Latest / Networking Unleashed: Building Profitable Connections / Networking Unleashed: S1E91 An Interview with Dr Kelly King and Michael A Forman, Public Speaker

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Networking Unleashed: S1E91 An Interview with Dr Kelly King and Michael A Forman, Public Speaker · Networking Unleashed: Building Profitable Connections

0:16
Welcome to another episode of Networking Unleashed,
0:20
building profitable connections, where we explore
0:23
the people, principles, and conversations that
0:27
move relationships and businesses forward. Today's
0:31
guest brings a perspective that's not just about
0:34
profit, but about protection, preparation, and
0:38
purpose. She's an expert in estate planning,
0:41
but don't let the legal title fool you. Her work
0:45
isn't about stuffy documents. It's about empowering
0:48
families, guiding small business owners, and
0:52
making sure our young adults enter the world
0:55
equipped to thrive both personally and legally.
1:00
We're diving into some of the most overlooked
1:04
conversations in both life and networking. Why
1:07
estate planning matters, even if you're not rich.
1:11
How to build trust -driven relationships in a
1:14
profession where connection is everything. And
1:18
how a servant -hearted approach to networking
1:21
doesn't just grow a business, it builds a legacy.
1:26
Whether you're a parent, a business owner, or
1:29
someone just trying to build smarter, stronger
1:32
relationships, this episode is packed with real
1:35
talk and real takeaways. And I would like to
1:39
introduce... I call her Dr. Kelly, but Dr. Kelly
1:42
King. I'd like to welcome you to the podcast
1:46
and give us a little bit about your background.
1:49
Thank you so much, Michael, for. Firstly, having
1:52
this venture, doing your podcast and giving people
1:56
an opportunity to chat about what's on their
1:58
hearts and what's important to them. But just
2:01
to share with you a little bit of my background,
2:03
I am a native New Yorker, born and raised in
2:07
New York. Yes, two thumbs up for that. And then
2:10
I went to school in New Hampshire. So I went
2:13
to Dartmouth College and then... the street and
2:16
went to the medical school. And I am, in terms
2:19
of all of the different titles, I am an obstetrician
2:22
gynecologist. So I love bringing life into the
2:25
world. I am a wife. I've been married for 20
2:29
years, celebrated our 20th year anniversary this
2:32
year. I am the mom of a 17 and 18 year old. And
2:37
I will go into a little bit of that in terms
2:39
of why it's important to be Thinking about them
2:42
right from the beginning, which was the estate
2:44
planning part for me, and now thinking about
2:47
them as they are young adults. And so I'm doing
2:50
some work to help parents like myself who are
2:53
having kids who are young adulting. Mom of two
2:58
dogs, a golden retriever and a labradoodle. So
3:03
those are just my backgrounds, but I'm also a
3:05
business owner. I've been in business. Working
3:08
in the legal services arena, helping small business
3:11
owners, families, employee groups have affordable
3:15
legal protection. That's something that's also
3:18
very dear to me, and I've been doing this now
3:20
for over 15 years. Hard to believe. You'd never
3:25
know by looking at you. Thank you. I just want
3:29
to say, because I am too a native New Yorker,
3:32
and I love talking to other native New Yorkers
3:36
who moved out of New York and into where we are
3:39
in Georgia. And I've been married almost 37 years.
3:43
Oh my goodness. Congratulations. You taught me,
3:47
but it's a good way to be. It's a good way. It's
3:49
a good way. Okay. Let's delve right into the
3:52
questions that I have prepared for you. Most
3:56
people think estate planning is just for the
3:59
wealthy. I'm sorry. Let's bust that myth. Why
4:04
is estate planning actually critical for every
4:07
family, regardless of net worth? I love that
4:12
question, Michael. And I'll just share with you
4:14
a little bit of my journey. My husband and I,
4:16
we got started doing estate planning actually
4:19
when I was pregnant. We had heard about estate
4:21
planning. I was really blessed to have parents
4:25
who had done estate planning. Both of my parents
4:29
did a will and they did a trust. And I will tell
4:32
you, when they passed away and they were not
4:34
rich by any... standard that we would think of
4:37
as rich. My mom was a registered nurse. My dad
4:40
worked for the New York Department of Transportation
4:42
for many decades. And so they would be, I would
4:46
say, comfortably middle class, right? So there
4:49
was no huge estate. But when they passed away,
4:53
for my family, for my sister and I, and then
4:56
for my stepbrothers, everything was clear. We
5:00
didn't have to argue. We didn't have to fight.
5:02
We knew where everything was. There was a sense
5:05
of peace and transparency at their passing. And
5:10
it was a beautiful thing that they left that
5:12
legacy for us, which wasn't millions of dollars,
5:16
but a legacy of having a family that was still
5:19
cohesive after the passing of my parents because
5:23
they had that plan in place. But for me, again,
5:26
I knew about it. It was always peripherally in
5:29
my head. This is something that I should do.
