How often do you hear people around you saying that? In this anti-downshifting environment it’s quite normal to express the desire to be there but also point out the possibility of your absence. It’s what we do. And it’s a great excuse as well.

Just the other day a dear collaborator of mine called me early in the morning to ask me to come down to a business networking event. I’ve heard of the event a few days in advance but I wasn’t quite sure I can make it. well, to be honest I didn’t even think it will benefit me that much, considering it was slightly out of my area of immediate interest.

Boy was I wrong. I agreed to come since I quite value this person and a refusal on my part would’ve been interpreted as lack of interest. So I went downtown, arrived at the coffee house, ordered a big latte & lemonade and waited. Quite a few familiar faces around, friends of mine as well. This was a pretty familiar setting, so conversations went on smoothly, presentations were quite interesting.

But the most amazing thing happened (you might not find this amazing, but it’s the first time that it happened to me – and hopefully not the last). I was having a discussion about best practices in online brand management with one of my fellow online entrepreneurs at which point a young lady asked if she could listen in. We all agreed and went on about the topic. Few minutes into the discussion two other ladies sat down and acknowledged that our discussion is quite interesting and they would like to know more.

Turn out one of them is dealing with the marketing department of a cosmetic manufacturer, another a PM for a management consulting company and the last one a hostel owner.  Quite a varied audience, yet we all managed to discuss the topic in terms everyone could understand.

Matter of fact is that during this particular event I closed a deal, negotiated another and followed back on two others the next day.

Now what I’ve learned is that the further you go from your vertical the higher the demand gets for your particular skill set.

But the most important lesson you should learn is that you no longer can say that you’ll make it. You have to make it, you owe it to yourself.