It's Just Coffee

There has only been one moment of levity on Wall Street in the last 2 weeks.  It was Friday, July 29 when the Smurfs rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange.  Smurfette, the one on the left with yellow hair, is my daughter, Arielle.  Her fifteen minutes of fame at the Exchange was a few days after being with Katie Perry and Brooke Shields on the "red" (actually, blue) carpet at the movie premiere.  On that day, the actresses had on couture clothing and bling while Arielle was dressed as...Papa Smurf.

How does a 21 year old get to hang out with movie stars and then get VIP treatment on the floor of the Exchange?   One could simply write it off as a benefit of living in New York City...or being at the right place at the right time...or, my least favorite, being lucky.  On the other hand, one could attribute her experience to a willingness to take a calculated risk.

When Arielle agreed to this opportunity, she didn't know what any of the perquisites would be.  Being a Smurf doesn't quite meet any of the typical criteria for opportunities that might advance her education--she is an International Relations major and law school bound without any hint of acting/theater aspirations.  The only information she had was that she'd be running around New York City during a heat wave wearing a heavy blue outfit and getting paid $100 for each event.  Nevertheless, it sounded fun...she had the time...it was safe, and it was legal.  (Yes, I am grateful that it met all three criteria.) 

It's easy to identify an opportunity when it is presented as a promotion, attached to a salary increase and packaged into a press release with corporate fanfare.  But, how do you recognize those subtle moments when a door gently opens...just waiting for you to walk through it?  It's not luck. It's a process. 

Here are a few tips that have served me well.  They combine a little intuition with an intense commitment to developing relationships.

1) Listen to your gut. Don't over-analyze.   In mid-2008, Dan Buettner, author of Blue Zones, didn't have the name recognition and fame he has today. But, when he jokingly invited me to participate in a longevity expedition to Greece, I immediately called my husband, and told him I'd be away for 3 weeks.  Given my diva approach to vacations, I knew that I'd never have another chance to experience Greece with a rugged explorer.   Spontaneous?  A little.  A calculated risk?  Absolutely.  The trip sounded adventurous and I had the time.  I didn't ask too many questions about safety; since I speak Greek and have a credit card, I figured I could get out of any untoward circumstances.  Little did I know that this experience would fundamentally transform my view of health and health care in addition to fueling a myriad of speaking and media opportunities.  

Pay attention (!)  if you have an initial fleeting thought of "That's really interesting" or "I'd love to do that sometime" or "Wow...that's a once in a lifetime opportunity."  Look for ways to take advantage of new experiences instead of ignoring your piqued interest and/or getting paralyzed by over-analyzing barriers. 

2) Take the cold call and listen. Mickey Beyer-Clausen, CEO of Mental Workout, found my cell phone number and called to introduce himself.  No referral.  No e-intro from a mutual colleague.  It was tempting to say, "Sorry, I have no time," but instead, I took my own "how to" advice, risked 5 minutes and listened as he explained that his company was reinventing psychology with mobile applications.  Within a few minutes, it was clear that he had an innovative and disruptive health care technology.  Eight months later, not only have we forged a formal business relationship, but Mickey also introduced me to a company (now a client) with groundbreaking innovation around hospital-acquired infections. (More on that in a future blog.)

We all receive our share of unsolicited calls.  Talk to every single one; engage in the conversation for long enough to make an informed decision about the potential synergy with the caller.  The calculated risk is miniscule: lose some time versus lose a chance to participate in meaningful change.

3)  Carry your business card.  Meet for coffee.  Don't show up with an agenda.  Introductions occur every day...at work, the health club, at dinner parties, in the grocery store aisle.  With a few, there will be an immediate connection.  Why?  Who knows?  There isn't enough time or interaction in the 7 second "meet and greet" to figure it out.  However, if you simply walk away, you are likely to lose the connection forever.  Hand them a business card, get their contact information, send a follow up note and arrange to have coffee.  (Note to self: Pay for their coffee.)

Has a colleague, a friend, or a relative proactively offered to introduce to one of his or her contacts?  Never, ever turn them down or procrastinate for so long that the opportunity passively vanishes. But, what if the individual is outside of your industry, your educational/professional background, or (gasp) above or below your grade level?   What if you can't see an obvious link between what you do and can't think of a business reason to meet with them?   Don't pre-judge; don't speculate.  There is no risk if you are genuine and don't expect anything in return.  Just show up, learn everything about what they do and, if there is time, take a few moments to tell them about yourself. 

To many, it may seem like an extraordinary time commitment to meet or talk to virtually every individual who suddenly appears in your world for the mere handful of conversations that might materialize into a valuable or profitable interaction.  But, there is more than that. With each conversation, you get smarter and expand your potential as you are introduced to a new thought, a new industry, a new perspective, or a new cause. In the article, How Aha! Really Happens, the authors describe a concept the  concept of intelligent memory:

"From the moment you're born, your brain takes things in, breaks them down, and puts them on shelves. As new information comes in, your brain does a search to see how it might fit with other information already stored in your memory. When it finds a match, the previous memories come off the shelf and combine with the new, and the result is a thought. The breaking down and storing process is analysis. The searching and combining is intuition. Both are necessary for all kinds of thought. Even a mathematical calculation requires the intuition part, to recall the symbols and formula previously learned in order to apply them to the problem. When the pieces come off the shelf smoothly, in familiar patterns — such as simple addition you’ve done many times — you don’t even realize it has happened. When lots of different pieces combine into a new pattern, you feel it as a flash of insight, the famous “aha!” moment."

That's a pretty good return-on-investment for the price of a cup of coffee. 

Create Health,
Archelle