May 20 : Networking Events

I met this guy on the train a couple days ago, just started talking about the weather and what not. Turns out he’s super into the entrepreneurship scene, and he happened to work at the national bank and he gave me free tickets to a networking event. I’ve been to a couple networking events now, and even in school, I’m always going to every single event. Me and him talked a lot about the start up life, I realized we’re kind of a similar. He’s really good at talking to people, and I’m not that good, but it seems like that’s the path I’m on as well. Anyway he told me that it’s not enough to come to these networking events and connect with people. They’re all here to encourage you and tell you that you got it, but they are not your customers. He specifically said one thing “Instead of being at a networking event of other business owners, try to be in a room full of customers”. The one thing you need for a business is a paying customer until then it’s just an idea. I’ve never had a product to sell to a consistent buying customer. That was really eye opening.

After that I went straight to a car dealership and talked to one of the salespeople there about an idea I had and how it could be beneficial. It’s the only industry where I actually have a small idea of what’s going on, might as well start there. I talked to a guy there, and he said I have guts coming into the dealership with a full suit, asking to do business with them, and when I left. He said I just shook hands with a future millionaire, and I thought to myself. I’m not worthy of praise until I am one, even then I don’t think the world needs more millionaires, the world needs people that solve important problems.

Even this blog, it’s turned into this feel good space, where I can say I did something wrong and people tell me it’s alright. It’s a good idea and everything, but I’m fooled by the praise of other people that I’m on my way to success not by actual success. It’s insane actually the amount of people that tell me I’m gonna be someone important, I’ve been hearing that since I worked my first internship at 15. The support is nice, but I feel like I turned it into a ego thing, like that I’m gonna make an impact no matter what, but honestly if I slow down. I won’t be anything, I’ll end up working a dead-end job, with good pay and live an average life. It’s not that I hate mediocrity, it’s more that I know I can do better than average, I know I can get there if I just push myself further.