The 14 Relationships That I Appreciate in the February LinkedIn Challenge

Thank you to Joe Apfelbaum for including me in his list of 14. To pay it forward, I took the time to think of folks who have made an impression on me in the last year. With so many folks to choose from it was a challenging task and impossible to include everyone! Joe gets an honorary spot on my list no matter what.

Here was the premise...

Want to build more meaningful relationships on LinkedIn? Find 14 relationships that you appreciate and write an article about why you appreciate each one of those relationships. 

Why? Because you know so many amazing people on LinkedIn and it's important to take the time to celebrate some of your connections who are more than just connections. 

Relationships are people in your life that you are going deeper with, that you are learning more about. That you are supporting and keeping them in your focus. 

Here are my 14 relationships, feel free to pick your own and write an article that includes each one of those relationships. 

In no particular order... (Except Kyle, he's first for a reason. Read below to find out more!)

Kyle Steele (Global Wave Integration)

Kyle was/is my first client at TheCoTeam. He trusted me to work alongside him, and the entire Global Wave team, as my company was getting off the ground. Kyle is a tremendously kind and generous person. Always authentic, a fantastic energy, and rallies his company around a common goal. He has developed in to more than a client and the opportunity to work with Kyle on other projects and to see his company flourish and evolve is incredibly rewarding and humbling.

Jordan Wills (BTX)

Jordan isn't posting all over the place in his own name but he has created a ton of content you have seen. I was always blown away at what he taught himself to do from photography, videography, editing, sound production, writing copy, and creative design. He was kind enough to help with the photography for my website after we walked his little guy to school. Jordan is a great husband, father, musician, creative, and all-around excellent dude! Excited to work with him on upcoming projects.

Maryellen Oswald (CTLab & Connected Design Magazine)

I met MEO (as she is known in the biz...) many years ago at an Azione conference. Is was a bit of a blur back then but she managed not to hold that against me and we ended up working together for content creation on her magazine, Connected Design. MEO knows all sorts of people and has a great viewpoint on the industry, design, and how to bring all of that together on the glossy page. I am a huge fan of her work and feel fortunate to be able to continue to work with her.

Keith Cottrell (Electronic Environments)

I was introduced to Keith by Brad Whitehead (VX Strategy) as I began to transition out of a previous company and begin TheCoTeam. The thought was that Keith might be able to come in and take the reins in my absence. While that wasn't destined to be, I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with Keith and was truly impressed. I began to see his thought leadership posts on LinkedIn and his perspective and value to the industry I found to be undeniable. When Electronic Environments asked if I knew anyone that might be a fit for a role, I introduced Keith and he is now with EENY. I can't wait to see what he accomplishes!

Jason Sayen (iamsayen & LK Assoc)

I am fortunate enough to have met Jason many years back and, if memory serves, it was at an Azione conference. I think I sat in on a Six Sigma process presentation he was giving and I was immediately sold. Very intelligent, well versed in our industry, and a resource for anyone lucky enough to engage him. He has experience on manufacturing and rep firms so his ability to relate to his integration clients is without question. Excited to see what he manifests in 2021!

Shira Charles (Charles Interiors)

I have "LinkedIn Known" Shira for years but we finally had a chance to get to know each other better in-person over coffee in 2020 in the midst of all the craziness. I found her to be absolutely delightful and incredibly passionate about design. As the conversation progressed I continued to appreciate her outlook and it made me curious about what she was posting here on LinkedIn. The quality of her work is great and the commentary that follows is definitely worth reading. Excited to see her grow Charles Interiors this year and beyond!

Gregg Cohen (Cresa)

Do you know what a Tenant Rep is? I didn't either. When I met Gregg several years back he had ditched his finance job and got in to a niche aspect of commercial real estate that adds tremendous value to the tenant at no cost. I watched him build his business from zero and it's fascinating to see him hone and perfect his craft. He is a truly wonderful person and someone that I enjoy sitting down to dinner with. Check out his show Conversations with Cohen. Gregg was even nice enough to have me on as a guest during COVID!

Ron Callis (One Firefly)

Who else do you know that started a college winning streak for a human powered submarine competition??? Yeah, I didn't think so. He's also an expert on crypto currency, a proponent of EOS/Traction, ran his company as WFH before it was a thing, big on culture, and runs a cool company knocking out marketing for companies that need to outsource it. He has a great podcast called Automation Unplugged. I was a guest once and recently had the distinct privilege of interviewing Ron! Watching him scale One Firefly has been inspirational.

Ginny Jacobs (Surprisingly Baked)

I met Ginny back when we were both W2's and she was at Lutron. She now makes ridiculously delicious cookies and brownies with Oreos hidden in them (and other treats!). She is a startup looking to make it big and I'm watching her progress while stuffing my face with those cookies. To thank my first "batch" of clients Ginny helped me with branded treats and hand written thank you notes. Everyone needs to show Ginny some love and get some cookies delivered. Maybe someone can recommend a personal trainer to help me burn off the cookies.

Henry Clifford (Livewire & Parasol & Others!)

Henry is a total trip! I had known of him but never had a chance to speak with him. I'm glad I reached out and opened up a dialogue. There are many layers to Mr. Clifford's onion. He owns a successful integration firm, co-founded a remote monitoring solution AND a training platform, is a distance runner, and will aw-shucks you all the way to the bank! I have an immense respect for his industry contributions and love reading all of his thought leadership pieces. There is a picture of him dressed as an elf delivering gifts to employees - it was too grainy...

Shaun Schuetz (Audioquest)

Shaun heads up the sales efforts at Audioquest and get's to work with one of my favorite people, Jim Scatena. If that isn't enough reason to like Shaun, he is also a grown man that likes to wear costumes (see below). He always has a great disposition and seems to be omnipresent in industry conversations and clearly a student of the game. AQ is always up to something interesting and Shaun is always open to unique approaches. Can't wait to see what he does.

Elizabeth Goldfeder (Reflectel & GK Framing)

Elizabeth (AKA ELG) owns a unique space in TriBeCa that houses two of her companies. Reflectel manufactures bespoke mirrored televisions with beautiful custom frames. It's an offshoot of GK Framing which is truly art for your art! I have had many pieces framed by ELG and the team at GK Framing. The way she sees framing as an opportunity to accentuate the pieces in your collection is an experience everyone should treat themself to at some point. Take a look at her content and see what she is up to. Beautiful stuff!

Ben Rosner (eHome)

I have known Ben for a number of years. He wasn't much for the socials and has stepped up his presence and outreach. I have watched him build that channel and love watching how he engages in thoughtful conversation with the design community. He has deep relationships, takes excellent care of his clients, and runs more than one successful business. soft-spoken and humble to the core I look-up to Ben and what he has achieved.

Phil Maltaghati (United Public Adjusters)

Phil helps people who have had a loss recover way more than the insurance company would have given. It's a pretty fantastic service and Phil will make sure you are taken care of. He is honestly one of the hardest working people I have EVER met. He hustles and gets it done. Not sure if he ever sleeps. He pops up in new markets, identifies opportunities to succeed, and realizes them without fail. Pretty neat to watch!

Go ahead and leave a comment with a link to your article detailing 14 relationships that you want to build this month. It's a great reminder to actualize those connections!

I truly thank each of you for the connection and opportunity to work with, and learn from, each of you!