Seeding the Future: Planting the Seeds of Success with Your Network

Hello and welcome to the show. Today is going to be a noisy episode because the kids are home. It's a full house. And then this Hammatan Katta is really, really killing me here. So this is going to be one of those coughing, hacking and sniffing episodes. Now today I want us to look at networking with collaborators. And the reason why is because I reached out to a former podcast collaborator because I had one or two things to talk about and and the lady hadn't even stole my phone number.

And then it just got me thinking about how a whole bunch of us throughout the whole year, because right now it's December of 2024 as at the time of making this podcast. So about a whole bunch of us, you know, run through the whole year collaborating with a bunch of people, meeting stakeholders here and there. And then we lose out of opportunities for networking and building alliances that we can carry on to next year.

Because I'm not trying to say I'm the ish or anything, but I'm just trying to say that if you do, if you run a couple of things that a few people, you know in 2024, in this case, it stands to reason that as you're capping out 2024, you know, it should be a reasonable thing to do to reach out to a couple of them, find out how people are doing, you know, that sort of thing. Remain a good standing because you don't know which way the breeze might blow in 2025.

I don't know where good business is going to come out from if I, if for nothing else, at the very least you want to be in touch with some people that you know to be credible vendors or credible partners that you can reach out to when you have some project that you're working on and you might need the assistance. So if you'd love to connect and explore opportunities with me, the phone number is 08064662140. The country code is +234 for those of you who are not Nigerian.

And then you can connect with me on socials. I spend most of my time on LinkedIn. I'm closing down Facebook and any other place. So don't bother reaching out to me there because I'm not going to see it. So LinkedIn, only the name to look for is establishing my idea. Now, like I said, we're looking about looking at how we're going to do networking with collaborators as we're rounding up 2024 and getting ready to head into 2025.

Now, the advice that you're going to hear hear is applicable no matter when you're listening to this. So if you're listening to this podcast in 2036 and you're getting ready for business in 2037, the principles are still the same. So First off, I think from a common sense perspective here, try not to be too fancy or educated about anything. If you have interacted with someone in the previous year 2024, now that we're in December, it might make sense.

You just pick up your phone and then just call some people casual and the idea is going to be something like, hey, what's up now? How you been? You know, it's been a while. And then you have that conversation. You know, you should they shape the best in talks their own too, you know, someone that banter back and forth. And then another common sense thing. Oh, I appreciated the time we did this job. I appreciated our interaction around this.

I appreciated the collaboration around that, blah, blah, blah. And then you talk a bit about how it was a useful project for you or how you leverage that into something else and this and this and that and that. And of course, you know, that's where you throw in the whole thing of, you know, as we're heading into 2025, looking for more opportunities for us to collaborate in the future. And then it's also common sense to ask the person about their goals or priorities for next year.

So this one now 2025 S like what's the plan? What are you working on? You know, that kind of thing. It doesn't have to be heavy. Just keep a simple conversational, you know, So what are you looking at for 2025? What are you working on for 20/25/2025? You know, what's the goal? You know, just simple, just say the way that suits your fancy and have those conversations back and forth about what that person's goal is for 2025.

Now, the reason why it's a good idea to as this sort of thing is because you already know your priorities for 2025, for the coming year, for whatever it is that you want to do. But then if you cap off the year by talking to let's say 20 people that you spoke to that you did business in 2025 and you have a sense of what their priorities are for next year, what their goals are for next year already. You already have a sense of where your own goals, your own agenda, your own skill set can slot into those things.

So this could be the beginning of you calling up people in 2025 to say, hey, what's up, Happy New year, how's the family share? Holidays were OK, how's wife and kids, blah, blah, blah. How's your husband? This is that. Oh, by the way, in December when we spoke, you said 123 ABC. You know me, I was thinking I'm working on 456 over here and I'm thinking I have two of us join hands. You know, this is how we can do these things.

I mean, how you see them and they leave it like that and you hear what the person has to say. So some of these things are just straight up common sense that a whole bunch of us are not doing and we should be doing in our business. So we have that conversation about, so what's the goal for next year? What are you working on for 2025? You know, what do you have in your view, you know, blah, blah, blah. What's important for you?

What's the priority? What's your vision? However it is you want to put it, that's where you can now call them up in 2025 to say, oh, based on what we discussed, yes, I can be helpful. You know, this and this and that and that or me, I'm also working on this thing here and I'm going to need help around this and this and this. You with this your skill set and you with this goal that you're working on, if you plug in here,

you know, this is how we can move this thing forward. You know, I mean, how do you see it now? Should I come over? Let's let's discuss in some some more detail how we can make this thing work or should we do a Zoom call later on, like on that kind 9:00 PM. Let's see how this thing can work. So these are conversations that we should be having. And like I said, the reason why I was inspired to make this podcast episode is because I

called a former podcast collaborator and I thought there was some opportunities for her on terrestrial TV, particularly OnStar times. Terrestrial TV just means, you know, normal, normal old school TV, you know, like NTATV, you know, all these sorts of things where it's not, not DSTV, not digital. So I thought she would have, there was an opportunity on some terrestrial TV that, you know, might be good for her and her business.

And then of course, you know, she's like, who is this? You know, and I just thought, anyway, I just thought it was such a shame because before we collaborated on the podcast, I interviewed her for my podcast. We had a really interesting conversation. Well, at least a conversation that I thought was interesting. Got to do a lot about her. I mean, if you check my CRM on her and the information that I have there. And then of course, the small pinging back and forth that we do on LinkedIn, you know, I

thought we're getting to know us, know ourselves quite well. But then, you know, apparently was just one sided. So it was all like, oh, who is this? So you just got me thinking that there's a whole bunch of you who are doing business with people or collaborating with people and you're not even doing some of this basic stuff. You know, who are they? What are they about? What business are they in? What is their priorities or stuff like that?

