Living Like Peter Pan (Tights Optional)

In a blog I posted on Tuesday about a networking event that I attended I posted the questions that were discussed during the meeting. One of the questions has continued to linger in my mind for the past week and is now prompting me to record my thoughts on the subject. “What did you want to be when you grew up? In what ways does your current job resemble parts of that early ambition?”

My response to this question during the event was typical of many men my age… growing up I wanted to be a professional baseball player. Really you can insert any kind of professional athlete and you would describe about 95% of the male population. Once many of us realize that that would take some level of athletic ability the dream slowly fades and reality takes hold of our lives.

Later in life, in my early twenties, I wanted to write for a living. My primary genre was poetry but I knew that I would never be able to make a living creating poems. Having published in numerous literary journals and even having my own book put out by a publisher made that reality very clear… I would have to find another genre if I was going to support myself.

I still write both personally (obvious if you are reading this) and professionally and I am never happier when I am able to write something that has particular meaning for me or that has a demonstrated impact on others. This blog has been that source of creative happiness that has long been absent. I have read comments and gotten feedback that has made me continue to push to get out a blog every day and keep pushing to improve.

This leads me back to the question posed above. For me, what it really comes down to is that when we are kids we want to continue to do what we enjoy… this is what we want to do when we grow up. So later in life we must ask the child imprisoned within each of us whether we enjoy the work that we are doing (whether as a profession or a hobby). Does the daily joy and hope from childhood remain in our consciousness?

For me, I am enjoying writing again. This is what I want to continue to do when I grow up and something that I will continue to work at and hopefully will be able to apply in my next position. Creativity is my passion and writing is my method of expression and so long as I continue to write I will forever be an incarnation of J. M. Barrie’s imagination.  

Networking Nosh

Over the last few weeks I have had the opportunity to attend a couple of networking events in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania organized by The Power Lunch Project. As many of you already know I enjoy meeting new people and I am always looking for different ways to get out and talk to people in addition to my regular meetings and events. The Power Lunch Project is a great addition to my networking repertoire and I look forward to attending additional gatherings in the future.

I have tried other, more traditional, networking groups such as BNI and they have all left me feeling a little let down by the dry robotic nature of the meetings. Some people enjoy BNI and benefit greatly from their group but it just wasn’t for me. Of course, I may have also caught them on a bad week. I like getting to know people beyond the simple introduction of who I am and what I do. Maybe it’s the writer in me but I am always looking for a little more meat on the bone.

It is for that reason that I really enjoy my Monday morning meetings at the Freedom Deli in King of Prussia. Each week there is a different set of questions for us to discuss which allows everyone to get to know one another a little better. This week, for example, the questions were the following:

·         If you could change ONE THING about your work day, what would it be?

·         What did you want to be when you grew up? In what ways does your current job resemble parts of that early ambition?

In both instances, you could hear the similarities that many of us had but also the variety of aspirations and character types that filled the room. It didn’t matter what industry someone is in, we all talked openly about both the challenges of our day as well as our childhood aspirations and whether or not those dreams are part of our current (or future) reality.

Another important aspect that will keep me coming back is the fact that it is not just a referral game. It is much more of a holistic approach to networking. Of course, connections are welcomed and appreciated but ideas are also shared and discussed. Maybe it’s a different approach, maybe a different target market, maybe a way to reshape, expand, or promote a program. The overall dialogue that occurs during these meetings is fantastic due to the fact that everyone was, as I like to say, personally professional with the honesty and openness that was displayed in both responses and feedback.

How would you answer the questions above? What questions come to mind that you would have a group of professionals discuss? Would this type of networking event be a good fit for you?

For those of you that are looking for something a little different in your networking experience, I encourage you to join us at the Freedom Deli in King of Prussia on Monday from 11:00 am to 12:15 pm. In the meantime, browse the website, join the group on Meetup, and connect with the organizers, Sara Rosenberg and Yisroel (Izzy) H. Levovitz, of this weekly experience on LinkedIn. And, for those of you in other parts of the country or world, find a similar event in your area or start your own group where this kind of atmosphere and community can be achieved.