Networking – Eastern Shore Connect

4th Annual Millennial Summit – A Success

Wilmington, DE – The 4th Annual Millennial Summit (#MILLSUMMIT) took on a new feature this past week by going 100% virtual and expanding to a three day conference!

The theme for this year’s conference was Your 20/20 Vision. Even though the “vision” of the 2020 #MILLSUMMIT adjusted due to the pandemic, the determination of the Planning Committee to pull together its annual one-of-a-kind, interdisciplinary conference for young professionals, rising stars, innovators, and industry leaders to connect and grow was still there. Keynote and CEO of REACH Riverside, Logan Herring, Sr. said it best, “We don’t make excuses. We make things happen.”

The #MILLSUMMIT took place online over August 3 – 5, 2020, and featured more than 75 local, regional, and national experts who provided more than 30 hours of content to attendees to watch in real-time or on demand. The 700+ unique attendees at this year’s event zoomed in from 30 different states and abroad, including the United Kingdom and Greece. Thanks to the #MILLSUMMIT app, attendees could connect with each other and the many mentors, speakers, and business coaches who participated this year. Attendees maintain access to the recorded sessions until August 14, 2020.

The user experience was exceptional and created opportunities for networking digitally thanks from the speakers and the dynamically focused panel discussions. Attendee Joshua Fournier, who participated from Massachusetts, agreed: “For doing [#MILLSUMMIT] virtually, it was awesome!”
“In May, our Planning Committee announced the difficult but necessary decision to move this year’s #MILLSUMMIT to a 100% virtual experience” commented Charlie Vincent, Executive Director of Spur Impact, the nonprofit which manages and organizes the #MILLSUMMIT. “We learned a lot over the past few weeks, and in the end provided a meaningful and unique opportunity for hundreds of young and seasoned professionals from around the country to connect over a variety of unfiltered and timely discussions about entrepreneurship, leadership, nonprofits, and other critical economic development topics, including many related to COVID, Black Lives Matter, homelessness, and food insecurity. Most importantly, the attendees learned what steps they can do to take meaningful action, and make a bigger local impact in their career and community.”

Glenn Jackson, Senior VP of M&T Bank spoke about how, ‘If you’re comfortable, you’re not growing.’ in one of the sessions on Tuesday. Sarah Fulton, Development Director at Spur Impact added, “Being forced to move virtually has positioned the Millennial Summit team and Spur Impact to make even more of an impact among the local young professional community in the coming months. Our team is full of Zoom experts, and we effectively eliminated travel barriers to our conference – which we think is especially important given the upcoming I-95 renovations that we’ve been dreading for next year. With our redesigned digital infrastructure, we have an amazing opportunity to continue to connect with young professionals and industry leaders both here in Delaware and across the country.”

The featured keynotes for the 2020 #MILLSUMMIT were:

● John Henry, an Entrepreneur, Investor,
Co-Founder, Partner Harlem Capital,
Former Host, VICE TV’s ‘Hustle’, and Forbes 30 under 30

● Kimmi Wernli, Owner and President of Crazy Richard’s Peanut Butter

● Logan Herring, CEO of REACH Riverside

The 2020 #MILLSUMMIT was supported in part by:
● Capital One, Title Sponsor
● M&T Bank
● Wilmington Trust
● JPMorgan Chase & Co.
● New Castle County Government
● AARP Delaware
● Barclays Bank
● Cooperative Credit Union Association
● ChristianaCare
● Delaware Prosperity Partnership

Stay tuned for expanded coverage of #MILLSUMMIT to be announced in the coming weeks at millsummit.com or follow @MillSummit on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

###
#MILLSUMMIT is the region’s one of a kind event that gathers hundreds of professionals of all ages and backgrounds; connecting professionals, difference makers, rising stars, and other leaders who want to make an impact in their community.

#MILLSUMMIT aims to inspire everyone who attends to speak up and get involved, grow professionally, meet visionaries and innovators trying to move the needle, and to take a seat at the table and start making a difference.

#MILLSUMMIT offers opportunities to learn about leadership, professional development, nonprofit and community service, government and public service, the arts, personal development and wellness, entrepreneurship, finance, and more.

Are you an Active Listener?

“Most of the successful people I’ve known are the ones who do more listening than talking.” Bernard Baruch

To know whether you are an Active Listener is to understand what is Active Listening.

Active listening is when you are talking with someone you pay attention to the conversation and take the time to understand what the person is telling you. Your focus is on what’s being said to you, digest what is being said and if needed ask questions that will give you a better understanding of what you are being told.

