Being Connected

One of the best things about doing business in Calgary is the way that people do business in Calgary. I don’t know what your experience has been but mine has been truly awesome.

I spent 12 years in ministry and entered into the business realm with fear and trepidation about a year and a half ago. I was unfamiliar with business practices and really green in operational procedures. I had some ideas of how to do some modern marketing based on some experiences that I had and some great results that I had been able to achieve on a few projects. I felt that I could learn what I needed to, hire some experts and see some good things happen. It was not really a planned entrance into the marketplace so it is with great pleasure that I can announce that we are around and doing well at this time. We are beating the odds and seeing growth every month, hiring new employees and making a major impact in the marketplace.

Loyal2U is growing and with the acquisition of the Calgary Business Network we are in a very exciting place indeed. We are showing with the two companies an increase in profits each month and we are quickly establishing a market niche and seeing real results for those who choose to do business with us. This last month we took on beautiful office space in Douglasdale at the Destiny Business Centre. It has got to be some of the top lease property in the city. The whole building is absolutely gorgeous with floor to ceiling hardwood doors, glass and tastefully colored walls. There is a foyer, a marvelous boardroom and a great kitchen. If that is not enough the owner even provides coffee, tea and bottled water for us and our clients (There is space available if you need some 403-809-3146 and the address is 105, 11500 29 Street SE).

On top of all of that one of our clients for Loyal2U Jim Pescott has adorned the walls with his world renowned paintings. Jim is a pointillist who travels to Italy, New York and Toronto regularly. He has been written up in major third party magazines as a Master Pointillist and it is an honor to showcase his work here for personal and corporate viewing.

Things are looking very rosy for Loyal2U and The Calgary Business Network but did we do it all ourselves. It is true that over the last few months we have brought on some exceptional team players. We have a sales team that is absolutely gifted at relationship marketing making the customers interest the highest priority. We have some very competent people working behind the scenes as well getting out the message for ourselves and for our clients online. These are all good. However, our team is much larger than those that make the payroll.

I believe our increasing success has less to do with us and more to do with those that we have connected with. It has to do with people like Jim Messner who was the founder of the Calgary Business Network who took a chance on us when nobody even knew who Loyal2U was. It has to do with Velda Paynter who owns Velda’s Grower Direct and has become a friend and a contributor in many ways. It has to do with many of the business people that I met personally over the last year and people who have sown into my life and the lives of my staff through personal mentorship.  Guys like Pepsi Fortin and Alex Privalov who took a deep interest in the training and mentoring of our sales staff and personal mentors like Kathleen Mailer of Today’s Business Woman Magazine and Doug Tibben who have aided us with advice and service. I could list many more here as there have been dozens that have contributed and I am sure there will be dozens more in this next year.

In business there are many twists and turns. Connections to others that care and that know things that you don’t know are very important. The right connections connect you with more right connections. The right connections refer you. The right connections are easy for you to promote as well.

I recently re-read “The Go-Giver”by Bob Burg. I love that he left the connector until last. The connector was the link in the net that made networking so profitable for everyone else in the story. The connector made everything else possible. I hope to be a great connector when I grow up. How about you?

It is not what you know, but who you know that matters. And it really matters how well you know them and that they know you too. Really know you...

Always Loyal2U,

Kerry George

Addendum 

This is a video on how NOT to network. I had to chuckled at some of methods and catch phrases...

When In Cowtown...

In business we can always tell a newcomer to the area because they don’t recognize the culture. This last week a colleague of mine was telling me how they just got a job working for a company that has been doing business in Calgary for the last 25 years. This Oil and Gas Corporation has a longstanding reputation in the community and my friend was completely impressed that they gave every employee last Friday off with pay so they could take their families to the Stampede Parade downtown. This is a practice that is not uncommon with businesses in the area. Most will have employees break out the cowboy hats, decorate their establishments or even put on an annual free pancake breakfast. The entire city comes alive when the atmosphere of “The Greatest Show On Earth” spills over into the streets. This year especially with it being the 100 Anniversary of the Calgary Stampede just about everyone will get in on the action.

In contrast another company with over 20 years experience in their industry who recently arrived on the scene did not even acknowledge the festivities. They could not comprehend why people may not be willing to show up to leadership meetings hosted on the weekend. A corporate executive from yet a third company also new to Calgary was heard complaining about the decline in sales during the Stampede week.

Some people just don’t get it do they?

Calgary is Cowtown. If you just don’t understand why, may I recommend a little day trip out of town. In fact, take your kids, take your business partners, or just take yourself out to Bar U Ranch only 62 km south of Calgary and get in on the real picture of why Calgary is Cowtown. This was ranchland. It was wild and rugged and unfenced with some of the largest herds of cattle roaming free across the land for years and years. It was the stuff that legends were made of and heroes were born out of.

So when you see all of the cowboys (real, or playing dress up for a day) realize that this is the heritage of our city and whether your ancestors rode the west on the back of a horse or if they just arrived last year it is appropriate to put on a pair of boots and a hat and join in the fun.

In Calgary the Stampede is about as big as Christmas. So when in Cowtown – make like a cowboy, especially the week of the rodeo.

Always Loyal2U,

Kerry George

ps. For all of my cowboy friends this is about the funniest video I have ever seen. For anyone who has ever tried to herd cattle, cats, or people you are going to absolutely love this!