Connecting
👋Playing the long game
In today’s issue, I share a little slice of life, how it began with an idea, and end with some encouragement for you to take action. If you’re not already a subscriber or supporter, you can become one here:
I got up at 4:52 a.m. the other day. I wasn’t sleeping well. I had already woken up at two something and then three something. My mind was occupied, thinking about everything I had to do. And so, while I’m not really a morning person, I decided to get up.
I sat down at my computer and worked through something that I needed to get done. A client had provided some initial information and requested feedback a few weeks ago and I would be seeing this client later that morning. I felt chagrinned I hadn’t been able to get to it sooner — and felt a little better after I had reviewed and analyzed it.
I identified and prioritized my next actions for the day. It was going to be a busy one and being intentional in identifying what was most important for the day was calming.
I looked down, saw the time and knew I needed to go shower and get ready for the day. After being lovely and sunny to start the week, the weather had turned rainy and grey. I suited up and layered in the most cheerful lightweight V-neck sweater I have to try and brighten the mood.
…
I got home around ten thirty that night.
In between, I hosted colleagues and clients at an industry conference, had five meetings, an entertaining happy hour, and a drink with my boss.
It was a good day.
An idea
About two decades ago, some people had an idea. As ideas sometimes do, this idea required resources to execute. And so this annual conference was born, as a primary way to raise funds for this initiative. It started small. But each year, it grew. Eventually it outgrew the capacity of the largest Hilton in town. Then the largest Marriott. It was even held in a basketball arena one year. People fly in from other cities to be a part of it.
During the pandemic, it went virtual. Then hybrid for a few years. Now it’s back fully in person as the signature event in our industry.
It’s been going for 19 years now and I’ve had the opportunity to attend most of them. Every year, I arrive early and excited like a kid on Christmas morning.
I used to post up immediately outside one of the main entrance doors to the ballroom with a good line of sight so I could say hello and shake hands with as many attendees as possible as they headed into their table.
Each year, like at a wedding reception with a plated meal, it’s a labor of love trying to curate the optimal guest list for our table, finding the intersection of the conference theme, keynote speaker and client interests.
It made me smile when I noticed one guest exchanging cell phone numbers with another guest at our table before he left.
And that’s the thing. Sure, there’s a keynote speaker (this year it was Willy Walker). Good food. A shared experience. But it really comes down to the individual moments and the individual connections made and renewed.
Someone I haven’t seen in real life in many years came over after the conference. It was a delightful surprise and we expressed a mutual interest in meeting up. In the days since, we’ve had an email and text exchange and I’m looking forward to catching up.
Connecting
It doesn’t ultimately matter if your “connecting language” is coffee, brunch, lunch, happy hour or something else. What matters is that you connect.
If there’s someone on your mind, I encourage you to reach out. Send them a text. Write them an email. Or go old school with a letter or postcard. Give them a call (even if it’s only eight minutes).
And then make plans to meet up in real life. That’s where the magic happens.
Have your own story of a day in the life or a connection you want to share? Feel free to share in the comments or subscriber chat.
May you have a fantastic day.
Be well,
-Bryce
PS: I recently created an index of every
post by theme which you may find helpful if you want to go deeper in a particular area.
With full-time travel, I have appreciated each new connection more and more. Whether it is virtual or through meetups over lunch or coffee from people in our travel group who happen to be in the same cities. We have made so many great connections around the world.
I completely agree! The medium of connection doesn’t matter as much as the intention behind it. In a world where it's so easy to get caught up in the busyness of life, taking a moment to reach out and connect can make a huge difference. Whether it's over coffee, a walk in the park, or a simple text message, it’s about showing that you care and are thinking of someone. https://www-mcdvoice.com/
Thank you for this beautiful reminder to nurture our relationships.