Many times we really aren’t listening. While that person is talking we often are formulating an answer before we really understand what the person is trying to convey. By allowing them to finish you have a better idea on what it is that they truly want or need. You also shouldn’t only be listening to the words, but looking at their body language. Really get the feeling of what they are saying.

The last thing you should be doing is simply waiting for the person to finish so that we can do the talking. Waiting to give the sales pitch. This is a clear sign that shows you aren’t listening, or even concerned.

It’s very possible that after listening you can’t help them, and the only thing they get out of the conversation is that you were there for them to talk. Someone to listen to them, listen to their problem. And maybe that is all they needed.

But by listening you have build trust. And people like to do business with people they trust. Trust builds a relationship. Where that relationship goes could be to someplace that ends up benefiting you both.

# # # #

As we network we often invite others to have a 1-on-1, either have coffee, lunch or simply a phone call with a person we just meet. This is the time when we should be actively listening. Spend time getting to know them, and then allow them to know you. Build that relationship and see how it grows.

6 Things: Being Productive at Home During Covid-19

For over a month now many of us have been working at home due to Covid-19. How are you adjusting? Here are 6 tips that may help get you to the point that you can comfortably work at home. I’m sure most of you are there, especially those who regularity work from home.

1) Keep your Schedule/Create a Schedule.
You had a pretty regular schedule before, why aren’t you keeping it now? Of course things may be different, you may be working at home with your spouse, or have kids that are home doing school work.. You schedule may have been forced to change. Find or create a schedule that works and keep to it, just as you would have been doing.

2) Create a Workspace
Are you now working at home all of the time, instead of a few hours per week? Before you may have been working at your kitchen table. Now you may have to share it. Create a space for you. It may only be in a corner in the spare room, one that you may have to share with your spouse and kids. Hopefully it can be yours, but if not create a work schedule (see Tip 1).

3) Learn New Things
Do you no longer have a commute? Now forced to do video calls? Take that time to catch up on some training that you’ve put off or some new ones.

4)Take Care of Yourself
It’s way too easy to walk to the fridge to get a snack. Now is not the time to develop bad habits. Continue your daily routines and get some exercise.

5) Be Creative
The old saying is when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. That’s one way of being creative in the ways you do things. Working from home is not the same as working in an office, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t do the same things. Just find new and creative ways to do them.

6) Don’t be Alone
We are in a time of Self-isolation with limited physical contact with people. But that doesn’t mean no contact. Have a question you would usually ask a co-worker. Now you can’t go to their work area, but you can pick up the phone. They actually may be glad to hear your voice. The same for clients. Those that you are actively working with and those that you have worked with in the past. Have a conversation with a former client and see how you may be able to help.

Have you been going to networking events, Rotary, Lions, BNI or other Business type Networking events, etc. and are missing them. Contact the leaders and see if it’s possible to do remote video calls.

I know that these are logical tips, but maybe you just needed to see them to change the way you are currently working to one where you can work better.

——-
Note:
There is an Eastern Shore Connect Networking Video Call each Thursday at noon. Our link can be found on the Facebook Page or email for the link

6 Things to Consider: How to be Successful During Challenging Times

6 Things to Consider
How to be Successful During Challenging Times

In the course of the life of a business, and one in business, there are good times and times that are more challenging. Some come naturally and others are forced upon us, such as now during the time of Covid-19.

Listening to many business leaders around me I have come up with these 6 items to help you through those challenging times.

#1 – Be a Leader
Many will look at a challenging time as a time to reflect. But what you really want to be is be a leader and help yourself and others get through those times. Look of it as an opportunity and not a challenge.

#2 – Not a Time to Stop Spending Completely
A first reaction is to find ways to conserve your finances. And the quickest and easiest is to stop spending. Of course you’re going to pay those essential expenses such as rent, electric etc. But it’s not the right time to cut back on Advertising. Especially if your competition is still spending and even more important if they are not.

#3 – Reach Out to Others
Reach out to your clients. Your present ones and ones that you’ve done business with in the past. Ask them how you can help them. Also reach out to those who you have meet while Networking. This is true during any time since even those can be a referrer.

#4 – Look to Social Media
This is especially true during the current times since more people are spending more time on social media. But which one? Facebook and Instagram are the two biggest today, but you’d only want to use whichever social media platforms that your potential clients will be using. For me it’s these two, but there are others and they may be better suited for you. Some of those are Pinterest, Snap Chat, and Tik-Top, just to ahem a few. If you are on Facebook, it loves it when you Like, Share and Comment on post.

