It was a time in my life when I had two children at home and I was working to build my business that I found myself out and about everywhere. I attended just about every event I could find and that result was a HUGE stack of business cards sitting on my desk, haunting me daily. Also, was the amount of meetings I had added to my calendar for "one-on-one" appointments at local establishments like Starbucks.

These meetings were always interesting and I did truly enjoy getting to know other people and how they came up with the business they are in or how they found their way to the role they were in. And, I REALLY enjoyed my meetings with those people where it just clicked. You know what I mean?! The ones where you talk for two hours and didn't realize how that happened. You had a back and forth conversation of ideas, passions, dreams, etc...etc..

The problem came when I got busy after those awesome meetings to go on and have the "flip-chart" meetings. I'm sure you have been there (and hopefully you weren't the one doing the flipping...). The one where the other person gets out their flip-chart and proceeds to talk to you one-sided for 45 minutes and asks you at the end how you can refer them or join their business? AAAHH!! I HATED those and one day I had had my last one. I came home from work to my two kids, turned to my husband and said, "there HAS to be a better way". There has to be a more efficient way to meet and stay connected to those people I "clicked" with and avoid the ones that I just don't.

Now, I'm NOT saying quit trying to meet people, or start judging from the cover, but I am asking you to look at the places you have gone and analyze the ones where you found those people. Maybe there is a pattern, maybe there is a single source, and spend your time there. Work to meet those people and the people they know. It is great to have the opporunity to gather 60 business cards in one meeting, but what does it really mean? It probably means you will end up over-networked, lose some quality productivity time trying to filter through them and probably sit through some flip-chart meetings. Save yourself, your business and your family some time and just focus on the quality sources that bring you the support you need.