Attitude is everything - Finding opportunities when things don't go as planned.

On Wednesday night (thanks to Toronto traffic), I arrived ten minutes late to a free event I had registered for. Upon arrival I was told that I wouldn't be allowed to attend because they were at capacity.

The event team was *very* apologetic, and invited me to stay for the cocktail hour directly after the event. After having driven in specifically for the event, my initial reaction was disappointment (and admittedly, I was a little frustrated), but I began to think about how I could make the most of my time while I was there.

As I was planning my next steps, I happened to bump into the CEO of a company I had done some LinkedIn training for. Together we went to the on-site restaurant for a glass of wine, and I was able to have a delightful on-on-one meeting with a female senior executive that I have been admiring for some time.

During the cocktail mixer (after the initial event wrapped up), I was able to network alongside this senior executive (partnering up always takes out a lot of the awkwardness of networking with new people) and ended up meeting a ton of incredible new connections. Some of these new connections may even turn into new opportunities for my business.

I realized as I arrived home, that if I had been angry and simply turned around and driven back home again, I wouldn't have had a one-on-one with the senior executive, nor would I have met some terrific new connections who attended the mixer.

Attitude is everything, my friends. Opportunities lurk behind every corner.

And remember: be kind to event organizers. It's not their fault when things go wrong; things happen beyond their control but they often do everything they can to make it right.

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Leslie Hughes is a LinkedIn Optimization Specialist, Professor of Social Media, Corporate Trainer, Principal of PUNCH!media and author of “CREATE. CONNECT. CONVERT” Leslie was called a "Social Media Guru" by CBC Radio and was featured on CTV’s “The Social” discussing how to manage your digital identity. Leslie has been working in digital marketing since 1997 and founded PUNCH!media in 2009. PUNCH!media clients include Investment Planning Counsel, Guardian Life Insurance Company of America and TVO. PUNCH!media's goal is to empower through education and help executives gain confidence in their online presence so you convert higher-paying clients.

www.punchmedia.ca