Business professionals have two jobs. The first is their occupation. The second is the task of creating and sustaining an ecosystem of connections that nourishes both the soul and the business.

Without both a business will eventually whither from isolation. It’s crucial to stay in circulation with both peers and prospects.

Here’s the cool thing about getting out of the office to go meet and mingle with others. It changes your perspective. When you’re hunkered down in your office day after day, you lose the synergy that comes from exchanging ideas with other business owners. If you don’t get out there and converse with others, you will miss out on friendships and valuable information about what others are up to. Eventually you might even fall prey to discouragement.

If you stay out of circulation long enough, then comes an inward focus that’s anything but productive. You cogitate over problems. That causes you to feel discouraged from all the negative thoughts. Eventually you tell yourself you’re just not up to attending the next meeting. You give a few half-hearted excuses to your fellow networkers.

A few weeks go by and suddenly reality hits you. Your ideas, excitement about your business and even your can-do attitude — all seemed to have disappeared.

It’s time to look around you. Think about the people in your professional life. They need you just as much as you need them!

Pick up the phone and invite another business owner to the next meet-and-greet. Stoke those relationships in 2015. Then watch the magic happen!

Copyright (2014): All content and images used on this site are owned or licensed by Doug Gulbrandsen for use on this site only. Unauthorized use is prohibited.