5:31
But both my husband and I are obstetricians and
5:34
gynecologists. And we knew that while Life is
5:37
beautiful. We also know that it's not guaranteed.
5:41
And so I wanted to have a plan in place that
5:44
had nothing to do initially with money. It had
5:47
everything to do with the fact that when my son
5:50
was born, I wanted a very clear plan about who
5:55
would raise him if for some reason my husband
5:58
and I were not going to be able to raise him,
6:00
right? We knew that a part of the will is also
6:04
appointing a guardian for your children if you
6:07
pass away and you cannot raise them. That was
6:10
the number one. one reason that we did a state
6:12
plan. It had nothing to do with money. Now that
6:14
being said, Everything that we worked hard for,
6:18
we wanted to clearly pass down to first my son
6:23
and then my daughter about a year and a half
6:25
later. We didn't want there to be confusion about
6:28
it. We knew particularly when they were young,
6:30
how would they know what we had and what to do
6:33
and where to go? So we wanted it to be clear.
6:37
Whether you have a lot of money or a little bit
6:39
of money, if you have someone you love and care
6:43
about, you should get estate planning done. Leave
6:46
the need for whether you need to have super estate
6:49
planning done for that later time. But everybody
6:52
18 and above should have a plan in place for
6:56
leaving, for making sure that the people that
6:58
they love know what they have and how they foresee
7:01
that those assets going. And particularly if
7:05
you have children under the age of 18, you need
7:07
to think of estate planning in terms of the guardianship
7:10
part of it. So twofold. I agree a thousand percent.
7:15
I used to think that just having a will was all
7:20
I needed. And it wasn't until later on that I
7:23
got a trust. My wife and I did a trust. And for
7:27
my two children, I understand the importance.
7:30
And it's like having a left and a right shoe.
7:33
You have one shoe on, but what about the other
7:36
shoe? And I think a will and a trust work together
7:39
just like that. Okay, so. What are some of the
7:43
biggest mistakes families make by waiting too
7:47
long to plan? And how can a simple conversation
7:50
now prevent major heartbreak later? Absolutely.
7:55
Another great question, Michael. I am a big believer
7:59
the best time to have these conversations is
8:03
when everyone is healthy, everyone is well. It
8:07
feels very... confrontational and uncomfortable
8:10
when the conversations happen when either two
8:15
things are happening. Someone is ill, they're
8:17
not doing well, or quite frankly, the conversation
8:20
never happened and it's too late. So the best
8:23
time to have these conversations is when everybody
8:27
is okay. It's less threatening. We're really
8:30
just talking about finances in our future. I
8:34
like to have people have conversations. Some
8:36
people are very direct when they're having a
8:39
conversation about estate planning and they'll
8:41
say, hey, this is what I envision at the time
8:44
of my passing and let's have a conversation about
8:47
it. Other times it's easier to start the conversation
8:51
when something has happened maybe to someone
8:54
else, maybe a neighbor. maybe a friend, maybe
8:57
you hear something on TV and you say, you know
9:00
what? That incident reminds me that you and I
9:04
need to have this conversation about what we
9:07
envision at our passing. Again, it's a very non
9:10
-threatening way to bring these things up before
9:13
it's too late. Now, I don't believe it's ever
9:16
too late. Even if someone is ill or you're ill,
9:20
it's still okay to bring up the conversation,
9:22
right? But at the same time, it's actually better
9:25
to bring it up before those critical moments
9:29
when it becomes a little bit more uncomfortable.
9:32
I got my first estate planning done again when,
9:35
actually I said when I was pregnant, we could
9:37
not leave something to my son until he was born.
9:40
So we had all of the paperwork ready to go. And
9:43
then as soon as, he was born, we were able to
9:45
put his name in as the beneficiary. And then
9:49
when my daughter was born, then of course it
9:51
became 50 -50. So we're pretty simple. It was
9:53
50 -50 split, but we had those conversations,
9:57
obviously, and my kids are now 17 and 18, well
10:00
before it needed to happen, but that's the best
10:03
time to do it. It is. I agree that you should
10:07
have that conversation when everybody's healthy,
10:10
when everybody is sound mind and that you can
10:13
discuss it rationally. It gets a little sticky
10:17
when somebody gets sick and that's where problems
10:21
begin. But you're right. It's never too late.
10:23
Never too late. OK, let's shift to networking.
10:29
How has building genuine relationships helped
10:33
you grow your estate planning business in a field
10:36
where trust is absolutely everything? Absolutely.
10:41
I will just say in general, networking is at
10:44
the core of building my business in general.
