Networking.

My business has been built primarily by networking online. You’ve heard me say it before, truly, my business would not have existed 5 years ago – the online world is changing so fast and furious that I have something unique created, and for the most part due to, because of this online and global world we live in. Networking has played a big part in my business growth and is a must to include in your online presence. Networking is how you can be seen and heard in today’s marketplace.
 
The marketplace of the world we live in today has changed and grown much smaller – the world is not as a vast a place as it was once because people can so easily connect to others using the internet, email, social networking, forums and in the last two years this has changed once again with the rise of the smartphone and how easy anyone can find what they need online.
 
The world is truly at our fingertips these days and rarely because of a thick yellow book with phone numbers… it is there with the click of a mouse or finger on a screen.
 
Now… I love talking to people (a far cry from my days of old when I fainted at the thought of talking to people I did not know) and am always trying to figure out if  am connected to people somehow – You know that principle of  Six Degrees of Separation (explores the existential premise that everyone in the world is connected to everyone else in the world by a chain of no more than six acquaintances, thus, “six degrees of separation”)…and with the global networking I do… the world really is very small.
 
A prime example is something that happened in a recent email conversation I had.
 
I was nominated to the Board of Directors on the International Virtual Assistants Organization and during the voting process (online of course) members could check out our CV’s, references and application online. This gave them insight into who they were voting for – in case they did not know the Virtual Assistant who had been nominated.
 
Anyhow … I got an email late one night from a Michelle Campbell who lives in the United States.
 
She had seen from the voting info that I was from Dartmouth and just wanted to reach out and say Hi because she grew up in Dartmouth. 
 
What followed in the emails is a lesson in online networking and how you don’t have to intimately know someone to make a connection with them.  Also, never be afraid to add more to the conversation, to ask just one more question – you never know where it will lead.  Because I enjoy connecting with people so much, I always ask a lot of questions, but I will say I always get lots of results as well.
 
So …  read the conversations below to see what we discovered during this email back and forth. (PS. Michelle’s knows I am writing this blog post and gave me permission to use our string of emails… I don’t want anyone thinking I just post emails willy nilly in blog posts when I feel like it))
 
 

Hi Kathy,

My name is Michelle Campbell. I was just reviewing the IVAA Board nominations and noticed that you are from Dartmouth. Me too! I was born and raised and lived there until my husband and I moved to the States in 1997. It’s amazing how small the world really is.

Anyway, I just wanted to say hello. Congratulations on your nomination, and good luck!

All the best.

Michelle

Michelle,

Thanks for the hello!  What a small world.

I was a military brat and born in Alberta, but my Dad is from Yarmouth, NS so they retired here when I hit grade 10. I went to Sir John A MacDonald High … did you go to school here in Dartmouth? We have lived here since 2001 off and on with a little trip to Yarmouth and PEI for a couple years in the middle – I have moved more with my husband than my Dad!

My kids go to XX, XX and XX schools this year (yes! 3 kids 3 schoolsl!) we live near Shubie Park area.

We must know some people in common so rattle off some schools and areas and workplaces for me!

and thanks for the Congrats!

Hi Kathy.

Wow! This feels really surreal for some reason :0)

I have a very good friend from Black Point who went to Sir John A! I attended a couple of school dances there, and had a boyfriend who lived out lived out near Black Point.

I did go to school in Dartmouth. I went to Michael Wallace Elementary as we lived near Shubie Park when I was small…  I went to Caledonia in grade 7. We then moved over into a subdivision called Manor Park behind Penhorn Mall, so I went to Admiral Westphal in grades 8 and 9 and PA for high school (graduated in 1992).

I worked at Wal-Mart (Woolco before it became Wal-Mart) in Penhorn Mall all through high school and after I graduated. I was married in 1996 and left for the States in 1997 when my husband joined the US Army, so I didn’t really work anywhere else.

Michelle

OMG!  Soo funny!  I love playing 6 degrees of separation!

We never would have met at the high school dances as you were there after I was out for a good 8 years! My oldest started school at Michael Wallace when we lived on Locks Road!  Very Very surreal!

Anyhow, stay in touch…

Looking forward to connecting more!

Kathy

Kathy,

Is Locks Road near the bottom of the big hill? I think it’s Montebello Drive? If it’s where I’m thinking of, one of my friends from elementary school lived there. There are entrances to the Shubie trails there, I think.

I will venture over to your FB page to say hello. I’m on there all the time.

I hope my business works out as well. Doing this is something I’ve thought about for four or five years. I am committed to make it work. I have already invested in a coaching session with one of the speakers I heard at the online summit last fall, Donna Toothaker. Do you know her?

Thanks for chatting with me. It was nice to flashback and think about my old stomping grounds. I’ll definitely see you on FB.

HI Michelle,

What a world… yes Locks Road is right at the bottom of Montebello, who was your friend?  One of my close friends Jane Matthews lives there too (in her parents old house!, its the solar type one right near the church.

And Donna I know well, going to meet her in person in April at the IVAA conference. I used to be one of her subcontractor VAs before she moved to VA coaching

Kathy

Oh my God! Jane is who I’m talking about :0). I can’t believe she lives in her parents house. I loved her house when I was a kid. It was very cool and modern :0) How is she?

This is really funny! I’m so glad I emailed you. I’m enjoying this trip down memory lane.

Holy Cow!  I wondered!

We lived across from her in 2001 on locks rd and she has 2 kids now.  What a world!!! She’s a friend of mine on facebook so connect via that way if you are not already.

I will let her know of this.. . wow.

Tooo Funny!!!

 Ha! Awesome! She probably won’t know me by my married name. My maiden name was XX.

Tell her I said hello.

Sooo… how is that for a small world story?? 
 
It never would have gone as far as it did, if I did not take the opportunity to add more than a simple thank you to her initial email.  That is one of the beauties of networking whether in person or online – you can always find great opportunities to connect deeper with the people you meet, but someone needs to take that first step and go beyond the normal – “Hello, so what do you do”
 
Have you any small world stories to share or other tips on networking online?  Feel free to post them here by adding in a comment.

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