I was just having a conversation about the shifting values amongst new entrepreneurs with a friend over dinner. This article really validates my observations. Thanks for giving all of us creatives a new sense of identity and community.

Zita,

You are the best at teaching people to network, hands down. I took that Networking 101 class of yours when I joined eWomen, and now I'm reading Sandra Yancey's book, "Relationship Networking." I can proudly say that I learned all this from you! Not only that, but I find myself networking in the strangest places...I sat down at a coffee shop the other day only to find that I was next to a barefoot farrier, and we were in the middle of Santa Monica! The odds of that happening are slim to none, but I'm finding that the more comfortable I am talking to the people around me, wherever I am, the more people I find that I need to network with.

Thanks for doing what you do best!

Wow! Great stuff, and presented concisely. Thanks, Susan, too, for posting your links. I will definitely be spiffing up my business in Google maps.

Dustin, I liked your point about businesses that "are" but are not "becoming" anything. This was a realization I had about my business. I wasn't passionate about it because it seemed like it would be the same thing day in and day out for the rest of my life with no growth, and it would die with me. Once I identified an actual physical goal that I wanted my business to become, it suddenly was much easier to focus on what I do best now in the moment!

Love this article. I wish I could have you as a cheerleader in the corner of my office everyday!

I would love to see you put a few links into this article for your favorite resources, such as the tools for self growth that you have found useful.

This is a great theme. I'm one of those with many ideas; however, my ideas are kept back usually by lack of sufficient funding, not fear or laziness. As with the first poster, I would love to see this article rewritten with some resources, especially for coaching and funding.

I love this. I just spent some time today telling a SCORE adviser about my ideal client, and this made me realize that that "high level dressage rider" I'm targeting probably has some additional interests and habits that would help me connect to her. Thanks for writing this!

Betsy,

Thank you for the article. One note, the link to the card you are using took me to an error page; however, that's the first time I've visited your new website. Bravo! I love the pictures and layout.

Thank you for giving us an easy, efficient way to navigate the daunting world of social media. I often find myself spending far more time on these sites than I would like with less than thrilling results. I'm going to start utilizing these action steps to better manage my time.

A question for future articles...it's become clear to me that, although it's acceptable to have more than one specialty in business, it's necessary to market them to different niches. How can you maintain this "dual identity" in online social networks when you're connected to "friends" of both niches?

Hi Zita,

Lovely article, concise and well-written. I do like the notion of inviting more than one person to a coffee date. Someone I had planned to meet invited a third party along once, and it worked out well. It seems to take the pressure off a little, plus with more people, you also get a greater variety of questions about your business. Then everyone gets to learn something they might not have thought to ask about.

I have to say, I'm not crazy about the timer, although agreeing to give everyone equal time is a good idea. Timers = pressure for me, and I go into "professional" mode (where I'm a bit more guarded), which can be a barrier for someone really trying to get to know me. Just one perspective.

~Sukie