10:48
I have found that like many people, we all live
10:52
in a pool where people do something similar to
10:56
what you do. It is pretty rare to have a business
10:59
where what you do is the you're the only one
11:03
you're the. only one who created this thing,
11:06
right? As soon as you're the only one who creates
11:08
it, someone else is going to come along with
11:10
it anyway. So we all live in a world where there
11:13
are people who do something similar. And the
11:15
ability to network and to have relationships
11:19
with people is, in my opinion, the thing that
11:22
helps people to distinguish themselves within
11:26
a certain community. It's the way that people
11:28
can truly get to understand who you are. understand
11:32
what your passion is, and even understand your
11:35
business above that superficial understanding
11:38
of what it is that you do. So I feel like it's
11:41
one of the most efficient and effective ways
11:43
to create a unique voice around what you're doing
11:48
because then people get to know who you are uniquely
11:50
and not just what your business does. So I think
11:55
that sums it up for... Any part of someone who's
11:59
a business owner, networking should be on their
12:01
list of things to do to be able to grow their
12:04
business. I've said it a thousand times and I'll
12:08
probably say it a thousand more. I feel that
12:10
networking is the base of all businesses. And
12:15
if you don't do it correctly. You're leaving
12:18
money on the table, but you're leaving more.
12:21
You can do so much more for somebody else. And
12:24
we'll get into networking with a servant's heart
12:27
later on. But there is so much more that you
12:31
can do for somebody else than somebody can do
12:33
for you. And you have no pressure. You have no
12:36
pressure. It's doing good. And like I said, we'll
12:39
get to it later on the podcast. But that's a
12:41
beautiful way of looking at the networking. Estate
12:44
planning isn't just paperwork. It's deeply personal,
12:48
as you just shared. How do you network in a way
12:53
that builds the kind of trust required to talk
12:56
about life, death, and legacy? So that's a difficult
13:00
question. And so I think my role in networking
13:04
and introducing the concept of legal services
13:09
is more on that level. How are legal services
13:14
valuable to you? Now, I can only know that by
13:17
networking and getting to know that person. I
13:20
can't, I can assume. It is valuable to everybody,
13:24
right? And that's where I think people go wrong.
13:27
Let's say what I have is good for everyone and
13:29
they leave it at that. But you don't really know
13:32
what's truly good for people until you actually
13:35
get to know them at some level. And I think that's
13:38
where networking comes in. Now that I've had
13:40
an opportunity to know you, now that I have an
13:43
opportunity to know that you have underage children,
13:46
now that I have an opportunity to know that you
13:48
have adult children, you've got grandchildren,
13:50
that helps me. to really act as a consultant
13:54
to see how I can best serve them with the legal
13:58
services, whether it be estate planning part
14:01
of what my legal services offer or whether they
14:04
be a business owner and they're looking to trademark.
14:07
I can't know that until I have a relationship
14:09
with someone to know what their needs would be.
14:12
Otherwise, it's like what you feel like sometimes
14:15
when you go into a store, people are just trying
14:17
to sell you anything and everything, but they
14:20
don't really know what your needs are. So I think
14:22
that would be the way that I would put it as
14:24
you've got to understand people's needs to be
14:27
able to serve them. whether it be estate planning
14:30
or it be creating a website, right? That's not
14:34
what I do, but I'm just saying you have to know
14:35
what the person's needs are. And I think networking
14:38
gives you the opportunity to know what their
14:40
needs are. And it also builds in some ways, Michael,
14:43
that trust relationship, right? Because when
14:45
you know someone. you're going to trust that
14:49
they're going to be looking out for your best
14:51
interests. And I think that's a critical part
14:53
of both the conversation about estate planning
14:56
and legal services, because that's one part of
14:59
the legal services is estate planning, but also
15:01
that relationship with the other person. It bridges
15:04
those two things together. I always say before
15:08
the pandemic, which was only five years ago,
15:11
networking was very transactional. It's like,
15:15
what you do for me, what I can do for you, so
15:17
on and so forth. Ever since the pandemic, everybody
15:20
was shut in and everybody has to get out. And
15:23
now it's no longer building your customer base,
15:27
but a relationship base. And you have to build
15:31
that relationship with customers because once
15:33
you build a relationship, you have that person
15:36
for life. If your networking is just transactional,
15:40
your customer is your customer for as long as
15:43
you have that peace. And you no longer have that
15:47
relationship. So I feel what you're saying. Networking
15:51
is all relationships. And again, that's what
15:54
I live my life by. Okay, you've also made it
15:57
a mission to prepare young adults legally for
16:00
the real world. What are a few things most parents
16:05
don't know but absolutely should? I love that
16:11
question because I'm living that world right
16:13
now. So my son turned 18 in January and very
16:18
shortly after he turned 18, I remember receiving
16:22
something from the pediatrician's office about,
16:25
hey, you no longer have access to his information.
16:29
And there were a few other things, little reminders
16:32
that my baby was now an adult. And I will tell
16:37
you, I totally respect that our kids grow up.
