 00:09:59.769 if it was a hard and we might have different 00:09:59.769 --> 00:10:02.450 answers, a hard conversation, but we needed a 00:10:02.450 --> 00:10:07.289 line of credit desperately. And we had many banks 00:10:07.289 --> 00:10:10.129 turn us down. And that wasn't easy hearing no 00:10:10.129 --> 00:10:14.289 and no. We actually can't extend you a line of 00:10:14.289 --> 00:10:17.450 credit right now for X, Y, Z. But the turning 00:10:17.450 --> 00:10:20.830 point in the company was when a bank said yes, 00:10:21.029 --> 00:10:23.509 Boston Private at the time. And we're still with 00:10:23.509 --> 00:10:26.850 them. They're now first citizens. But that moment. 00:10:27.370 --> 00:10:29.470 changed the course of the company. That allowed 00:10:29.470 --> 00:10:32.009 us some breathing room and that allowed us to 00:10:32.009 --> 00:10:35.669 scale. And without that line of credit, we wouldn't 00:10:35.669 --> 00:10:37.870 have grown the way that we are. We still continue 00:10:37.870 --> 00:10:40.450 to do. So that was a pivotal moment for Express 00:10:40.450 --> 00:10:44.190 It. Yeah, I agree with that. Yeah. That's exactly 00:10:44.190 --> 00:10:47.549 what I was looking for. As sisters, you bring 00:10:47.549 --> 00:10:50.590 different strengths to the table. How do those 00:10:50.590 --> 00:10:54.429 differences show up in a way that you network 00:10:54.429 --> 00:10:58.769 and build opportunity? I don't know. I think, 00:10:58.889 --> 00:11:01.649 I don't know how to answer that. To build networking 00:11:01.649 --> 00:11:04.730 opportunity. I think we're a good, I think we're 00:11:04.730 --> 00:11:07.629 a good duo in networking. Yes. In networking 00:11:07.629 --> 00:11:11.029 environments. Yes. So if we could be, that's 00:11:11.029 --> 00:11:12.289 where our strengths and weaknesses come out. 00:11:12.350 --> 00:11:14.929 So we could talk about business or maybe I'm 00:11:14.929 --> 00:11:17.009 a little shy, Danielle gets her going. So I think 00:11:17.009 --> 00:11:19.529 it's more of the personalities come out and we're 00:11:19.529 --> 00:11:23.210 very different. So I think that helps. Is that? 00:11:23.309 --> 00:11:28.340 How are you networking right now? we could be 00:11:28.340 --> 00:11:31.139 better at it yeah we talk about this all the 00:11:31.139 --> 00:11:34.740 time we we could be a lot better i would rate 00:11:34.740 --> 00:11:39.320 us a c like maybe a b minus a c we go in with 00:11:39.320 --> 00:11:42.100 really high hopes and then we go in we get in 00:11:42.100 --> 00:11:45.519 there and sometimes we freeze sometimes we're 00:11:45.519 --> 00:11:47.600 not assertive to go over to a group of people 00:11:47.600 --> 00:11:50.519 and say oh i'm danielle this is andy we don't 00:11:50.519 --> 00:11:52.519 express it like we'll never do we just can't 00:11:52.519 --> 00:11:56.179 do that that's just not in our DNA, but we try, 00:11:56.220 --> 00:11:59.259 we try. We go to the events. We're invited to 00:11:59.259 --> 00:12:04.059 say yes. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I asked you that it 00:12:04.059 --> 00:12:06.840 wasn't even on my list of questions just because 00:12:06.840 --> 00:12:10.019 that's what I do coach people such as yourselves 00:12:10.019 --> 00:12:13.019 on how to do that. So I'm always interested to 00:12:13.019 --> 00:12:16.259 find out how somebody who has been in business 00:12:16.259 --> 00:12:18.779 for such a long time, how they're networking 00:12:18.779 --> 00:12:23.740 right now to secure their future. So I'm just 00:12:23.740 --> 00:12:27.059 trying to gauge that just a little bit. Is there 00:12:27.059 --> 00:12:32.259 a chamber of commerce where