I have been ‘Business Woman of the Year’ for 90 days now. The most impressive and valuable aspect is in my opinion meeting many new business contacts.
I visit the USA often for business affairs and I have been maintaining, renewing and expanding my network there for twenty years. In my business of arranging trips, your business network makes or breaks you. ‘People business’, this is my business and I can make a difference in it. The funny thing is that it makes me happy myself. Especially the way Americans handle their networks, no favoring old acquaintances, but rather try to make a connection with important strangers.
My experience is that this can lead to surprising contacts. In retrospect it is often not a coincidence to have met certain people. I must have had at least 10 encounters with others who I thought I could never work with. However, a few days or weeks later it became clear how much I was in need of those people. There is no thing such as coincidence. Only by a physical connection and by looking somebody in the eye it can be valuable, that is my experience.
How many times in the past did I think I was too busy with my company, an excuse to perhaps not create a network in the Netherlands? Followed by me deciding to go play golf or attend a certain meeting, which led to meeting people I work with to this day.
The funny thing is that many of the Dutch citizens are startled if you go up to them and introduce yourself. Luckily I can now add the weight of being ‘Business Woman of the Year’. Then you can practically see the eyes and doors open right in front of you. Extraordinary!
Elske Doets
a.k.a. Spirit Bear
Owner and President of Jan Doets America Tours
www.elskedoets.nl – Twitter: @DoetsElske – Instagram: elskedoets – www.jandoets.nl/Elske