16:43
And they do become adults and they should and
16:46
can make their own decisions. The question for
16:50
parents of young adults is if something catastrophic
16:53
happens and they're not in a position to make
16:58
medical decisions or to maintain their finances,
17:02
do you have the automatic right to step in? And
17:06
the answer is after 18, you don't. So what you
17:10
have to do, and we don't think about this, we
17:12
just assume I'm the mom, I'm the dad. Of course
17:17
I can step in, but legally you cannot. So you
17:22
want to have things set up ahead of time in collaboration
17:26
with your young adults that If this should happen
17:30
or if that should happen, we want it to be clear
17:34
to the courts, to the doctors, to the medical
17:36
authority that you are giving permission for
17:40
mom, dad, sister, brother, whomever it is that
17:43
you trust to step in and help you to make decisions
17:47
that perhaps you can't make at that time. There's
17:50
unfortunately situations that kids get into,
17:53
whether it be a car accident or some other type
17:56
of medical situation where they're not not able
17:59
to speak for themselves, who then steps in their
18:02
place. And so we think it's important, not we
18:05
think, I know it's important for parents and
18:09
for young adults to have these conversations
18:11
because mom and dad are not going to be automatic
18:13
anymore to talk about that medical power of attorney,
18:18
to talk about adorable power of attorney. When
18:22
my son went away to college, I was expecting
18:26
the tuition to come to me. And I was like, okay,
18:31
everything else has come, but the tuition didn't
18:33
come. And I was like, okay, let me call the school.
18:35
Turns out they said something that I thought
18:39
was profound. They said the tuition is his responsibility,
18:43
but as a parent, if you'd like to have access,
18:48
he has to sign a waiver. At first I was like,
18:51
yes. The tuition is his responsibility. And then
18:55
I was like, no, he can't pay the tuition. So
18:59
he had to sign that waiver to say that I can
19:03
step in and help assist him. Those sound like
19:06
small, but they're critical things. What they
19:08
are telling us as parents is he or she is responsible.
19:12
But we also need to be reminded that 18, 19,
19:17
20 year olds may not have the. financial ability
19:20
to be fully responsible. So you do need to have
19:24
some of these waivers put in place so that you
19:26
can come alongside your young adult, helping
19:29
to set them up for success and helping to be
19:32
by their side if you're needed. Again, I am very
19:36
careful that I want, we raise our children to
19:40
become independent, but we also understand it
19:43
doesn't happen right at that one date in time.
19:46
It's a transition. It's adulting. So that's part
19:51
of some of my things. I am actually doing some
19:54
webinars. We'll be talking about HIPAA, durable
19:58
power of attorney, medical power of attorney,
20:01
FERPA, all of these terms that maybe parents
20:04
of young adults don't know, or young adults don't
20:06
know themselves. Yeah, no, that's good. And really,
20:10
at the end of the podcast, I want you to give
20:13
me all of that. But let me continue. In your
20:16
experience, what are the best kinds of networking
20:20
environments for building long term, meaningful
20:24
business referrals, especially in a service based
20:27
profession like yours? That is a hard one, and
20:31
I'm going to answer it in part. I'm going to
20:36
say I participate in both what's called open
20:39
networking, things like your Chamber of Commerce's.
20:42
There's so many different open networking, and
20:45
open networking just simply means that there
20:47
may be. There may be multiple people in your
20:51
industry that are coming to the event. There's
20:54
not as many strict criteria for it. It's open.
20:57
You just come and read from it whatever you can
21:00
get. Now, I like open networking in the sense
21:03
that... You see a lot of new faces. You have
21:07
the ability to connect with a lot of new people.
21:09
But sometimes if you've been to open networking,
21:12
it can get a little bit transactional. People
21:15
come and maybe they don't understand how networking
21:18
really works. And they're just passing out business
21:21
cards and they're just sharing all of the information
21:24
about themselves, not understanding that it needs
21:27
to be a two -way street. Again, the benefit is
21:29
that it tends to be vibrant. It tends to be different
21:32
people coming in so you can get to know new people.
21:35
Now, I also participate in closed networking.
21:38
Closed just simply means that there's one seat
21:42
per industry. Some of the beauty of that is that
21:45
you're not competing within that space with someone
21:49
who does something very similar, exactly the
21:51
same as you. Closed networking tends to be very
21:54
intentional because Not that you are forced,
21:57
but you are monitored. I like to use that word
22:00
based on how many times you get together with
22:03
someone, how many referrals you pass out, attendance.
22:06
And those have that benefit. But sometimes that
22:09
can get a little stagnant for people. There's
22:11
not as many people coming and going. And both
22:14
of those have pluses and minuses. And I think
22:16
that people who intend to add networking to their
22:21
marketing strategy. or even their growth strategy
22:25
as a business owner, because I say networking
22:27
is not even always about the business you will
22:30
get. It should be about that. as the primary
22:33
reason. But sometimes we all need to grow as
22:36
business owners. And in networking events, when
22:39
I'm growing as a business owner, I'm learning
22:42
something. Someone is teaching me something.
