Visiting networking

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore, Dream, Discover. –Mark Twain

The weekend is around the corner and we are ready to mingle around, What should we do if we are hosting a party or if we are invited? What if I'm not in the mood? Is it commitment or just a friendly gather up?

Soccer meeting

As you may seen in this blog, I'm an easy person to come along to parties or events (sometimes I follow them) but not everyone has the same temper to make relations. So if you are a homey person and mostly ashamed to introduce yourself at some events, I will give you some tips that may help you to consider assisting to this events and to make them part of your life.

The first type of reunions to consider are the family ones. At least in latin american cultures, is considered a comittmet, because the family is a really important part of our lives and even if there is some distance or time in the middle, at the end the family always is side by side on the most important dates and events. So if a cousin invites you to his birthday party, my suggestion is that you make some time in your agenda and go. If you see that you are not adapting to the situation, because it's your family, you can always make a graceful flight and come back to slice the cake.

Evening meeting

Other kind of reunions are the ones related to your job, you may be invited to a lunch or a cocktail -- and I am not speaking about the working meetings where there is a box lunch involved -- I am relating to those meetings that require a little networking and are additional to any other working meeting with your boss or colegues. Sieze this events to increase your friend and contact network. This doesn't mean that you are going to make your new best friends forever, but you can have some good professional contacts at a lot of this events, and maybe at a near future you can have some business with them.

Finnaly there are the friend's parties, sometimes made by oneself or by a group of your closer firends -- this are made to catch up and keep in contact-- usualy by having a theme in common, a social life or simply because is your friend and you like him or her. This type of meetings are really fun, because there usually is a lot of trust and relation time involved. My suggestion is that you try always to meet your friends to make your network bigger and better.

So even if there is family, work or friendship, always make an effort and try to catch the most different events you can, so you will increase your network.

Krystal and Adriana

Adriana & Krystal

Kindergarden, basic, junior high, high school, languages, undergraduate, graduate, now what's next? You  have made all that you "should" and... now? It was something that has been hunting me for the past 9 months. I was looking for something that fulfill my interests, that make me happy, but I didn't know what I needed, ergo I don't know how to ask for it.

(Krystal Castro's Story)

I had a friend that was my confident about my food story, she send me a whatsapp and in a hurry se told me that I had to turn on the radio and listen to Adriana Esteva. My friend, as everyone who listen to her, dive into concentration, peace and full attention, because it's so moving what she says and the way her words fit into your own story, the astonishment is that you aren't able to blink. My friend was so influenced that she ask me to go with her and meet Adriana in person. She has a couple of workshops, so my friend again become my confident in our search of diets, pills, creams, belts and scales.

I start my research about Adriana. So I Googled her and found her internet website. I realized she had a book, obviously I went to the bookstore and buy it.

I start reading "Cuando la comida calla mis sentimientos" (When the food silences my feelings) a tuesday on July. It was a stormy evening, but nothing stopped the momento, I had to read the book. Twelve hours took me the reading and I couldn't stop reflecting myself on that pages, I had never read a book in that fast way and with that comitment. Adriana has this way to place all my feelings at different times of my life, she could put into words some emotions I couldn't describe and that I had never relate to my nutrition. After this amazing finding, I searched on the social networks, I started following her in Facebook, I had this curiosity to know what else she had to share.

The next day, she posted that she was going to have another radio program, so I tunned her and the magic started. She has this enchantment way when she talks and her words bring me a lot of light, at the end of her program she pronounced a act: "Whatever I decide is what I need and its going to bring me light". I really believe on her words and continously I repeated it without knowing what it was going to trigger. 

5 minutes later, Adriana posted on Facebook: "I need an assistant, please inbox". I write to her and started sharing about my wounds, this is not a way to ask for a job. Her answer was simple, clear, direct: Can you meet with me at the coffee shop in Altavista? I didn't know where it was, Mexico city is huge, but I was determined to find that place.

Post en Facebook

Thursday was the day we meet face to face. I arrived sharply at our appointment, but my internal egos started the boicot: "For sure you are going to meet your serial assasin". "As soon as she look at you and see you that fat, she is not going to hire you, like your other jobs" "My family won't agree about this job". It was a cosmic, wonderful, enlightning encouter, my demons just went down. The mintue I started to share my personal and professional life we realized that in this mission we had a lot of things to share, so Adriana choose me to help her on this process.

Our adventure officialy started on friday, the same week I went to the workshop "Comiendome mis emociones" (Eating my feelings). I like that everyone could had this experience, it fulfilled my soul with so many emotions, and above everything I stopped looking for answers outside me, today I have a lot of planns and activities, I'm renewed to share this healing sinergy for every one with eating disorders. I hope that a lot of people had the opportunity to meet Adriana and start this wonderful process.

(Recommendations by Ana María Zermeño):

a) Any oportunity to relate with other people allows you to open doors in different aspects, don't let your emotions control your networking skills.
b) Let your personallity flow, your experiences and your knowledge will introduce you as a warmth human being with a lot of clearness on its interactions.
c) Cheer you up and search for jobs in different sites, at any moment you could find interesting opportunities.