Because you have to know some of these things. It's not as if I'm asking you to care for other people. You don't have to. It's just because we're trying to get somewhere in the world and we need some building blocks to put together. And sometimes we need resources in terms of money and sometimes we need resources in terms of people. So it's good to know which who are the people in your personal network, what they're handy with and how that's going to help.

Now it turned out that it was not important for her because she already is on terrestrial TV. So it means that my my guess was correct. It's just that I saw what she was doing on LinkedIn and I just thought, look, this thing makes sense now. If you put this thing on TV, it's going to pop and it's going to work like this like this, like that. So that's the reason why I called her so I know she's already on TV. So. So that was not necessary again.

But then like I said, it just got me thinking that there are a whole bunch of you who have collaborated with people in the past. You didn't bother to do some basic things, store their phone number, follow up with them, have conversations with them, figure out what they're about. Figure out how your both of your visions, your missions, you know, how everything works together and how you can be useful resources for each other going forward.

And then as I thought about it just occurred to me that of the people that I'd collaborated with on my podcast, because I don't interview too many people on the podcast, I have over 1002 episodes right now on the podcast, only one person was in live interview and that's because she knew how to handle it. That's afraid Nanette, the communications professional who is based out in America. So she handled the recording and everything.

So that one, her own is a live interview. So the other people I had just interviewed them and then spoken about the things that we spoke about. So it just occurred to me now of all the collaborators that we collaborated with in 2025, not too many of them, definitely less than 10, only one person had reached out to me. So we should be reaching out to people. And by the way, this is how when you start reaching out to people, it gets like a bitter taste in your other person's mouth because think about it.

So it's coming to the end of the year, only one person has saved me up. Now the other people, the next time they definitely call me. I now know that OK, these people, they definitely want something. So you can see how networking should be other centred or can be other centred. You only just don't pick up the phone when you definitely want something for someone. Anyway, don't mind me, I'm just fuffing about on the podcast.

I guess the summary that I'm trying to say here right now is I'm just trying to say take action. It's 2024, it's December, the year is almost at an end. Or pick up the phone or send a message. In fact, pick up the phone. Forget this message thing. Pick up the phone. Call your collaborators for 2024. I have some general conversation with him. Look, he's been good doing business with you this year, blah, blah, blah. He has good timings for 2025.

God bless our families, God bless our businesses, blah, blah, blah. Greater growth, greater progress. You know, all those conversations that we'd like to do in Nigeria and then keep conversation avenues open for the next year. That is just pretty much the scope. It's the end of the year. Pick up the phone, call these people. What's up? How you been? How's business? Nothing you are working on. Did he click? Oh, OK, that's cool.

So heading into next year, you'll go better for us. God to bless our families. God bless our children. God bless our wives, God to bless our husbands, blah, blah, blah, blah blah. What up mumsy? How is she doing? And this tenable economy self. So this 2025, how you gonna be now? Oh, OK, This is what you're working on. OK, no problem. And tell me more about this. OK, that sounds interesting and no problem. By the time, you know, we come back from Christmas back, you know, I'll buzz you so we can talk some more.

OK, All right, no problem. So reach your wife for me later. Regards to the kids, ma'am. Cut the phone. It's not that hard. Pick up your phone. You're probably not going to be too many people. I mean, worst case scenario, if you had a very busy year, maybe you have fifty of these phone calls to make. But if you have fifty of these phone calls to make, you can't do it now because as a date of this recording, this is December 9th.

If you're calling. Sorry. Excuse me, if you're calling three people every day between now and December 25th, I'll be how many days now? OK, let me not betray my mouth, but I'm not saying that you can do it. Even if it's fifty people you have to call, you can't do it. You just make up your mind that every single day you pick up the phone, try and call like, you know, 2-3, four of them. Not everybody wants our sense of messages, but we need to get these things going.

And this is how we start greasing the wheels, you know, for networking, for collaboration and for opportunities for 2025, for the next year. So like I said, this still applies. Even if you're listening to this podcast in 2036 and you want to do business in 2037, it still applies. So it's my prayer that for those of us listening to this episode now, whenever it is that you're listening to it, even if you're listening to this episode in 20802087.

I think by 2087, I should be dead and gone. But if this podcast episode is still available, then you know, the scope is still the same. And it's my prayer that as you're listening to this podcast that we wrap up the current year, that you're in strong. And then we look forward to the new year where it's going to be filled with opportunities for growth, opportunities for progress, not just for us, but for our partners, for our kids,

for those of us who have kids, for those of you who don't have kids anyway, that's another podcast episode. But that's, that's some fun things to look forward to. If you don't have kids, children are definitely a blessing. You know, they come with their own challenges, but it's a blessing. It's a good thing to look forward to. So it's my prayer that we wrap up this year strong and that we have wonderful opportunities to look forward to in 2025.

So if you'd love to connect with me, for those of you who are listening to this thing in, you know, 2097, I'm definitely dead. So there's no point in trying to connect with me except if whoever it is has taken over my business has come up with some AI replica or something. So the number is 080, 64662140, the country code is +234. And then connect with me on LinkedIn. That's the only social media that I'm on. But remember, for those of you listening to this podcast episode in, you know, 2097 or something like that, I'm definitely dead.

So it's not the real me you're talking to. You're talking to some AI version of me. So just bear that in mind. But for those of you listening to this in 2024, it's still me. I'm still here. So take advantage, you know, reach out, let's have a chat. It's always a pleasure for me to meet people who listen to my podcast. So thanks for your time and attention. I'll catch you guys at the next episode tomorrow.