22:44
I'm still benefiting, even if it wasn't directly
22:47
a client that I got. But going back to the question,
22:51
I think people, including myself, have to choose
22:54
which environment just feels right at its core.
22:59
And I've been in networking events where I just
23:02
felt at its core, it just did not fit for me.
23:07
Maybe it was very clicky or maybe it was people
23:10
who had been there a bazillion years and they
23:13
really weren't allowing new faces to come in
23:16
and to contribute. And then I've been in others
23:19
where, again, it was just. People are just buzzing
23:21
around, but they're not making true connections.
23:23
I feel that you should have your own criteria
23:26
for it. You should give it some time. You need
23:28
to come back several times to really find out
23:31
if it's the right event for you. But you need
23:33
to feel like at its core, you can both give and
23:38
receive. If you're in an event and you're not
23:41
willing to give and you might not be the right
23:44
person in that event, it might not be the event.
23:46
It just may not be that maybe that you're not
23:48
the right person in that event. But I think you
23:50
need to feel out which environment is good for
23:53
you. I agree about the open and closed networking.
23:58
And I also feel that everybody should actually
24:01
take part in. Both of them, because both of them
24:05
bring something else. I belong to a few networking
24:08
groups, one of which comes to mind. It's called
24:11
The Local Link. you know, happens to be founded
24:16
by yourself. And you've created a networking
24:19
group that really, I've seen it from 15 people
24:24
to about, I think, 60 people was our largest
24:27
one. It has really grown because people feel
24:31
the need that they need to go out and show what
24:35
they have. And quite honestly, about three quarters
24:39
of them. don't know how to network. They don't
24:43
know what to say, what to do. I hope last week
24:46
was a little opening for them so that they can
24:49
understand what true networking is. But it's
24:53
a skill that they have to get better at. And
24:58
the only way they can get better at or people
25:00
can get better is practice. You go out to different...
25:05
networking events, listen, the first time you
25:07
go out, you're going to suck. It's going to be
25:10
horrible. It's going to be so bad, but you just
25:13
take the good from it. The next time they get
25:16
a little bit better, a little bit better, a little
25:17
better. And after a while, you're going to say,
25:19
this is easy. This is a piece of cake and everybody's
25:23
going to do it. Okay. So what does a great networking
25:28
connection look like for you? And how do you
25:31
nurture those relationships beyond the handshake
25:35
or business card? Yeah, I'll start with the nurturing
25:39
part of it. So the nurturing part of it for me
25:42
means sitting down with people outside of the
25:45
networking event. Networking events are great
25:48
ways to make introductions for people to know
25:52
on a... high scale what you do, but the way to
25:56
really get to know about a person and for them
25:58
to get to know about you is after the networking
26:01
event. So if you've heard the term before, one
26:04
-to -ones, it just means After the event, let's
26:07
sit down for coffee. Let's sit down for a Zoom
26:10
and have a conversation where we can both go
26:13
into more details. And I feel like everybody
26:15
who does networking needs to have a plan in place
26:19
to do that. Again, it shouldn't be everybody
26:22
at the networking event. It should truly be you
26:25
choosing people that you feel like you can give
26:28
to them. and potentially receive for them. And
26:32
that falls into the second part of your question,
26:34
which is what do those people look like for you
26:38
or for me? And for me, it would be the best connections
26:44
are people who cannot just connect me directly
26:47
to themselves, which is that one -to -one interaction,
26:51
but people who have a client base, a family base.
26:57
or a PTA base where they can then connect me
27:00
to others who need my services. And I think that's
27:03
a really key takeaway too for people who network.
27:07
Please remember when you are networking with
27:10
someone, they're also networking with you. And
27:12
so if you approach people all the time, you need
27:16
my services, it can be something that kind of
27:19
really puts people back. on their feet. Whoa,
27:22
wait a second. I'm really just connecting to
27:24
get to know you or to see how I can pass referrals
27:27
your way. Now, sometimes that person really does
27:30
need your services. And as you're talking, they're
27:33
like, you know what? I needed that yesterday.
27:35
By all means, nothing wrong with that. But I
27:38
feel like what we should mostly be looking for
27:41
are people who can connect us to other people.
27:44
So for me, with estate planning, Financial advisors
27:48
are great connectors. Usually financial advisors
27:51
are advising people about the here and the now,
27:54
but they're also advising about the future and
27:57
the future that involves. involves them not being
27:59
there. So often they are referring people to
28:02
estate planning attorneys or other people who
28:05
can do those services. People who are in real
28:07
estate, real estate is also good because they're
28:10
dealing with families. And what do families have?
28:13
Kids. And those are things that might be on the
28:16
minds of families is, hey, I know you just bought
28:19
this amazing home. But I want to make sure you
28:22
speak to someone about making sure that your
28:24
legacy doesn't end with just purchasing the home.
