Chapter 11 & 12 - Never Eat Alone | Share Your Passions

Title drop!

Chapter 11 Recap

In this chapter the author dives into how he manages to connect with so many people. How does he manage his time and his appointments. As you can probably guess from the chapter title, he doesn’t eat alone! He makes it a point to never do anything alone and finds activities to do with people he wants to connect with. Whether it be meals, a 15-minute coffee, working out.. he takes every opportunity to schedule a meeting with someone.

A key point he did make early in the chapter is to never disappear; to remain visible and active in your network. Quote, “Invisibility is a fate far worse than failure”. What this means is to always keep trying and probably failing, but never stop. Include others into whatever you are doing as it benefits everyone to expand their network.

Chapter 12 Recap

In many ways this chapter is an extension to the previous chapter on how the author uses every activity as an opportunity to connect with someone. He comments on why ’networking events’ is not an effective venue for people to network because they are often filled with unemployed people with nothing in common (lol). Events centered around shared interests are much more effective as you will have something in common with the people attending them. Relationships built around a shared passion is much more meaningful and probably easier to forge. When you are passionate about something, it is contagious and people can feel it. Make a list of things you are passionate about and then use them as a guide to the events and activities you should be seeking out. Of course, you’ll have to consider what the other person likes as well.

Some examples by the author:

1. 15-min cup of coffee
2. Conferences
3. Hobby
4. A meal
5. Special event - Theater, book signing, concert
6. House party
7. Volunteering

Make sure not to neglect important existing relationships in life while doing all this connecting with others. The more you reach out, the less challenging it’ll be.

Thoughts

There were some nice ideas on how to find the right environment to make connections with people. As an introvert, I dread a reality where every waking moment, every single activity, is a shared experience with someone else. I do see the value and importance of staying connected with my network, just not to the extent described by the author. Sometimes I do realise that I’m a bit of an island, I rarely actively reach out to others or take the initiative to meet new people and perhaps that should change.

I was very lucky to receive many opportunities via my connections and being more connected can definitely increase one’s ’luck’. But to fill every empty slot on my calendar… I respectfully decline. I’m sure there is a comfortable middle ground for me, but I’ll have to put in the effort to do it.