NETWORK INTELLIGENCE

Every Thursday, I meet some friends at 7.30am for about 2 hours and have breakfast together next to Raffles Place.

Barter trader, civil lawyer, educational consultant, finance expert, gelato importer (yeah!), 2 IT solution providers, property agent (she's hot!), a florist (he's hot too! Lol), a lady who owns an audit firm, aesthetics franchise owner, a couple working on corporate branding, and a few others. 22 of us for now. All in business, some are business owners, big shots and little shots. And then there's me. Offering them something they don't have, yet need.

We form a network. Even though we're from different trades, we're linked by the common understanding that its better to have friends and share ideas and refer contacts to each other than to try to make it on our own. Word of mouth referral is the best form of referral you know. There's a nice word I like to use: leverage. Why do it alone when you can have an extended arm helping you and vice versa?

I learnt this principle in school, and you may have heard me saying it to you in class before: don't just study hard, study smart and learn from those who know more / better. Don't be shy to make friends with those you think are cleverer than you and can help you. That's what I did. If I hadn't, I would have probably flunk my chemistry! If you can, offer to share what you know too. It's better to have a smart friend than to work alone and have no one to turn to! Guess what, it applies in working life too! But nobody's going to tell you to mix with people who have got more knowledge or expertise to help you.

Take it from me: in life, there are times when you don't have to know everything as long as you know people who do.

That's work too. But working smart. If you're studying in school, STUDY SMART.

And when you start to work, call me and I'll be your coach again and your mentor to show you the first steps. Whether you're interested in business, or just need a friend... : )