United Nations Networking

King's Pub

I had a closer encounter of the third kind with people from different nations, so I had to seize the cultural diversity that emerge here and try to maintain contact with them.

I'm recently living in Mexico city, and my long time social network are supporting my arrival to this place by making it warm enough. I think it has to be with my friends personalities and their willing to maintain closer relationships besides the distances.

The past week, my Peruvian-Miami alumni Omar visited the city. He contacted some of his friends to tell them about his job visit and explain that he was with some peers from other countries. The girls that are really well organized decided to have the meeting on Thursday, before everyone get back to their homes.

Peru, Guadalajara, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Monterrey and Mexico city

And because Lily from Guadalajara and Me from Monterrey were here, we had representation from different national cultures. This "reunion" make us meet at an English Pub with live music. As I have told before, when the people didn't know each other very well, the music became important, because it allows sharing different themes or learn something new.

At the Pub we had the privilege to meet Ermias from Ethiopia and Angel from Dominican Republic. That's how the group call the reunion the United Nations Assembly.

Tapatio Toast

We share a lot of information about our countries and share different toasting ways, that was one of the learning outcomes from the group. We had a "Padre" evening as in México will be called, "Chevere" Central and South America Style or "Arif" the Ethiopian way.

Other important aspect to tell is about the music as group integrator, even some of the songs were not well known from everyone, the mayority of them were hummed from the most of us. By the end of the evening, we had our personal contacts and planned to continue with the friendship via email.

So here I share some recommendations to make networking with personalities from different countries:

a) Consider that music and toasting are grouping elements, as always with modesty and following the integration rules.
b) Have oppeness to meet people, religions and manners, what constitutes disrispect for someone maybe in a different culture consitutes just a social way.
c) Get advantage and obtain your new friends contact data, maybe you can contact them when at their countries, your new friends will be an important documentation data.

Farewell Networking

I have to move to another city and now I have to say good bye to all my people. I have a lot of things going on my mind and I don't know where to start, so I'll use again my networking, for sure something good will arrise from here.

About a month ago I accepted a job offer in Mexico City, and I have to move quickly. First thing is the communication strategy, I have to tell my family, friends, family, peers, colleagues, among different people. Of course this experience have a lot of embeded emotions, some people just get really happy, but some others became happy-sad, but gladly everyone is likely to help.

Family Reunion

First I have to announce our change to my family, some of them live in Mexico City, so they help me find apartment, schools, services. This is an advantage that I shall not pass now that I have changed cities. I take advantage that my family reunited to my cousin's wedding, so we have some party days that became very useful for this purpose.

Elsa and Maru

Then I communicate to my local friends I have several groups that have regular meetings and they wanted to know the information and also to plan a farewell reunion. I made everything in my schedule to get together with almost everyone. I could manage a little road trip with a couple of friends. It was a beautiful experience and I also buy some stuff for my new life.

My family also had some personal meetings, and because this kind of friends do not get lost, it's important to close circles to get ready to open some more. It became a colaboration and cooperation cicle among us just to get our schedules ready to fullfill our comitments. It's important to mention that my kids get some really beautiful friendship tokens, like a surprise farewell, that involved a lot of logistics for all my family.

Magda and Sandra

Some social media that became important in this process was the telephone, facebook and whatsapp. The answer of our family and friends was amazing and I still keep saying goodbye, and making networking now contacting my friends and family from this city.

So I share some recommendations to follow when you plan to move from cities:

a) Try to send the information with some time in advance, it will help the people to contact you and give some advice on moving or getting in.
b) Take time to say goodbye to your friends, while making some activitie that you need to do, maybe you can save some time, the really important thing is that you get your friends involved.
c) Help other people to say goodbye to your love ones, it will support your strategy and liberate some time for the people that is leaving and need all the time and friendship available.

Alumni Networking

Ana María Zermeñoooo???, Whats up?, Do you remember me? It's been a while!!!! It's a pleasure to find you again!!!!

Have you find someone you met when you were younger? and then one recognize the other and then after the "initial greetings", you hug, then ask a lot of questions, and then you found yourself wanting to meet again with your friend? For me it's something that happens quite frequently, so this post it's dedicated to those furtive encounters and how to work them.

I was at a coffee house with a group of friends, and next to us Kathy sat down, she was my basic school friend. She recognized me, at my point of view I haven't changed a lot on this 30 years, and she reached me and asked if I was Ana Maria Zermeño and when I see her face, I remember her from back before. The best of this encounter was our conversation:

K: Do you remember Silvia Mirthala?
A: Of course, the three of us were best friends.
K: Well I reach her the past week at the supermarket and now I have her contact, you know, phone, email. This can't be random, we have to get together, when are you available?
A: For my friends, always.
K: Please phone me to my mobile, this way I keep your contact and send you a message.

On the following half an hour, we had a Whatsapp group and the meeting was planned for the next day. This is the way you demonstrate your friends that you are always available for them. In this group we asked, smoke? drink?... so we decided the place were the meeting had to be, a bar with smoking area, this reunion will be long. 

