World-Changing Partnerships Rule: Never Assume

Update on what’s been happening:? Catch-up call Reveal, Kazakhstan Connection, Advisory Boards as Development Tools, and a Linkedin Group Contact Becomes Golden

Before we begin - we all have our assumptions and we can become a bit jaded as we operate our businesses and build necessary relationships for good partnerships. Just be careful not to let your assuming become standard operating procedure and put you in a tunnel or a maze where you miss opportunities. Need some reasons why? See below.

Catch-up Call Reveal:? It was about 5 years since I’ve actually had a good conversation with my Frontrunner in fintech and, in that time, he’s taken on a job at a major company and departed, had a couple of kids, and moved to another state.? Among other things, he’s sitting on some advisory boards for start-ups.? Definitely something I can help with, but, it was when he shared that he’s taken a role as a co-chair for a UN-related committee on innovation that I knew there were at least a couple of good connections I could make that would benefit all.? Oh, and while he was talking about that committee, he mentioned they were raising a fund and asked if?the guy I know who works on investments might be able to help them.? My original thought was probably not as I didn’t think impact fundraising was his thing, but I said I’d ask.? I did and there was interest in a call.? Lesson here:? Never assume.??

Kazakhstan Connection:? Marjorie Margolies is the kind of woman you want cheerleading for you.? There’s not one thing artificial about her.? She has guts and fortitude like you wouldn’t believe - raising a ton of kids, taking on a refugee family to live with her for 25 years, voting for a bill in Congress she knew would cost her seat, and advocating for women to step into leadership roles in places where it’s not encouraged.? I interviewed her recently along with Laura Liswood, who, in her own right, is an amazing advocate for women in leadership.? During that conversation, Marjorie mentioned that her organization, Women’s Campaign International , was planning to start a program in Kazakhstan.? They were waiting for funding and some things to fall into place first. Really?? Kazakhstan? Don’t know why I would have thought somewhere in Africa - but, never assume...right!??

If you had asked me three months ago if I had any contacts that could help Marjorie with that country, I would have said “I can’t even think of anyone that could think of anyone that might know.”? Well, now I actually do have someone to introduce. Just had to ask him. Conversation is scheduled.? If you’d like to see the interview, here you go .?

“Change goes from the unthinkable to the impossible to the inevitable.”

Quote from Laura Liswood in the recent interview with Marjorie Margolies

Advisory Boards as Development Tools:? World-changing partnerships often can be found “in your backyard” so-to-speak. For most of us that work globally, we’d assume this wouldn’t be the case.? But, that’s not always true.? I joined a local Rotary Club after I helped to connect a Rotary member in the US who knew how to work through Rotary International to an NGO for a life-saving project in Malawi earlier this year. I was impressed and felt compelled to join Rotary when invited. Not long ago, I was asked to work on the grants committee at the local and international level for our Rotary Club and have already started working on an education project with two NGOs for Uganda.?

Linkedin Group Contact Becomes Golden:? Mid-June I received a private invitation from the administrator of a Linkedin group that hits one of the spaces I serve.? I joined and the administrator sent me a message that he’d like to meet, indicating that he likes to get to know the members.? We talked and the conversation revealed an innovation in progress that allowed for me to create two meaningful introductions with potential results for us both.? More conversations will definitely open up further opportunities and introductions. And, it turns out that his group includes some serious influencers in his space that would be great to add to my network.? I must say that I normally wouldn’t agree to an invitation to a group or a meeting that came out of the blue. There’s an assumption of time-wasting that often accompanies those, but, here’s a good example of not always assuming.??

“You don’t know what you don’t know...until you do. And, then what?? Do you act or not?? Take care not to get into the habit of assuming.”

If any of these bits stir up potential connections you’d like to make, get in touch. Until next time, remember, the world needs Frontrunners like you.??