The Power of First Impressions: Coffee Dating in Riyadh

There are so many choices in business with AI and tech stacks that can do your job for you that people often forget it is the power of human connection that will greenlight opportunities faster than a train of automated emails or a customer service bot. I utilize the power of AI for admin tasks and tech stacks to give me 25% more time each week to invest in my global growth strategy. Of this additional time I receive, I value the power of human connection most and use to my advantage to achieve our 2025 goal of growing our global community of impact makers in Australia, North America, and the Middle East. AI will never replace my ability to show up for a coffee date, share leadership stories, and be agile in collaborating with another leader or brand.

I have been in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the past month as my husband started a new role. It was my first time in Saudi Arabia, and I had no prior network to tap into. I leveraged LinkedIn to connect with people eight weeks before my arrival, which was a strategic approach to align myself with leaders in this market who were driving a ripple effect of change and were notably aligned with my values of passion, integrity, and delivery. This helped a bit; however, the real transformation occurred when I began saying yes to being part of local communities and showing up as my authentic self. In week three, I purchased my first of many black Abayas, the most prevalent dress choice for women in this region due to its cultural significance and respect for centuries of tradition. It was a conscious decision to wear the Abaya as?I intended to attract opportunities that would transform my experience while being here...

A few nights ago, we moved into our compound while we waited for a place to settle our energy after weeks of staying in hotels and working out, which district would best suit our lifestyle and career goals. Being able to call somewhere home is important to us as my husband will be based in Riyadh, and I will be between three countries as we build our global community in the next five years so that leaders like YOU can tap into the power of these relationships to develop your own international networks.

We chose a compound to meet people and be part of a community. Within minutes of meeting a group of ex-pats on our first night, I discovered that the PR Manager I had closely collaborated with during my MTV, Showtime, and Viacom days in London before starting my own agency TORSTAR, was the person introduced to me seated right next to me. I hadn't seen him in over 25 years—what are the odds? He runs a prominent PR firm here, and tomorrow, we have a coffee date in his office. Through the power of listening to his insights, I know that he will be able to connect me with the right people to help actualize my goals in this region, and I am grateful that we decided to embrace the power of community, which gifted this opportunity to reconnect and see how we can help one another.

None of this would have been possible if we hadn’t said YES to the power of viewing life through a different lens in a new city embracing a new culture.

Communities unite us, and the simple request for a coffee date based on a mutual energy exchange should never be underestimated. First impressions truly do count - it’s about how you make people feel when they connect with you or, in this case, remember you from a previous working experience.

Connecting with others isn’t always about formal meetings or structured networking events. In Riyadh, I experienced several green light moments where I crossed paths with leaders and impact makers because authentic connections often arise when you least expect them.

If you are committed to taking one powerful step after reading this newsletter, make it this one: believe in the ability to shake up the way you show up and access the world we live in. You will never know what awaits you if you don't take steps outside your comfort zone.

Join me as I host our annual International Women's Day lunch in Sydney on Friday, 7 March.? What impact can you create as a leader if you are not willing to share who you are and what you have to offer to others? This is the perfect event to make that happen.

With love and purpose,

TORY xox

PS. If you want to know where I coffee date worldwide and the strategy I use each week, please join our Powerful Steps community app - I hope to meet you soon!