Have you ever walked into a networking event, name tag on, and quietly wondered what you were actually doing there? Most business owners have. The difference between a room that drains you and a room that grows your business is often your networking mindset, not the room itself.
That was one of the two things I talked about with Jarrod Goldsmith, founder of eSAX, The Entrepreneur Social Advantage Experience, Ottawa’s entrepreneur networking community for small business. The other was something I have believed in for my whole career: the value of having a coach.
You can find the episode page on the eSAX site here: eSAX podcast featuring Pierrette Raymond with Jarrod Goldsmith.
Building businesses in Ottawa
Jarrod and I had both spent years in the Ottawa small business community. At the time of our conversation, I had just celebrated 20 years with 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Ottawa, where I was a founding franchise partner, alongside Moving Forward Matters, the home transition company my team had run since 2010, and my coaching and consulting work with business owners and executives.
What connected all of it was the same thing my clients wanted: to simplify their lives and their businesses, and to make the most of their time, their money and their energy.
Why a networking mindset matters more than your pitch
Networking works best when you walk in knowing why you came. Not to hand out the most business cards, but to have a few real conversations, to listen well, and to look for the people you can help as much as the ones who can help you. That shift alone changes how the evening feels, and what comes from it.
It is the same principle I write about when I talk about creating a vivid vision for your life and business. When you are clear on where you are going, you know which conversations matter.
The value of having a coach
As a coach, and as a business owner who has been coached, I know how easy it is to stay too close to your own business to see it clearly. A good coach asks the questions you are too busy to ask yourself. They help you see what is working, what is costing you, and what you have been tolerating for far too long.
If you want to start that kind of reflection on your own, these two posts are a good place to begin: Is your business working for you? and the three things I stopped tolerating in my business and my life.
Your networking mindset, this week
Before your next event, write down one intention. Who would you like to meet? What would you like to learn? And who in the room might you be able to help? Then go in with curiosity, and notice how different the conversations feel.
Thank you, Jarrod
My thanks to Jarrod Goldsmith and the eSAX community for the conversation and for everything they do for Ottawa’s small business owners. You can find more from eSAX on the eSAX YouTube channel.
These days I continue these conversations every week on my own channel. If you would like to keep going, subscribe to At the Heart of It All on YouTube.
