Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Connecting v. Networking



Building Relationships


I love terms like “connecting” and “building relationships” more than “networking”. For me, they reflect an authenticity that I find to be lost often times when meeting new people.
Part of the reason I embrace building an genuine relationship rather than shoving my business card down someone’s throat is the fact that I am a woman. Genetically women are more collaborative and want to connect with others on a deeper level. Also as a doctor, I want to get to know people and businesses before I refer patients. This is why I get acupuncture from the L.Ac we refer to, get biofeedback sessions from the holistic MD’s office we sent patient to, and countless other services.
This sis what is authentic for me! Love going into other businesses and sitting down with other healthcare providers and learning about their practice. I value building on the collective experience of owning a small business rather than each person having to reinvent the wheel.
Today, we drove down to Camarillo to meet with a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) because I am not only on the board but now the chair of the membership committee. I am reaching out to other members, whether they are emerging or established to just learn about them. I find this face-to-face time to be fun, valuable, and so rewarding. I believe bonding first is critical and then referrals will follow.  It is so important to treat people with respect, interest, and let them know that their opinion is valuable.  So much of this has been lost because of the overuse and oversaturation of social media, the internet, and texting. I do use all of these platforms to communicate however sitting down in person is a lot more rewarding! Especially since I am young and it is almost unexpected that a sub 30 year old would rather meet in person rather than e-mailing back and forth.
There are so many ways to network, connect, share, and collaborate. This is what works for me, but I encourage you to dig deep and find what is authentic for you. The most important thing is to let others know that you care and that you value to their thoughts. Keep is positive and keep shining on!

How do you connect with your community? Please leave comments below this post.

ADIO Love,
Dr. Elizabeth Wisniewski
Twitter @genuinechiro.com





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