20A- Growing Your Social Capital

20A- Growing Your Social Capital 

1.    Kamela Brewer: Kamela Brewer is the founder of Bold Sunless Tan, a self-tanner product and mobile spray tan service. Brewer is a domain expert in my industry. She has been growing her brand almost 10 years. She has branched out from just spray tan application service to a full online product distribution. I found Kamela through her sponsorships of beauty pageants, including the Miss USA pageants and the Miss Cowboys Model Search. I contacted her through her website.  I asked Kamela about getting started in the skin care industry and how she got her product reviewed and certified. I also asked her thoughts on my elevator pitch. Including Kamela Brewer in my network will enhance my opportunity by helping guide my path on getting my product produced and sold. 

2.    Eddie Hennessy: Eddie Hennessy is the son of Phillipe and Sylvie Hennessy, founders of Pevonia. Pevonia is an all-natural skin care cosmetics line. Eddie Hennessy would be an expert in my market. He has been around the skin care market his entire life and knows the ins and outs of every aspect of the industry. Hennessy is the husband of Kimberly Hennessy, my boss and close friend. I contacted Eddie through Kimberly and asked him his thoughts on my elevator pitch. I expect to gain more advice on how to make my service great and also which sunscreen would work best in the machine itself. Including Eddie Hennessy in my network will enhance my ability to exploit the opportunity by providing me with a contact for a possible all-natural sunscreen provider, which from my interviews I learned is very important. 

3.    John Regan: John Regan is the Chief Executive Office of Product Quest Manufacturing, LLC. Product Quest is a company that bottles and designs bottling for large companies. John Regan would be an important supplier in my industry. He can either be a manufacturer of my machine or he can give me advice on which manufacturer to go to. I found John Regan through my mother. She and John are close friends, so I contacted him through her. I asked Mr. Regan to look at my idea napkin and see if he thought my sunscreen application machine design was doable and practical. Including John Regan in my network enhances my ability to exploit the opportunity by providing me with a reference to a potential manufacturer of my machine, as well as, a contact that works with many large companies that could take interest in my machine.

This experience will shape how I participate in future networking events by influencing me to make the first move or to be the one to start the conversation. At future events I will not hesitate to ask for other opinions and advice on my ideas as well as look for opportunities to work and grow together. 

This experience was different from my networking experiences in the past. In the past most of my networking was done face to face at meetings, events or parties and not through email or phone calls.