The best, unexpected way to access business opportunities? Social Media

Traditionally success was found by being at the right place, at the right time. But what if you could be in many places, at many times? The opportunity to be "visible" and "top of mind" around the clock? Social media barrels across time zones, countries, languages and social circles unlocking our ability to access opportunities – whether you know it or not and whether you like it not.

Social media creates opportunity. Investing time into social media increases serendipity. (Tweet this!) Social platforms provide a multitude of chances to get on someone’s radar. A decade ago running into someone on the street, overlapping lunch meetings or bumping into a friend on the elevator, provided a path to unexpected conversations, introductions and new opportunities but no longer do we have to wait for these chance encounters.

My friend, Charlie O'Donnell of Brooklyn Bridge Ventures, is living this ethos now. By leveraging social media he aims to be one of the most accessible venture capitalists in New York City. By broadening his access to all, he sees more opportunities, has conversations with more individuals and exponentially and systematically increases his business serendipities.

I was skeptical of this insight by Charlie until he held a mirror up to my own tendencies and behavior. Picture this: two emails appear in your inbox, both asking for 30 minutes to run an idea by you over coffee. You are really busy and only have time to take one meeting. The first email is from someone's name you don't recognize. The idea sounds interesting but you don't know this person. The other is someone you've seen on interesting Twitter threads, blog posts and Clubhouse chat rooms. Their idea sounds interesting but more importantly, you're familiar with them. Which meeting do you take? If you're like me, the latter.

The average person is more likely to take a meeting with, or invest in, someone they’ve heard of before. Charlie explained that the world of venture capital and investing follows the same principals. The founders most frequently on his radar are the ones that stay within his orbit by following and engaging with him on social media.

But what if someone wants to take the conversation from social media to email? Charlie gets hundreds of cold emails each month so he's distilled the strategies that work best.

Cold Email Checklist:

• What is my why? Know why you're reaching out to someone and explain that why in your email. Have a clear ask or expectation of what you're hoping to gain by connecting.
• What is my value add? Ask yourself what value you can genuinely bring to them. Be honest with yourself on this!
• Have I done my homework? Take time to look at the persons online platforms. If you mention something they've recently posted it’s almost a sure way to get a response back!

Because Charlie hears a lot of pitches, I was extremely curious to learn the secrets of a good pitch versus a bad pitch. What makes a good pitch? "Be clear, tactful and confident," Charlie explained. And a bad one? An unclear one! Charlie explained, "People try to impress with fluff and buzz words but sometimes the idea gets lost. Getting to the point and being clear is the secret to success when it comes to pitching ideas."

Being accessible doesn't mean constantly available. It means being available with specific boundaries. (Tweet this!) On his quest to be the most accessible VC in New York, Charlie has put structured boundaries in place. Scheduling is key. Charlie aims to host 1-2 reoccurring dinners per month with new founders or business colleagues to facilitate serendipities for Brooklyn Bridge Ventures. This replicable monthly dinner outline earns him new connections, introductions and gets easier to organize and produce as time goes on.

As I reflect on creating serendipities in my own life I've focused on two key concepts.

1. Connection. My ah-ha moments are typically sparked by reflecting on conversations with smart, interesting people. Because I know this is an instant idea maker for me I am always asking, "How do I create more of these moments?" Note: I've created a repeatable version of this by hosting coffee meetings every Wednesday Live on LinkedIn!
2. Time To Give. We've all heard the saying, "give more than you receive" but in today's busy world you have to make time to give. Blocking out time to give back in my calendar, has lead me to more serotonin (happy feelings) and serendipities (chance encounters) than any other new business strategy.

What small steps have I taken recently? Charlie loves the story of Harry Stebbings who at 18 years old decided to start a podcast about Venture Capital a space where he had no expertise. Through unfaltering determination he amassed long list of venture capitalist contacts. One by one he convinced them to come on his new podcast, The 20 Minute VC.

Like a snowball down a mountain, the more people who agreed to be featured unlocked more access and helped secure future guests. Harry became so well connected via the podcast that he was offered the opportunity to start his own VC fund! Proving that even the smallest, most inexperienced steps, can pay off. (Tweet this!)

• What is the most exciting start up you've seen lately? Charlie: Esembly Diapers. It's a reusable diaper that doesn't leak and is environmentally friendly.
• What is the next app we should know about? Charlie: Stoop Inbox, is an inbox built specifically for receiving and sorting newsletters.
• What's your favorite software or plug in? Charlie: Calendly makes it super easy to schedule meetings without having to go back and forth on emails to find a time.
• What is the best book to kick start new ideas? Charlie: Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson focuses on the cross pollination of ideas.

If you like good resources, tips, insights about start up culture and NYC look no further then Charlie's wildly popular newsletter, NYC Innovation Weekly. I have gotten endless tips, tricks and learned about some of the most popular companies before they hit it big via this newsletter.

You can find Charlie on Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter.

If you enjoyed this, please share with others via Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp or LinkedIn.

PS. I'm launching a new highly-curated live-learning course about branding yourself in business. Seats are limited. If you're ready to supercharge your career, ignite your network & turn into a public facing powerhouse, I hope you will join us. Find out more here.

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