Conscious ConnectionIn a blog I wrote 2 weeks ago, I shared the 5 things I did to rekindle my passion and get back in the game, after a period of time when I had completely lost my mojo.

Since then, I’ve had a few people reach out about one of these steps… cultivating meaningful connections. Because it’s one of the most profound of the five steps, I thought I would go a little deeper on the subject.

I’ve been consciously cultivating connections for decades now, whether through live events or personal connects where a friend follows their intuition and introduces me to someone via email. But with COVID, I’ve consciously upped my game knowing connection is more important than ever before.

SO… sensing you could also benefit from a little more “conscious connection,” here are seven things to keep in mind as you expand your circle of support.

#1: Make room in your schedule.

The first thing you need to do to cultivate meaningful connections is to make room in your schedule. I reserve two afternoons a week for connect calls with people I sense I am supposed to know. It’s set up for 25 minutes by phone – not Zoom. This allows me to step away from my computer and be truly present, either in my backyard or on a walk along the beach.

#2: Drop the agenda and let go of the outcome.

What’s important about these intuitive connect calls is that you come without an agenda or desire to get something out of it. Instead, get curious, ask questions, learn about the person and look for ways to support, encourage or serve. Is there a connection I can make for them or a resource I can share? Is there a potential friendship or collaboration? By remaining open to what’s possible, you allow the magic to unfold.

#3 Risk rejection.

I recently joined a mastermind hosted by my long-time mentor, Michael Hyatt. New to the community, I vowed to play full out and participate in each of the live Zoom calls held throughout the week. When I’m there, I am fully present, participate in the chat and small group breakouts. During each call, I look for 3 people I sense I’m supposed to meet and reach out with a private message to suggest we hop on a call. I include my scheduling link to make it easy. Am I risking rejection? Yes, but I now added a dozen really cool people to my circle of support.

#4 Show up and serve.

What I love most about trusting my gut when it comes to these calls, is that I am never disappointed. While some become clients, others become friends and still others I will eventually hire, it’s always about simply showing up to serve. That’s what happened last week when a mastermind colleague was feeling challenged that he had not received the guidance he had hoped for in the morning group call. The challenge he was grappling with is something I’ve navigated in my own business. A little wisdom and a quick follow up email with some resources was exactly what he needed. I not only got to serve him, I now have a new friend.

#5 Make time for the double win.

One of my favorite examples of creating conscious connections involves my amazing friend, Patty Farmer. We first met when we shared the stage at an event several years ago. It was an instant connection. But friendships don’t evolve on their own… they take time and vigilance. We have connected about every 4 months over all these years, making the time to look to support each other. Today, we are strategizing an even greater collaboration that will benefit both our businesses, as well as our souls.

#6: Trust and let the opportunity unfold.

Sometimes you have to trust your gut and stick with it for a while until the opportunity reveals itself. That’s the case with my friend, Armando Villa. He and I connected when I was working with Lisa Sasevich’s sales team at a live event. We instantly liked each other and kept in touch ever since, making time to talk every few months. Only now is the possible collaboration coming into focus, simply because we have both remained open and curious about where we can play. Timing is everything when it comes to consciously connecting.

#7 Be willing to make the first move

One of my favorite stories of cultivating connections happened in Vail, Colorado two years ago. I was on a mastermind retreat and the day’s activity was snowmobiling. Brand new to the group, I noticed one of the key players in the community didn’t have goggles for our trek across the snowy mountain range.  Although we had never met, I approached her and offered up my AmEx so she could rent goggles for the day. “I couldn’t do that,” she said. “Yes, you can, I insist,” I replied. The rest is history. Today, Michelle Cooper and I are not only clients of each other, we mastermind each week and are always at the other end of a text if needed.

The moral of these stories is this…

Whether you are at a live event (someday soon) or on yet another Zoom call, stay present to the possibilities that there are people you are meant to meet. Listen to that inner voice and make the move.

I did this 12 years ago at an event held by Marcia Wieder. A man stood up to ask a question and a small voice inside my head said, you need to know him. So, at the break, I walked up and said just that… Hi, I’m Jane and I think I am meant to meet you. That was my buddy, John Dulworth. He not only became my client, my coach, and lifelong friend, we also toured California together hosting live events. What if I had not followed my gut, taken a risk, shown up to serve or let go of the outcome and fear of rejection? I would have missed out on 12 years of fun and friendship with one of the coolest people I know.

How about you? Are you making room in your life and business to consciously cultivate meaningful connections? Are you willing to take a small risk for potentially big rewards?

If you do, I promise not only will you expand your circle of support, you will enrich your life beyond measure with some really cool people who will forever change your life.

Love, Jane

PS. Stay tuned… in October, one of my Tuesday Tips will be a deep dive into one of my all-time favorite topics… Revenue Generation!