I always talk about the year 2007 as the year things changed for me. I was at the tail end of my career at Staples and living the life that revolved around my corporate job. I received an email from Northeastern about an Alumni Networking Event and how it attracts a mixed group of entrepreneurs, corporate professionals and forever students. I was like, hmm, entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurism was something you really didn't hear about in the walls of Staples Corporate.
So I went to an event, and then went to another one. Eventually, I was going every month to Northeastern and meeting alumni in all phases of their career. I also noticed something. The entrepreneurs always were positive, always smiled, and was interesting to talk to. I started connecting to "non-corporate" professionals on Linkedin, studied their profiles and was intrigued with the their professional life.
Ironically, at one of the Northeastern networking events, I was introduced to a business opportunity in internet marketing. It was a foreign world to me. Residual income, leveraged time, a Plan B? Plan B to what? So I started my business franchise with Market America, because heck, what did I have to lose and the products were damn good. I started making different friends and started removing myself from the negative energy of the corporate world. There was a distinct difference in energy between an entrepreneur. avid networking and the 9-to-5 corporate professional and I was engulfing in the world of business networking.
I also started going to other networking events over the next few years, expanded my business into the world of social media marketing, and became the positive energy that influenced me. There were days I could not wait till the end of the work day, so I can go to an event and meet another 20-25 people. Eventually, I started my own networking group and had my own events, since it was a great way to build business relationship and expose my business opportunity.
Along the way, I met a couple of entrepreneurs that were starting an internet content platform that focused on entrepreneurs and small business ownership. They asked me if I like to do my own radio show on social media and business networking. Wait a minute, in 2007, I was that introverted IT guy at Staples, and now in 2014, I am a radio guy entrenched into the world of social media marketing, how is that possible? IT guys and marketing don't mix. Well, actually they do. IT is all about innovation and ideas and you need to be an extrovert and know how to market your product or service.
Looking back,it made me think anything is possible if you get out there and network. Living the life of going to work, then going home to watch TV, doesn't cut it anymore. Anything is Possible if you network. An IT guy becoming a radio personality? An IT Guy that knows marketing? It is possible, if you network and connect with the right people. Give it a try.