you are? Yeah. Yeah. 00:12:32.320 --> 00:12:34.399 So we're based, Danielle and I are based out 00:12:34.399 --> 00:12:37.480 of Boston, just south of it. And so that is something 00:12:37.480 --> 00:12:39.799 we've been members of different things such as 00:12:39.799 --> 00:12:41.700 that before. We haven't really taken advantage 00:12:41.700 --> 00:12:45.500 of it. I think now being 13 years in, I think 00:12:45.500 --> 00:12:47.809 we'd probably be more confident. joining a group 00:12:47.809 --> 00:12:49.789 like that. We'd be able to speak to it. I think 00:12:49.789 --> 00:12:51.490 in the early days, we didn't know what to say. 00:12:51.649 --> 00:12:53.149 We didn't even know what we were selling. So 00:12:53.149 --> 00:12:54.850 it was like, we're going to go to these events. 00:12:54.950 --> 00:12:59.190 It was scary. I've done BNI groups that was networking, 00:12:59.389 --> 00:13:02.149 but that was more like professional kind of growth, 00:13:02.330 --> 00:13:04.870 just being able to talk in front of people. So 00:13:04.870 --> 00:13:06.509 I think at this point, we're just leveraging 00:13:06.509 --> 00:13:08.929 our network, right? Our bank introduces us to 00:13:08.929 --> 00:13:11.129 people they think, so we'll go to lunch and just 00:13:11.129 --> 00:13:14.730 like the basics of the basics. That's where we're 00:13:14.730 --> 00:13:19.500 at. Okay. Okay. For entrepreneurs feeling isolated, 00:13:19.860 --> 00:13:23.600 what's the first step to reconnecting without 00:13:23.600 --> 00:13:29.879 feeling awkward, needy, or out of sync? I think 00:13:29.879 --> 00:13:37.220 find someone else you can help. Or find someone 00:13:37.220 --> 00:13:40.080 that you want to learn from. Because I think 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:43.059 either way, if you can help someone, you feel 00:13:43.059 --> 00:13:45.659 good, and I think you feel less isolated. People 00:13:45.659 --> 00:13:48.000 love to share their knowledge and find a mentor 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:50.840 or become a mentor. That would be, I don't know. 00:13:50.919 --> 00:13:53.600 That's just fine. Yeah. I was going to say, find 00:13:53.600 --> 00:13:55.980 people in your industry too. Some of the best 00:13:55.980 --> 00:13:58.960 conversations we have are people like us, founders 00:13:58.960 --> 00:14:02.399 of same day delivery that we get to have conversations 00:14:02.399 --> 00:14:04.360 with them. What's your pain point? What's insurance? 00:14:04.679 --> 00:14:06.919 What's yours? Things like that. So maybe find 00:14:06.919 --> 00:14:09.409 people. that are doing the same sort of job. 00:14:09.529 --> 00:14:11.610 People want to help each other. It's not like 00:14:11.610 --> 00:14:14.409 cutthroat competitive. Most people are good and 00:14:14.409 --> 00:14:18.029 want to help each other. That's very true. When 00:14:18.029 --> 00:14:22.190 you go into a networking event, you go in with 00:14:22.190 --> 00:14:26.490 what's called a servant's heart. You go in looking 00:14:26.490 --> 00:14:31.429 to give instead of receive. So if you go in to 00:14:31.429 --> 00:14:35.299 a networking event, with a servant's heart. You 00:14:35.299 --> 00:14:38.379 can really, you get the best out of people because 00:14:38.379 --> 00:14:41.840 you're looking to help them. The same way as 00:14:41.840 --> 00:14:45.659 I connect people on LinkedIn. If you want, you 00:14:45.659 --> 00:14:47.720 reach out to, you're looking for somebody within 00:14:47.720 --> 00:14:50.340 your industry, somebody that you really want 00:14:50.340 --> 00:14:54.580 to connect with. You connect with them and ask 00:14:54.580 --> 