Silvia, Kathy and Me

As you may imagine, the happiness we had when we met together, we didn't have enough time to speak and listen, it was 30 years since our last party and as if it was yesterday, we had a lot of things to share. We didn't finish on the next following 4 hours, so we planned the next meeting. For real we will continue the next reunion.

An interesting part of this event were the professional comments we share, each one explained the personal professional experience, Silvia is an event planner, conferences, seminars. Kathy is an official translator and for 25 years was an entrepreneur. Me, I'm into the academic profession. We find out some coincidences and we intend to look for some other opportunities to work together. The time will say. 

So I will share some basic thoughts on your alumni reunion:

1.- If you recognize someone, do not hesitate on reach her, by sure she will be thankful on this recognition and maybe thank also the detail.
2.- Make things happen, as soon as possible seize the opportunity, if there's been a while, have disposition and relaxation.
3.- Remember is to live again, try to meet on some more events, try to remember the good times and have fun.

Student Networking

Miss...please... give me that extra point and I promise that I would never be in this type of trouble. I swear that the next period, I really get into my studies.

Somehow this situation has been always commented, never lived, when you get to the last day of classes and realize that you need just 1 point to pass your course, or when you realize that your student is missing that point for not failing.

1992 was the year when my friend "Juan" checked the final notes of his Advanced Writing group. One of his students, "Pepe", had taken this course for the second time, although he was a brilliant kid in many aspects, we had a lot of trouble with the spelling. He was the kind that write: "sealing" or "no a fence". So you will understand why this course was really a headache for him.

Dumbledore by Limone02

The final note check day Juan realized Pepe was missing 2 points to pass the course. He will have to retake again the course and skip a summer internship. Juan never agreed with Pepe anything, but at the end he passed the course.

A few years later in 1997, Juan and his friends went to Cancun for a summer vacation. When they get to the hotel, it was not secured and they were told that the hotel has no room availability and they will have to try to get another hotel. As you may imagine, Juan and his friends were pretty much upset, but also worried because this search process will affect their vacation budget.

Presidential Suite

While trying to get another hotel reservation, they stayed at the lobby for about 30 minutes, and eventually the concierge approach to the group and ask to speak with Juan, he also take him to the counter. The lady told him that she was really sorry about the situation and that from that moment, until their left time, they shall not have any more troubles, that they will be assigned to the Presidential suite, on the original agreed rate, and immediately were taken to their suite.

When arriving to the room, they find a big complementary fruit basket, a manager disposition and a note that say:

"In appreciation to my avansed gruaiting teacher (sic)."

So the following are my recommendations:

1.- Check and recheck  your student grades, probably will take you to the presidential suite at a 5 star hotel in Cancun.
2.- Give support without expecting something in return, probably will take you to the presidential suite at a 5 star hotel in Cancun.
3.- Keep in touch with the people you have "touched" in your life, probably will take you to the presidential suite at a 5 star hotel in Cancun.

Team Networking

Soccer match at 5:00pm, at the end of the city, my kids are at school and I can't get out of the office, what should I do?, Easy: Networking.

At the beginning of the academic year, my kids chose to participate with the Soccer team, that means I should take them to every match they had. This make me realize that the logistics needed where from easy to top notch, thanks to many new developed skills, today mom's are really good planners, so I can tell you about my experience.

Once the team was registered, Lucy organized a whats app group, she send out the information on the kids and moms. Then it was easy to cover the "meal" for each match, just follow the list, and when it ended, we started again.

When the tournaments begin, the school sent the location, and we realized that some of the courts were far far far away, and for some of us it will be difficult to take the kids to each match. Then Zazyl bring out the idea to contact a bus company and we all agreed to rent the service. It was economic and ecologic and the kids had a lot of fun on their way to each match.

Cheermoms

 When we met at each game to support the team, we became on the official "cheerleaders", before that no one of us will consider to participate in cheering, but for the kids, we do almost anything. The experience eventually became really fun for all of the "cheermoms".

One day I had a lot of office work, so I couldn't take my kids to the game, I just make  my petition to the universe (whats app group) and Martha answered that she could help me, furthermore she offered dinner to my son. Laura and Gaby organized birthday parties and of course the cheermoms and the kids went to Gotcha and Pool parties.

When Josefina said out loud, we should gather together just to chat, we went on to a restaurant, and had a lovely time for ourselves, without the kids or husbands. I will not share specific details, but just know that we had better bonding friendship.

Soccer dinner

At the end of the season, we had in our year several, dinners, pool parties, games, business communications among other. Some of the kids change their after classes and leave the team, but the original cheermom group kept together.

So I share with you some things that I learnt with this original group:

1.- First, have a directory with all your friends information, coordinate and make a group in a social network and start communicating.
2.- As usual, see your friends with goodwill eye, if someone had a special request, support her, eventually this person could pay it forward to somebody else.
3.- Have fun, the goodwill friends (cheermoms) become experts in sharing news and tips and they are always a good source of happiness.