28:27
Insurance agents, because people who are thinking
28:29
about insurance are thinking about protection.
28:33
People who are thinking about protection are
28:35
also good potential referral clients. So for
28:40
me, yes, that mom who has a kid in college is
28:44
a great connection. But more importantly, if
28:47
that mom who has a kid in college is a great
28:49
connection for my adulting, if they are connected
28:52
to other parents, if they're part of the PTA,
28:56
if they're part of the community where they can
28:59
say, hey, what Dr. Kelly's offering is a valuable
29:02
service, I want to spread the word or spread
29:05
referrals her way. That is honestly the best
29:09
way to build your business and for me to build
29:12
my business. the very easy way to think about
29:16
everything you just said, right? Because you
29:19
said not only, you can't think of it as you're
29:25
expanding your network. You have to change places
29:28
with the other person. You have to say, how can
29:31
I become part of their network? Because their
29:35
network involves. XYZ people. So you have to
29:40
be part of their network for them to refer you.
29:44
So just a little mindset change, but it's an
29:47
important one. Very important. I love that because
29:51
we all have a Rolodex of maybe 200 people that
29:55
dates me when I say a Rolodex, but you know what
29:57
I mean? I was just going to say that. But imagine
30:02
those. 200 people have 200 of their own. We've
30:05
now expanded our network. And I think maybe as
30:09
you were mentioning, Michael, prior to the pandemic,
30:11
we only thought about the 200 people. What can
30:14
you do for me? And I'm going to expand my network
30:17
one by one. But if we change and flip that concept
30:20
around to I'm expanding my network by being a
30:24
part of their network, now we've multiplied,
30:27
right? We haven't just added. Very true. But
30:32
it's a mindset. And if you can change that mindset,
30:36
not only the person who you're talking to, but
30:39
your mindset. And once everybody's mindset turns
30:43
to that relationship building, it goes on. The
30:47
referrals can be endless. Okay. You work with
30:50
both families and small business owners. What
30:53
do you wish more entrepreneurs understood about
30:56
protecting their business legally as part of
31:00
their overall planning? I will tell you, I started
31:03
this business mostly focusing on families. And
31:07
then when I was exposed to what our legal services
31:10
can do for small businesses, it became another
31:14
passion. It didn't replace, but it was an add
31:18
-on to that passion because at our core, most
31:22
small businesses employ people. And you don't
31:25
have to be a target. You can be just a regular
31:27
small business owner. And so if we can keep small
31:30
business owners, keep their doors open, then
31:34
we're helping everyone, whether we're talking
31:36
about the small business owner or their employees.
31:39
But I will say this, a lot of small business
31:41
owners think of their business as their baby
31:44
and they think of their product or their service
31:47
solely. But Think of it this way, your business
31:51
at its core is a legal entity that does A, B,
31:57
or C. It is a legal entity that does A, B, or
32:03
C. Everyone is focused on the A, B, and C, but
32:06
we have to also remember it's a legal entity.
32:09
And with that in mind, you have to be aware that
32:13
there are legal pros and legal cons, and you
32:16
need to be aware of those things. And so unfortunately,
32:20
I've heard so many stories of small business
32:23
owners going into business with the best of intentions,
32:27
and they're not. left and right by things that
32:31
they never expected to happen or they just didn't
32:35
think would happen, wouldn't happen to them.
32:38
Whether it be, oh my gosh, I did this amazing
32:40
construction project and then the person didn't
32:43
pay me. Or I've had story after story of people
32:47
starting with a web design company and then their
32:50
information was hijacked and the website never
32:53
got put up. Or the story of a business owner
32:57
who started her business and she took over another
33:03
business. There were employees that didn't like
33:05
her style. They quit. but then they wanted to
33:10
collect unemployment. She's a brand new small
33:12
business owner. This was not on her list of I
33:15
do A, B, or C. It was on the side that I'm a
33:20
legal entity and I need to be aware of what do
33:24
my contracts say? What do my documents say? What
33:27
if someone does something? Who do I go to as
33:30
a resource, as a small business owner, when quite
33:33
frankly, the big legal dollars are not there
33:36
yet? to defend themselves or to get questions
33:40
answered. And so our legal service package with
33:43
LegalShield Small Business Solution gives them
33:46
an affordable package to be able to ask questions,
33:49
get documents taken care of, get documents reviewed,
33:53
to trademark, to copyright. The list goes on,
33:57
but in short. It is a resource for small business
34:01
owners to have so that they can protect their
34:04
business, which in and of itself keeps them in
34:08
business. Unfortunately, today's day, it's a
34:13
very litigious society and everybody will sue
34:17
anybody at the drop of a hat. And the only thing
34:20
that. Your offering is protection because I don't
34:24
care who sues me, whatever. If I'm protected,
34:27
then I know that, okay, I'm going to live to
34:30
fight another day. If I don't have that protection,
34:33
I'm going to give all my resources and all my
34:36
energy to protecting myself. And I'm going to
34:40
forget about the business. It's very important
34:42
to become protected. Sorry, go ahead. Yeah. Can
34:46
I just share too, the best way to be. protected
34:49
just like in health care is ahead of time. Too
34:53
many small business owners think Oh, I don't
34:56
need to think about that until it becomes a problem.