00:14:57.779 them, say, do you have 15 minutes? Can I bounce 00:14:57.779 --> 00:14:59.919 some things off of you? They'll be more than 00:14:59.919 --> 00:15:03.100 happy to say, sure. how busy they are, because 00:15:03.100 --> 00:15:06.200 they love to talk about a they love to talk about 00:15:06.200 --> 00:15:09.019 themselves and what they've accomplished. But 00:15:09.019 --> 00:15:13.460 they love to pass on the information to somebody 00:15:13.460 --> 00:15:16.480 else. And you get the information, but it makes 00:15:16.480 --> 00:15:20.559 them feel so good. Yeah. Okay, so resilience 00:15:20.559 --> 00:15:25.659 isn't just a mindset. It's community. How do 00:15:25.659 --> 00:15:28.779 you intentionally build relationships that support 00:15:28.779 --> 00:15:33.970 you during pressure? not just wins. For us, it's 00:15:33.970 --> 00:15:37.230 family. I think that our number one supporters 00:15:37.230 --> 00:15:41.269 during the most difficult times, and we've had 00:15:41.269 --> 00:15:45.289 many, has been the family. Our mother, our significant 00:15:45.289 --> 00:15:48.809 others, just our extended family. But the people 00:15:48.809 --> 00:15:53.409 that are there for you in the tough times, even 00:15:53.409 --> 00:15:56.889 more than the wins. So that's it for us. Me, 00:15:57.009 --> 00:15:59.710 anyways, I would say our family has been. You 00:15:59.710 --> 00:16:01.889 just need one person who believes in you, but 00:16:01.889 --> 00:16:06.509 can also be there for you. And I think our partnerships 00:16:06.509 --> 00:16:10.090 like with the bank and with our accounting team, 00:16:10.169 --> 00:16:13.669 things that we outsource that we've been, we're 00:16:13.669 --> 00:16:15.610 pretty loyal. So like these partnerships are 00:16:15.610 --> 00:16:18.129 really, I've been around for since we took over. 00:16:18.450 --> 00:16:20.730 So I think that's important to someone that understands 00:16:20.730 --> 00:16:22.830 your business, understands how you work. And 00:16:22.830 --> 00:16:24.350 they're, they're the ones that you're calling 00:16:24.350 --> 00:16:26.549 when you do need support in the business and 00:16:26.549 --> 00:16:30.440 things are going sideways. If you can, even when 00:16:30.440 --> 00:16:33.559 you go to these networking events, you look for 00:16:33.559 --> 00:16:38.659 that support. So if you have somebody that is 00:16:38.659 --> 00:16:41.759 a little bit more of an extrovert than an introvert, 00:16:41.860 --> 00:16:44.779 who's a little bit more gregarious. Now, the 00:16:44.779 --> 00:16:49.159 two of you are great to speak with because it's 00:16:49.159 --> 00:16:52.000 just the three of us right now. But put you into 00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:55.590 a large room. With a lot of people, it's, ooh, 00:16:55.590 --> 00:17:00.230 no. So you have that one person who is very supportive, 00:17:00.370 --> 00:17:04.170 who knows you inside and out, knows your business 00:17:04.170 --> 00:17:07.589 inside and out, and take them with you. Yeah. 00:17:08.130 --> 00:17:11.890 When you walk up to that table of people that's 00:17:11.890 --> 00:17:15.450 talking, the first thing you do is you're listening. 00:17:15.630 --> 00:17:19.329 You listen for the conversation. Is this a conversation 00:17:19.329 --> 00:17:23.279 that you want to be a part of? If it is, that's 00:17:23.279 --> 00:17:27.359 great. But you're still not going to blurt out 00:17:27.359 --> 00:17:30.119 what you want to say. But that person that you 00:17:30.119 --> 00:17:32.819 brought with you can say, oh, wait a second. 