Have We Had Lunch Yet? Pt. II

A toast to a great year

As promised back in September, I have reflected over some of the meetings and great lunch dates I have had in 2010. While some were last minute or never entered into my planner at all, here is the best round up I can give. I have personally reached out to and had business meetings with about 80 people this year – roughly six a month. In addition to these 80 meetings, I sat down with roughly 35 other people either over lunch or dinner.


Except for five professionals, I have collaborated, created a partnership or continue to actively network with the rest of the 110. I say this and end 2010 with this column to prove the power of networking and reaching out. I only knew two of you prior to this year. I cold contacted the majority of my lunch dates. Now I have 113 other professionals I can add to my network. It’s not a one way street. These people can now add me to theirs. Building connections is a continuous cycle. Don’t be out for the take. Be truly interested in how you can help one another. It always comes back to you tenfold.

There are hundreds of people who meet with triple the number of people I have met with. Remember, it is not about numbers. It’s about building quality relationships. Some of you have become friends, some of you are currently in the midst of working on projects with me, some of you I have dragged into volunteering and others are probably sick of receiving emails from me. I love working with all of you. I love that we are all making Greater Springfield a wonderful place to live. Here’s a toast to what we will all accomplish in 2011!

See you in the New Year!