Want to grow your business, make new friends, then STOP hiding indoors behind your social accounts.

Want to grow your business, make new friends, then STOP hiding indoors behind your social accounts.

This is a personal experience I've gone through myself, internet, social site are wonderful and awesome thing, they give us a greater reach, and definitely a lot cheaper.

But there's something happening in society overall, in our personal lives and especially in our businesses, we lost the ability to connect (on a personal level), we 've lost the ability to start a conversation with strangers.

We're becoming very isolated and the stats I have read are alarming.

So how can we change this?

As humans, we are programed for connections, relationships and networking, its what keeps us excited, growing and productive, you learn new things, get new exposures to different people, and their lifestyles.

Unfortunately with social media, it has driven us to become more isolated, hide behind our computers where we can just at a click of a button, send out marketing emails, posts, and quite simply cookie cutter information.

Instead, I believe what we need as a whole is to get out more among the people (friends, potential clients) forge new relationships, networks, connections, there is nothing better than meeting someone new, finding out about them, their career or business, its a way to get new ideas, or swing ideas off of the person you meet for feed back, it is a pool of endless opportunities, not just for growing your business, but your circle of connections, our minds are wired for this.

A suggestion for a good place to start is one of my favorites, start to go back to the coffee shops (the small artesian, stores where they focus on their coffee and you know when you walk in, you are welcome).

Many people may not realize this, but many coffee shops are the third location, what do I mean, its not home, that's your first location (and not a great opportunity to meet people), and its not the office (pretty much like home, just a few more people around), no the third location is where you can actually sit down, bring a laptop if needed, in a comfy chair, order a handcrafted coffee (may I suggest a pour over), why, because most pour overs are usually single origin (can be a blend) and filtered through a paper (more preferred bamboo) filter, these coffees with set your tongue and mouth into a whirlwind of bold, but smooth flavors and very clean tasting coffee, just that alone can start up a great conversation. While there enjoying your coffee, just watch people as they come in, watch their actions, behavior, say Hi to them, and if possible start up a conversation, this is how you create networks, new connections, and just maybe a channel for growth not just for you, but your business.

This third location is just that, a way for people to not be at home or in the office, but an in between place to just be yourself and find new opportunities.

So next time you're thinking of going through that drive thru, don't, park your car and step into a new opportunity

#networking #coffee #coffeeshop #meeting #insurance #business