00:17:32.880 --> 00:17:35.559 You know what? Danielle knows a lot about that. 00:17:35.599 --> 00:17:37.460 Danielle, why don't you tell us a bit about that? 00:17:37.759 --> 00:17:40.960 And that kind of gives you an in for that. So 00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:42.960 that's just a little tidbit as we're going along. 00:17:43.640 --> 00:17:48.119 Okay. What practical habit helped you turn inspiration 00:17:48.119 --> 00:17:52.660 into action when it came to staying visible and 00:17:52.660 --> 00:17:57.420 connected? Do you have one? No. I don't know. 00:17:57.460 --> 00:18:01.119 That's a tricky one. Yeah. You don't have one? 00:18:01.259 --> 00:18:05.279 Can you repeat it again? What practical habit 00:18:05.279 --> 00:18:10.039 helped you turn inspiration into action when 00:18:10.039 --> 00:18:13.890 it came to staying visible and connected? You're 00:18:13.890 --> 00:18:16.329 going to have something that you do every day. 00:18:17.009 --> 00:18:20.690 You mean personally or in the business? Generally 00:18:20.690 --> 00:18:23.130 say business because that's what this is all 00:18:23.130 --> 00:18:26.190 about. But it could be personal. But because 00:18:26.190 --> 00:18:30.009 if it helped you personally, it's going to help 00:18:30.009 --> 00:18:34.329 you in business. Yeah, I'm not sure. Other than 00:18:34.329 --> 00:18:37.990 gratitude, I'm not sure. Yeah. Okay. All right. 00:18:38.009 --> 00:18:41.410 We'll move on to the next question. How do you 00:18:41.410 --> 00:18:44.490 spot relationships that help you grow versus 00:18:44.490 --> 00:18:48.529 ones that quietly drain energy and momentum? 00:18:49.849 --> 00:18:55.089 Oh, it's instantaneous. It's almost like, for 00:18:55.089 --> 00:18:58.390 me, we're very good at reading that, whether 00:18:58.390 --> 00:19:02.089 someone is our energy, the energy that we live 00:19:02.089 --> 00:19:05.849 in. And I think that's probably easier for us, 00:19:05.869 --> 00:19:10.460 I think, anyways. to spot now. We've had a couple 00:19:10.460 --> 00:19:15.660 hard lessons learned, but yeah. Yeah. And I think 00:19:15.660 --> 00:19:18.960 even the challenging ones help you grow because 00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:21.000 then, so I think that those are just as important. 00:19:22.039 --> 00:19:26.180 Actually, those are much more important than 00:19:26.180 --> 00:19:29.140 the easier people to work with. Just like your 00:19:29.140 --> 00:19:31.900 failures, you learn more about your failures 00:19:31.900 --> 00:19:36.299 than your successes. So I've been in business 00:19:36.299 --> 00:19:41.750 for 40 years. And I can tell when somebody is 00:19:41.750 --> 00:19:46.250 just trying to yes me to death or they're actually 00:19:46.250 --> 00:19:49.670 giving me input. And the people that yes me to 00:19:49.670 --> 00:19:52.430 death, listen, I'll yes them back and I'll move 00:19:52.430 --> 00:19:56.630 on. I won't be bad to them or anything else. 00:19:56.750 --> 00:20:00.630 I'll be nice, but I'll move on. And the people 00:20:00.630 --> 00:20:03.730 that I feel that would really give me that information 00:20:03.730 --> 00:20:06.390 that I'm looking for, that I'll stay and speak 00:20:06.390 --> 00:20:10.119 with. Okay, so let's bring this full circle. 00:20:10.680 --> 00:20:14.839 If an entrepreneur listening today wants stronger 00:20:14.839 --> 00:20:18.940 confidence, better connections, and more opportunity 00:20:18.940 --> 00:20:23.400 in the next 90 days, what's one move they can 00:20:23.400 --> 00:20:27.660 make this week? More confidence, stronger connections, 00:20:27.740 --> 00:20:33.480 and what was the third? Visibility. Stronger 00:20:33.480 --> 00:20:37.450 confidence, better... connections, and more opportunity 00:20:37.450 --> 00:20:43.849 in the next 90 days. This is your words of wisdom. 