#5 – Don’t Reinvent, Be Innovated
Look at what is working and keep doing it. If it’s not working, maybe it has never really been working. Try new things.

#6 – Don’t Be Afraid to Go Virtual
Even before being forced to go Virtual there was a fear of going Virtual and not meeting in person. Either as part of an Networking Events, or having a 1 on 1. I know since I was one. With Covid-19 we have been forced to do it. However, some of us are still afraid. Don’t be. It’s like everything, the more you do it, the more natural it becomes.

—–
In the coming days I will be working to expand this with more information under each of the 6 Items. Sign up to received the completed piece.

Networking Events – Week of March 9, 2020

Networking in Talbot! What’s Up For Lunch?
Tuesday,March 10, & March 17 | 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Washington Street Pub (20 N Washington Street), Easton

Come join us for great business to business networking and lunch. Meet & greet 11:30 a.m. to noon, round-table/presentation noon to 12:30 p.m., and lunch with conversations will follow until 1:00 p.m. Events are free to attend. Lunch is available for purchase by Washington Street Pub.

There are no memberships or fees to join our networking dates. We are a “show up” kind of networking group with fun discussions and good conversation. Bring yourself, bring a friend, and grab a few business cards to make great Mid-Shore connections!

Thanks Discover Easton, What’s Up Media and Talbot Chamber of Commerce for being the Networking Host

Networking in Annapolis
Every Tuesday, 7:30am at Iron Rooster Annapolis – Free Networking and a Free Workshop.
On March 10th, strategist and business coach Lee Crumbaugh. will present “Responding to the Threat of Coronavirus to Our Businesses.” Lee will identify potential mitigating actions and strategic and operating changes that you can take now to mitigate the possible damage and make your business more resilient. Open networking until 8am, followed by announcements and introductions. Then a free workshop.

Every Wednesday, 11:30am at O’Loughlin’s Restaurant and Pub, in Arnold, Free Networking and a Free Workshop.
On March 11th Laura Gordon Buckley will present, “The Goal Achievement Model”. Explore new ways to dealing with stress in the modern workplace. Then a free workshop. As Usual, No Fees, No Memberships, No Rules

Thanks John and Michelle Maggio of Hawk Marketing for being the Networking Hosts.

—-

Dates to put on your Calendar.
What’s Up at 98 Cannon in Chestertown – Monday, March 23 – 5-7pm

Networking in Talbot Evening Business Mixer
March 24 | 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Doc’s Downtown Grille (14 N Washington Street)
Join us for networking and great food at Doc’s Downtown Grille for our March Evening Business Mixer from 5-7 p.m. Doc’s will have happy hour drinks and menu specials. Enjoy a relaxed atmosphere to mix, mingle, and network with locals!
The event is free to attend. Bring business cards and a friend or two to enjoy great food & conversation!

—–

The Need for Business Contacts

“Content builds relationships. Relationships are built on trust. Trust drives revenue.”
– Andrew Davis

You may be thinking, I’m in retail and don’t really have a need for any business contacts. Even though your consumer is the average person, there are times you need a business. Insurance, Book Keeping, Lawyer, Tradesman (plumber, electrician, etc.) or Personal Brand Photographer.

You should create a network of business contacts. The number of contacts aren’t as important as the value of these contacts to you and your business.

How do they bring value?

The biggest value comes from referrals. People like to do business with people they know. This is a phrase you will hear from me often. Often people will ask others for a referral. Even though you may not be doing business yourself with that business contact, they may think of you.

Why should you be Networking?
– People like doing business with people they know
– Brings your name as a expert in your field
– Builds a network of referrals

Are you Networking enough? I have created this site for those who may not be able to attend Networking events. Or you may not know where to go to Network. I am working to create networking opportunities on the shore.

Each week, probably sometime Monday morning, I’ll be posting a list of Networking Opportunities on the Eastern Shore.

People Want to do Business with People They Know!

One of the way we get to know people is through Networking.

The Eastern Shore of Maryland MD Eastern Shore covers a large region. Even when you divide it in half.

The purpose of this site is to assist us in Networking on the Northern Eastern Shore. This would include Caroline, Cecil, Kent Queen Anne’s, Talbot and North Dorchester (Cambridge and North) counties. Both face to face Networking by letting us know when and where Networking events are being held. As well as doing online networking through conversations on this page.

In the upcoming months I hope to create and host networking opportunities in Chestertown, Denton, Centreville, Kent Island and other locations on the shore.

As entrepreneurs we want to grow our business and this is one of those resources to help us grow.