Growing my Social Capital

CONTACT 1

1) Who they are and what their background is.

-Gregory Bonds works for economic development for the Porch Creek Indian tribe. 

2) Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot.

- Domain expert. Gregory has worked in the financial field all of his career life. Gregory knows the ins and outs of getting investors, purchasing, and what makes a product stand out.

3) A description of how you found the person and contacted the person.

-Gregory has been a friend of the family years and I was fortunate enough to meet him in person to talk.

4) The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation? 

- Gregory gave me a ton of valuable information on his field. He told me the typical steps a product like mine would go through to attract a buyer. 

5) How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?

- Gregory has worked in the financial field for over 20 years. He has gained many networking contacts himself over this time which I could potentially be referred to. This could help me attract the attention of a potential investor for my product.

CONTACT 2

1) Who they are and what their background is.

-Stella Holland has previously worked for the Lays chip company

2) Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot.

- Market expert- Stella worked for the Lays chip company for 4 years which makes her a very valuable network connection for my product.

3) A description of how you found the person and contacted the person.

- My dad went to college with Stella and I was able to have a conversation with her over the phone.

4) The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation? 

- In the phone conversation I had with Stella Holland, I was fortunate enough to receive a lot of specific advice to my product. Since my product is a chip seal, she did say that Lays had experimented with the idea before.

5) How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?

- Stella Holland is a great person to network with. She worked for years in the market I am targeting and has many connections that could help introduce my idea to a major chip brand.

CONTACT 3

1) Who they are and what their background is.

-Kevin Simmons is currently a manager at the Publix near my apartment in Orlando FL.

2) Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot.

-Supplier- I would need a place to get my resealable chip bags on the shelf and Publix is a company that could do it.

3) A description of how you found the person and contacted the person.

- I actually just went to the nearest Publix and asked if I could speak to the manager.

4) The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation? 

- I was able to talk with Mr. Simmons face to face and he told me how hard it was to get shelf space at Publix. It won't be an easy battle, but with the right connections it is possible. 

5) How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?

- Having Mr. Simmons in my network gives me an 'in' to a major grocery store. Grocery stores are the main place that sell chip bags and making connections with Publix could eventually get me there. 

REFLECTION: 

At first, I was extremley intimidating to speak to professionals about my idea that is literally just that- a concept. However, everyone I spoke to was more than kind and helpful and offered so much valuable advice. The main thing I am taking away from this assignment is that I need to get over my fear of reaching out to new people. Networking with the right people can be a complete game changer and avoiding doing it is not an option if you want to be successful.