00:20:45.849 --> 00:20:49.329 Yeah. Like I said before, we need work in this 00:20:49.329 --> 00:20:53.309 area. So I think what my goal for the next 90 00:20:53.309 --> 00:20:55.549 days, maybe I'll commit to it as I give this 00:20:55.549 --> 00:20:59.210 advice, reach out to one person a week on LinkedIn. 00:20:59.880 --> 00:21:01.759 And this is what I want to do. Feel that I want 00:21:01.759 --> 00:21:04.019 to connect with, ask for a meeting, like a 20 00:21:04.019 --> 00:21:06.980 minute, whatever. Because I think that's scary 00:21:06.980 --> 00:21:08.740 for some people. And I think it used to be very 00:21:08.740 --> 00:21:11.400 scary for me and still is. But I think the more 00:21:11.400 --> 00:21:13.019 I do it, the more confidence I'm going to get 00:21:13.019 --> 00:21:15.559 from doing that. And the more connections, people 00:21:15.559 --> 00:21:17.400 are always looking to connect. People ask to 00:21:17.400 --> 00:21:19.619 connect with us all the time. And so it's like, 00:21:19.640 --> 00:21:21.299 I'm just going to connect with them and then 00:21:21.299 --> 00:21:23.779 have a conversation. And so I think that would 00:21:23.779 --> 00:21:25.859 build momentum. And that's just for me personally, 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:28.339 looking at how I can be better at it. That would 00:21:28.339 --> 00:21:32.180 be my one piece. When you connect with somebody, 00:21:32.380 --> 00:21:35.500 with anybody over LinkedIn, you connect with 00:21:35.500 --> 00:21:39.980 them. If they try to sell you almost immediately, 00:21:40.160 --> 00:21:43.519 then it's a bad connection. And you don't try 00:21:43.519 --> 00:21:47.099 to sell them. But what you can do is bring value 00:21:47.099 --> 00:21:51.579 to the connection. My last, when I did a workshop 00:21:51.579 --> 00:21:54.380 for somebody in Ohio, I was a roofing company. 00:21:55.039 --> 00:21:57.579 And the way I started to speak with him, I didn't 00:21:57.579 --> 00:21:59.160 just come out and say, oh, look, I want to come 00:21:59.160 --> 00:22:02.339 and do a workshop. But I said, okay, look, here's 00:22:02.339 --> 00:22:05.700 an article, metal roofs against asphalt roofs. 00:22:06.680 --> 00:22:10.920 I linked it to him. And I said, you know what? 00:22:11.000 --> 00:22:15.200 I think you may find this information useful. 00:22:15.619 --> 00:22:18.160 And I did that two or three times. And I let 00:22:18.160 --> 00:22:21.680 him see the value of our connection. And then 00:22:21.680 --> 00:22:24.839 I started to ask him. So we break into it slowly. 00:22:25.039 --> 00:22:29.619 Yeah. That's what you do. Okay. This is what 00:22:29.619 --> 00:22:33.700 meaningful networking really looks like. Growth 00:22:33.700 --> 00:22:36.720 through connection, strength through community, 00:22:36.819 --> 00:22:40.599 and progress built one honest conversation at 00:22:40.599 --> 00:22:43.599 a time. If today's episode sparked something 00:22:43.599 --> 00:22:46.759 for you, don't let it stop here. Think about 00:22:46.759 --> 00:22:49.500 who's in your circle, who supports your growth, 00:22:49.640 --> 00:22:53.559 and who you need to reach out to next. Share 00:22:53.559 --> 00:22:56.240 this episode with an entrepreneur who could use 00:22:56.240 --> 00:23:00.019 encouragement and direction right now. Subscribe 00:23:00.019 --> 00:23:02.559 to Networking Unleashed, building profitable 00:23:02.559 --> 00:23:06.000 connections so you don't miss conversations that 00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:10.680 make you smarter. Now, before