Another Chapter

Last week I wrote about being judgemental and how I need to realize that in networking situations, sometimes people appear to be stuck-up when in fact they are shy.

Last week at the GreaterFindlayInc.'s Fresh Brewed event, John Bauer, Executive Director of the Bluffton Center for Entrepreneurs was one of the featured speakers of the morning. I was really interested in what he was about and wanted to connect with him after the meeting was done.

For the networking tip that morning at Fresh Brewed, I told about my judgemental ways in networking and asked the audience for help in reaching out to the shy people. That seemed to ring a chime with many of the attendees as quite a few came up to me and mentioned it later on.

Afterwards, I didn't get to find John Bauer in the crowd, so I got his contact information and sent an email letting him know that I'd like to find out more about his Center. Here is the return email that he sent back.

"I would have been really disappointed if you hadn't contacted me.  I'm one of those shy entrepreneurs who's reluctant to get in there and "mix it up" at most networking events so I'm sure that some of your training would be really helpful for me...." 

Now, I have to tell you that when I was typing the email, my mind was doing the, "He's probably too important to talk to me monologue." What a reinforcement of the lesson already learned! I guess habits are difficult to break.

What lesson do you have to keep learning?