34:59
That's the same concept of I won't think about
35:01
the heart attack until I have it. No, you want
35:04
to be proactive in your legal services, just
35:07
like you want to be proactive in your health
35:09
care. So that means before it becomes a problem,
35:12
before you sign the contract, before you sign
35:15
the document, when it's at the beginnings of
35:18
a problem, get the attorney involved so that
35:21
it's not catastrophic and it's not fatal. because
35:25
the cost then becomes too high for a small business
35:27
owner. Because you can go anywhere to get legal
35:30
services, but the fact is, depending on how many
35:33
dollars you have to protect yourself, it may
35:35
be something that causes you to be a little ill
35:38
or causes it to be fatal for your business. And
35:41
we don't want that situation. We want to make
35:43
sure we take care of it and keep you well. And
35:46
if you're getting just a little ill, we're right
35:48
there to try to nip it in the bud before it becomes
35:50
something catastrophic. I have to tell you, I've
35:54
been a Legal Shield member for 15 years. So I
35:58
know both sides of the equation. And it's just,
36:03
I call the legal representative, the attorney's
36:07
firm, probably once a month. So it's just a little
36:12
question because questions and answers all day
36:15
long, they're going to give you. But if I went,
36:19
I'm not going to tell you now, but The story
36:21
that I had about when I stayed in a hotel out
36:24
in Savannah, Georgia, they took care of my problem
36:27
like within a day. It was just all handled. So
36:30
I have the greatest admiration for LegalShield.
36:33
I think they're the best. Can you share a time
36:36
when a single networking connection created unexpected
36:40
momentum, either in your business or in a client's
36:44
life? I'll share with you how networking can.
36:49
go around in a circle. So you had mentioned that
36:53
during the pandemic, networking really changed,
36:57
right? And so I went from networking in person.
37:01
And honestly, my networking in person prior to
37:04
the pandemic wasn't overly effective, Michael.
37:07
So when you talk about it, we all need to understand
37:10
how to be effective networkers. And when the
37:13
pandemic happened, many of us went to online
37:16
networking. And I thought, oh my gosh, this is
37:19
the greatest thing ever. How convenient. I could
37:23
just put on a shirt. I can be bummy until the
37:25
moment that I get there. But what I found, Michael,
37:29
was that I was It was convenient, but it wasn't
37:33
as effective. It wasn't as effective because
37:37
there is just sometimes you need to shake a hand
37:41
and give a hug. And there's just something about
37:44
personal relationships. You need to feel the
37:48
vibe of the person. You need to feel the vibe
37:52
of the room. And when I shake hands with somebody
37:56
that I'm friendly with in business, we... Do
38:00
that small man hug. And we talk about anything
38:03
else but business because that's how you begin.
38:08
But you're absolutely right. Listen, even through
38:11
Zoom, right? I'm talking to you, but I have to
38:14
realize that you're a person. Yes. So 90 % of
38:19
the networking has to be the same, but I don't
38:22
have that feeling, that vibe. Yes. And that's
38:26
what's missing. So it's very important. Networking
38:29
is a very, I say it again, I'll say it again.
38:32
Networking is the base of all business and you
38:35
have to go out there and do it. Before I ask
38:39
you the last question, I know what you have done
38:44
in the past and I'm sure that all of it was not
38:48
rosy. So what mistakes have you made? Just give
38:54
me a general mistake. And how did you come out
38:56
of it? Just to finish off on what I had started
39:00
with networking prior to the pandemic, I literally
39:03
was one of those people that you mentioned was
39:05
transactional. Like I went into networking events
39:08
with me. Even if I wasn't saying it, I was really
39:12
acting it out, which was what can you do for
39:15
me and how much have you done for me lately?
39:17
And that's that song. We may not like to admit
39:21
it, but sometimes we come off like that. And
39:24
I had to take a step back and say, you know,
39:27
I think you used this word about being a servant
39:29
networker. Okay, if I'm going to a closed networking
39:33
event and I'm not willing to give, then there's
39:39
a problem because it has to come from me giving
39:42
first. And when I created the local link, I spend
39:47
more time thinking, and that's that intentionality,
39:51
thinking about how can I give to the people in
39:54
my local link community. So I would say the mistake
39:57
that I made in the beginning was thinking it
39:59
was all about me, even if I wasn't thinking.
