Good morning all: I attended a Contribution Networking Party event last night here in Seattle. It was amazing! Think "pay it forward" on steroids.
Contribution Networking Party was started locally by a real estate agent by the name of Thach Nguyen. Thach: If you're reading this thanks again. You're on the right track.
The amazing thing about Contribution Networking (www.contributionnetworkingparty.com) is the focus on helping other people with no intention of getting anything back. Again, this isn't a new concept. For all of you who have seen the movie "Pay it Forward" or bought someone's drink at Starbucks, you know the concept.
What amazed me about last nights event was how we broke up into one-to-one talks with people we had never met and for 10 minutes each found out all about the other person in order to connect them to our sphere of influence. I think alot of us know how to do this intuitively. I just thought the format was great. We were specifically told to pick someone we wouldn't normally choose to talk to and have a conversation.
All in all, this is a growing movement. It doesn't cost anything to join; you just pay for the food and drink served. On April 26, up to 1,000 people are expected at a Mercedes Benz dealership in Seattle. All the feedback I've heard is positive. It seems when you get a bunch of givers in one room incredible things happen. I'm planning on going into the office today and connecting a couple people I met with people in my sphere.
If you're in the Seattle area I encourage you to attend the next event. If you're in another city, contact Thach Nguyen at John L. Scott Real Estate and ask how they started the group. Again, it seems to be a wave. And I think it works. The wheels are turning! Have a great day!
Paul McFadden
We just attended something like this last month. It was out of my comfort zone, but it was fun and interesting.
Heather: it seems to be growing. Yes, I admit it can be awkward. But in the long run I think we all should experience something like this. There were people there last night who looked and sounded seasoned but admitted the first time they did it, they were not polished at all. We all know presentation skills are important. I think events such as this allow us to think selflessly and to fine tune our approach. Thanks again!