So this is pretty cool. The AI education program I ran in Mexico made some waves so they are flying me back to accept an award in December.
But the truth is, this didn’t happen because I was great (though I promise you, I was). The real reason is Rodrigo—my rock star business partner in Guadalajara.
He put in a good word for me with the award committee because he’s a savvy individual who looks out for the people he collaborates with. What a mensch.
Quick backstory: I met Rodrigo through an entrepreneurship program where I volunteered as his “big brother” when he visited the U.S. Over time, we stayed in touch, and I’ve seen firsthand his knack for making things happen. This award is as much a testament to his generosity as it is to my work.
Winning an award is a nice ego boost…but ego boosts don’t pay the bills. I need more dealflow and I’m not-so-subtly looking for full-time work. So, how do I leverage this recognition to bring in more opportunities?
I reached out to Ben Carlson—communications expert, ex-editor of The Atlantic, and a “big deal” on Twitter. He follows me there, and I decided to ask him for advice. But how did I get Ben to follow me in the first place?
It’s not rocket science.
Ben gave a session on how to get featured in the media in the Small Bets community back in January. It was a great, so I followed him and sent him this almost stupidly simple message immediately after:
He followed me back, likely because I was genuinely appreciative of his expertise and my Twitter profile hints at what I can offer him (video skills and entrepreneurship guidance).
Which meant when I asked him for advice on how to leverage this award, he gave me gold. I’ll share that next week.
Takeaway: Getting access to experts is less complicated than you think. Sometimes following them on Twitter and saying something nice after they deliver a workshop is enough.
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