Guest Opinion: Bridge jumpers welcome
By Michelle DeClerck | Founder, Conference Event Management
During your upbringing, you likely heard more clichés and sayings than you wanted to. Some actually made you roll your eyes because you weren’t allowed to talk back, including “if your friends all jumped off a bridge, would you?”
Today we know that under the right circumstances, we most likely would jump off the bridge — metaphorically, anyway — because those friends we associate with are the ones who have planted some pretty big seeds within us and have helped us get where we are today.
Perhaps you have a few bridge jumpers in your network — the ones willing to bungee jump down to the base or climb over the top. It’s healthy to have adventurous friends. It’s easy to pick them out; they’re the ones who truly make us question why we’re so serious all the time, and their spirit moves us in ways we can’t explain.
By spending time with them, we quickly realize they’re wired a bit differently than us. They’re comfortable taking risks, and they’re good at helping us move the needle out of our comfort zone. On a peripheral level, it may not be easy to rationalize this relationship because of so many personality differences, yet for some reason, you know there’s a reason you remain connected and you wouldn’t want it any other way.
As for our core group with whom we associate, we’re more alike than different. Within my network, I lean toward those who are upbeat and optimistic, who operate on the same integrity level, who make me feel welcome and glad I showed up, and who often find the same joy I do in volunteering. I also love a great business conversation, so I’m often connecting with women business owners where “been that, done that” becomes the reality as we walk through our current business issues.
It’s hard to put a solid number on how many hours I spend networking each week, especially due to my travel schedule. Yet I would say I have the benefit of averaging 10 hours per week. I never regret the opportunity to meet new people and, of course, reconnecting with my current connections.
The next time you’re asked for a get together, you may just find a need to say yes. Your next big idea — or even one of your new best friends — may come as a result. If you go into it open, you may discover a few more bridge jumpers to add to your network. You won’t regret it and you may be off for an adventure you never dreamed possible.
Michelle DeClerck founded Conference Event Management (CEM) and Financial Speakers Bureau. This past year she became a Goldman Sachs 10KSB Graduate, Enterprising Women Award winner; SBA Iowa Women in Business Champion of the Year; Inspiring Women of Iowa – Character Award winner and Smart Meetings Top Influential Woman – Innovator of the Year award recipient. She founded Iowa Hospitality Donation Network (IHDN) to rescue usable products from hospitality venues and get them into the hands of the hungry and homeless. She sits on the Executive Council for Iowa Women Lead Change, the Governor’s Million Women Mentors Council, the West Des Moines Business Incubator Board, the NAILBA Foundation Board and Opportunity on Deck Board. She also enrolled her company in Iowa’s Epic Corporate Challenge to foster opportunities for women at all levels of their careers.
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