The Pothole Potluck – Ideas, Input & Insights4 min read

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Are you getting tired of consuming media information?

You know, email, articles, videos, social media, TV, streaming, news, podcasts, advertising… endlessly.

All of this stuff is coming to us point blank every minute of every day.

We all sit at our computers for hours on end and the rest of the time we’re glued to our phones, iPad, or television.

I admit it, I’m as addicted to all of this info-bombardment as much as (if not more than) everyone else.

I feel nervous if I’m not caught up on the latest news story.

I feel anxious if I miss the newest review of a jazz album.

I feel I’m missing out if I get behind on reading “essential” newsletters.

And If I get behind on Rings of Power, I have a panic attack!

And, to top it off, we’re not talking to anybody!

I mean good, in-depth, meaningful conversations that get us to think and feel.

We are so bombarded by media, we don’t have the time.

I hope to talk to my youngest sister today on FaceTime. She can finally find time because she’s recovering from a knee replacement!

I’ve been on a bit of a crusade for the past couple of years.

My rallying cry has been: “Have more conversations – with friends, family, clients, and prospective clients.”

It’s through intentional, meaningful conversations, that new possibilities and opportunities open up.

A good example is the Pothole Potluck I had with the neighbors on my street on Saturday.

Pothole Potluck?

A new guy, Tom, bought a home on our street this past month. I stopped by to introduce myself and one of the first things he said to me was, “Is anything being done about the potholes on our street?”

Well, we’ve lived on this street for 20 years and it was bad when we moved in; now it’s dotted with dozens of car-destroying potholes.

It’s a private street, so it’s up to us residents to keep it maintained. And we haven’t done a great job.

So, Tom and I talked and we agreed to get the neighbors together for a potluck and discuss what we could do about the potholes.

I designed the invitations, talked to my neighbors, and invited them to attend. I was nervous that nobody would show up.

I was expecting 6 or 7 people, but 10 showed up with delicious potluck dishes!

Funny thing, we hardly talked about the potholes for the two hours we were together.

No, we introduced ourselves, in some cases telling our life stories!

Some of my neighbors I hardly knew at all, but in the relaxing setting of our back deck, people opened up and shared about who they were.

We had a conversation and forged a bond that changed this neighborhood forever.

Tom and I wanted to meet to talk about potholes, but we discovered the primary value was to meet and get to know our neighbors.

And we also knew that finding the solution to the pothole problem will be a whole lot easier now that we know each other better.

A few months ago, I came up with an idea for an online gathering called “Open Sessions for Attracting Clients.”

We’ve met twice, and the third session is this coming Friday.

The idea is to have a topic for discussion related to growing our businesses.

But after our Pothole Potluck, I’m realizing that the more important purpose is to simply get to know each other.

Instead of another presentation with a talking head or PowerPoint slides, we have lively, interactive conversations.

Everyone’s ideas, input, & insights have value.

So, the Open Sessions are something very different than the usual media bombardment.

I can’t promise that every Open Session will lead to a breakthrough in your business.

But I can promise, valuable, authentic conversations, and new connections.

And I think that will make a difference to both you and your business.

I invite you to attend.

Friday, October 21. 12 Noon PT (1MT, 2CT, 3ET, 8UK, 9EU)

Via Zoom. https://zoom.us/j/2121681264

You can learn more and watch the videos of past Open Sessions here.

You don’t need to make a reservation. There is no fee.

Just join me on my back deck and don’t forget to bring a potluck dish!

Cheers, Robert

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