we go, Andy, Danielle, 00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:15.319 how can somebody, if they're interested in your 00:23:15.319 --> 00:23:19.180 service or interested in talking to you or coaching 00:23:19.180 --> 00:23:22.099 you or be coached by you, What's the best way 00:23:22.099 --> 00:23:25.119 for them to get hold of you? Yeah, I think LinkedIn 00:23:25.119 --> 00:23:27.559 for sure. Both of us individually on there and 00:23:27.559 --> 00:23:30.099 then Express It's on there too, but reach out 00:23:30.099 --> 00:23:32.779 to us directly and then expressitdelivery .com. 00:23:32.799 --> 00:23:34.559 That's our business name. Our contact info is 00:23:34.559 --> 00:23:36.849 there too. LinkedIn's your best bet. And like 00:23:36.849 --> 00:23:39.130 I said, I'm going to be a connecting goal for 00:23:39.130 --> 00:23:42.230 the next 90 days. Okay, great. Danielle, Andy, 00:23:42.450 --> 00:23:45.329 this was great. I thank you very much for coming 00:23:45.329 --> 00:23:48.750 on my podcast. I'm sure that all of my listeners 00:23:48.750 --> 00:23:52.109 will get a whole lot out of this. And if they 00:23:52.109 --> 00:23:55.049 call you, even better. Thank you. Have a great 00:23:55.049 --> 00:24:02.309 day. Well, hold on, folks. Don't go anywhere. 00:24:02.730 --> 00:24:06.000 Let's hear from our sponsors. David Neal, co 00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:09.640 -founder, Revved Up Kids. Revved Up Kids is on 00:24:09.640 --> 00:24:12.599 a mission to protect children and teens from 00:24:12.599 --> 00:24:15.579 sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking. 00:24:15.880 --> 00:24:19.059 They provide prevention training programs for 00:24:19.059 --> 00:24:22.599 children, teens, and adults. To learn more, go 00:24:22.599 --> 00:24:26.980 to revvedupkids .org. Henry Kaplan, Century 21. 00:24:27.480 --> 00:24:29.720 When it comes to making the biggest financial 00:24:29.720 --> 00:24:32.680 decision of your life, leave it in the hands 00:24:32.680 --> 00:24:35.960 of a proven professional, Henry Kaplan. Henry 00:24:35.960 --> 00:24:39.160 is a global real estate agent with Century 21, 00:24:39.359 --> 00:24:43.339 celebrating his 41st year in business. No matter 00:24:43.339 --> 00:24:46.019 where you're moving, Henry has the right connections 00:24:46.019 --> 00:24:53.019 for you. You can contact Henry at 561 -427 -4888. 00:24:53.700 --> 00:24:56.500 A huge thank you to our guests for sharing such 00:24:57.079 --> 00:25:00.400 insights today. And of course, a big shout out 00:25:00.400 --> 00:25:03.700 to you, our amazing listeners, for tuning in 00:25:03.700 --> 00:25:06.599 and spending your time with us. If you're interested 00:25:06.599 --> 00:25:09.960 in my digital courses, being coached or having 00:25:09.960 --> 00:25:13.079 me come and talk to your company, just go to 00:25:13.079 --> 00:25:16.319 Michael and fill out the request form. Remember, 00:25:16.640 --> 00:25:19.960 networking isn't about being perfect. It's about 00:25:19.960 --> 00:25:22.880 being present. So take what you've learned today, 00:25:23.059 --> 00:25:25.680 get out there and make some meaningful connections. 00:25:26.410 --> 00:25:29.329 If you've enjoyed this episode, please don't 00:25:29.329 --> 00:25:32.670 forget to subscribe. Leave us a review and share 00:25:32.670 --> 00:25:34.869 it with someone who could use a little networking 00:25:34.869 --> 00:25:37.890 inspiration. Let's keep the conversation going. 00:25:38.069 --> 00:25:42.609 You can find me on Apple, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, 00:25:42.750 --> 00:25:47.410 or my website, foreman .com slash podcasts.