It’s funny how things happen. Friday I was at my weekly Endorphin Junkies (EJ) workout. But this week the guys decided to throw a party. A pretty cool concept: post-workout, everyone (friends and EJ clients) gets ‘glammed up’ and the gym turns into a makeshift lounge. A little pre-drink before a night out on the town. Not only is it a great way to build community and expand the client network, it’s also a great time.
Go back in time three months. I’m at the TrendCity event, held by Cossette in Yaletown. I’m trying land a job, but also want to meet interesting people in the city. This event — billed as a stylish, thought-provoking evening with Vancouver’s leading trendspotters, tastemakers and opinion leaders — was the perfect place to be. One of the main speakers that night was Paul Melo: designer, photographer, style-spotter and founder of stylequotient.ca and meloCreative. He gave a really interesting talk, and sounded like a great guy to know. I wanted to chat, but it never happened. No problem. I got meet a lot of cool people that night. But I couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed I didn’t get to chat with this guy. After all, he and his girlfriend, Sunny, were introduced as Vancouver’s most stylish couple.
Back to last Friday. I’m mingling as one does. Moving away from one group and heading towards the beers, I look up and see a noticeably stylish and oddly familiar face. My interest piqued, I go over and chat. With each question, more and more connections are being made, until finally I just have to ask, did you present at the TrendCity event? And yes, it was Paul Melo. Pretty cool, indeed.
We ended up having a great conversation, and he dispensed some great advice. I admire the guy because he’s someone who’s charted his own path and has used his talents to make a name for himself. In more ways than one, he’s where I want to be.
Insights of the night:
1) Don’t wait for the right time to do something. Do it now. People make excuses to post-pone their dreams: they need better gear, they need to go back to school, or they need to quit their jobs. Forget all that. Just do what your passionate about and everything else will follow.
2) There may be many ‘jobs’ along the path to ultimate success. Take from everything and learn as much as possible. Make smart, strategic decisions and get to know the right people.
3) When you’re ready to make that big dream happen, don’t try to do it all yourself. Bring in the expertise to do it right. Success is in the details, so don’t be cheap when it comes to the ‘little things.‘
Sometimes you just get the feeling that things are happening for a reason — these little signs from the universe that tell you you’re doing something right. This might have been one of those instances. But then again, it might also have been a sign of how small Vancouver really is.