40:04
It wasn't like my brain was saying that, but
40:06
I think my actions were saying that in some ways,
40:09
right? And so transforming that thinking was
40:12
a big deal for me. But also one of the things
40:15
that I'm also still currently working on, Michael,
40:19
because we're all in the process of growing,
40:21
is thinking it is a business. We want to give,
40:25
but we also need to be able to receive. And to
40:29
be able to communicate in a way where people
40:31
understand what we need to receive. And then
40:34
also working on closing, right? Because again,
40:38
it's a give and a take. We don't want people
40:41
to think. Oh, it's all about giving and I'm just
40:44
here to spread the love. There is, you want that
40:48
to be a part of the core, but you also want it
40:50
to be fruitful time. And I think that's one of
40:53
the things that you're helping people to do when
40:55
you're talking about the art of networking is
40:58
you want it to be the give and the receive and
41:01
to have that time be fruitful. And it wasn't
41:03
always fruitful in the beginning. That's very
41:06
true and realistic. I use, I would say, a line,
41:10
but I don't want to make it seem as though it's
41:12
just a line. But when I'm having a one -on -one
41:15
with somebody, and before I even discuss what
41:19
I do for a living, I look at them and I say,
41:22
look, I like you. I like the way you do business.
41:25
I like what you do. But how can I make you more
41:29
successful? How can I be a good referral source
41:32
for you? And it usually blows them away. Michael,
41:36
you haven't even said what you do yet. And you're
41:39
already trying to help me. I said, that's the
41:42
whole idea. I am here to help you get business,
41:46
to help you become more successful. And listen,
41:49
if you could do it for me also, that's fine.
41:51
That's not my goal. And that's how it should
41:54
all begin. Okay. You ready? If someone listening
41:59
today. wants to begin both protecting their family
42:02
and building their network with intention, what's
42:06
the first conversation they should start tomorrow?
42:12
Say that again for me, Michael, because it was
42:15
a big question. If someone listening today wants
42:19
to begin both protecting their family and building
42:23
their network with intention, what's the first
42:26
conversation they should start tomorrow? If they're
42:30
local, I would love to invite them out to the
42:34
local link where they can both, one, connect
42:37
with me as well as build their own business community.
42:41
We are in the Johns Creek area for where we are
42:46
networking at the local link. People can also
42:49
reach out to me directly. And I don't know if
42:51
you'll be able to post my contact information
42:54
in the podcast. Yeah. So the best way to reach
42:58
me is via email. It's Kelly. It's Kelly at AskDrKelly
43:04
.com. I had to think about that. I also have
43:07
a website, but the website is not the best way
43:10
to reach out to me. The best way to reach out
43:12
to me is either by phone. My direct number is
43:16
678 -563 -1500. We'll put everything in the...
43:22
some way that you can link up to me or email
43:24
me. The website is really meant for after we've
43:27
had a conversation and we're making a decision
43:30
about what would be the best choices for you.
43:32
So really reach me directly because that's how
43:35
I work is having conversations with people, understanding
43:38
what their best needs are, whether it be for
43:41
the legal services or what their needs are as
43:44
a small business owner to see if I can connect
43:46
them with a networking event that might work
43:48
for them. The best way to check out for a networking
43:52
event, go to meetup .com, meetup .com, eventbrite
43:56
.com. You can check out all the local links.
43:59
But if you're in the Johns Creek, Cumming, Alpharetta,
44:03
even Gwinnett County, if you're around the area,
44:06
check out the local link with Dr. Kelly, because
44:10
I've been a member for, I think, two months now.
44:14
Yes. And I've enjoyed it. I want to tell you
44:18
that this was a fun and fantastic podcast. And
44:23
do you have any last words of wisdom? My last
44:28
words of wisdom is be true to yourself as a business
44:31
owner. Know what makes you passionate and be
44:33
able to share that passion to others. People
44:37
will gravitate towards you because they feel
44:40
from you that you care about them because you
44:43
care about what you do. Very good. I want to
44:47
thank you again for coming on the podcast, and
44:49
I look forward to talking to you soon. Awesome.
44:52
Thank you so much, Michael. So glad to be here
44:54
and also glad to be able to hopefully serve your
44:57
community. Well, hold on, folks. Don't go anywhere.
45:05
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for you. You can contact Henry at 561 -427 -4888.
45:56
A huge thank you to our guests for sharing such...
45:59
insights today. And of course, a big shout out
46:02
to you, our amazing listeners, for tuning in
46:06
and spending your time with us. If you're interested
46:09
in my digital courses, being coached or having
46:12
me come and talk to your company, just go to
46:15
Michael and fill out the request form. Remember,
46:19
networking isn't about being perfect. It's about
46:22
being present. So take what you've learned today,
46:25
get out there and make some meaningful connections.
46:28
If you've enjoyed this episode, please don't
46:31
forget to subscribe. Leave us a review and share
46:35
it with someone who could use a little networking
46:37
inspiration. Let's keep the conversation going.
46:40
You can find me on Apple, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube,
46:45
or my website, foreman .com slash podcasts.