Flourish

I get to organize free educational meet-ups at the Ontario Society of Senior Citizens Organizations.  

The intended audience are unemployed job seekers who are either 50+ or a newcomer to Canada.

The meet-ups are an opportunity for attendees to come to our office (in Toronto) to network and to learn an idea or two from our invited speakers.

Our first meet-up was on February 28, 2017.

At the time our way to get the word out about our meet-ups was to pick up the phone and to personally reach out to community agencies.

I’d say: “Would you be open to distributing our poster to your network?”

I’d follow-up with an e-mail and attach our poster.

Some community agencies responded with a non-response.

Some community agencies wrote back to say that they distributed our poster to their network.

Some community agencies were open to engaging in a phone conversation.

Since February 28, we’ve held meet-ups on March 10, April 20 and May 12th with future meet-ups scheduled on May 18th, May 25, June 8 and June 13. 

When I first started to contact community agencies, I thought it was a futile exercise.

One of my colleagues said to me that I was planting a seed for the future.

And she was right.   

As registrants called to register, I’d ask where they learned about our meet-ups.

I’d learn that participants were learning about our meet-ups from the agencies where I was sending our posters to.

I was starting to see the fruit of my labours, because our posters were getting noticed by our intended audience.  

My outreach to community agencies was a form of networking. 

At first I wasn’t seeing any results.

As time went by I realized that I needed to be patient and let things unfold as they may.

To network is to plant a seed.

And with a little luck and (loving) care, things will flourish!  

Also Published on LinkedIn on May 14, 2017

Image Credit:  Allan Gardens Conservatory in Toronto (as provided by the Allan Gardens Conservatory)