American Business Women’s Day-Connections and Reflections

Only connect! That was the whole of her sermon. Only connect the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its height. Live in fragments no longer. Only connect…
- E.M Forester

And so it was, at the American Business Women’s event last Saturday. We came to “Conquer! Life’s Curves” and connect.  The lucky women (and a few brave men) had quite a day. What, you missed it?! Well, you can’t get to everything, and neither could I. But, I did end up with some very valuable insights that only such an event can trigger.

What insights? Well, I’m glad you asked. But to do that, first let me tell you about the presentations I saw. For starters, there was Leslie Fishbein, president of Kacey Fine Furniture. She told us there is no more textile manufacturing in the US. And, most of her suppliers are now offshore. She’s seen more change in the last 3 years than she did in the previous 30. The fact is, like almost all businesses, she has to run leaner and smarter than ever before. Due to the global economy, she has to find new and different ways to innovate and create. And having enough current information to make good decisions is more important than ever. In the “PCA” (that’s what she calls the “pre-computer-age”), she didn’t have the need to use the technology that she says is now an essential part of her business.

Diane Seig, the second speaker I saw, talked about “Living Out Loud”. She had us do exercises with other attendees in which we were required to listen to and then speak “our truths.” To “use our voice” to say the things we felt really needed to be said to people around us. Not so easy to do.

Finally, the inimitable Sarah Michel, graced us with an interactive presentation in which we were to “connect the dots”- demonstrating the value of developing relationships as opposed to simply conducting “drive-by networking” episodes where all you do is exchange business cards. 

So now, what about those insights I promised you? Well, think about it. Leslie connects with people all around the world to supply furniture to her stores. Diane Seig spoke about “finding your voice” and “speaking your truth” – in other words, connecting with your most authentic self.  Sarah Michel talked about how critical it is to intentionally and deliberately create relationships (connections) with other people. And at this event we all spent a great deal of time “networking” – talking to each other and finding connections and ways to relate. Are you sensing a common word here? Well, kids, it seems it’s all about “connections”.

Quick, what do you do when you get on the Internet? That’s right—you connect. What is it about the Internet that makes it so valuable? Well, if you’ve read any of the other posts on this blog, you already know the answer. It’s the ability it gives each and every one of us to connect to information and even more importantly, to connect to people all around the world. But, it’s not just about having that ability to connect. No, it’s about what you do with those connections that makes the difference – and that’s what this day was all about.

By networking with the best and the brightest you can definitely propel your business to the next level (See our post called Networking the Internet). By learning how to develop and nurture relationships with people you meet and “perfecting connecting” as Sarah Michel can teach you, not only can you increase your net worth, but you may even be able to save a life.  By attending learning events, like the one the American Business Women sponsored last week, you might begin to understand what Harriot Goldhor Lerner has said so well:

Only through our connectedness to others can we really know and enhance the self. And only through working on the self can we begin to enhance our connectedness to others.