Richard Branson said: “succeeding in business is about making connections” and it’s so true. But in these unprecedented times, how I also maintain and grow those connections is central to my personal and professional wellbeing.
The recent success of the first-ever online Aberdeen-Houston Gateway clearly illustrated the appetite which exists for a platform where people can still come together and share knowledge as a springboard for growth. That event was made possible thanks to the wealth of connections Granite PR has built up over many years working on both sides of the Atlantic but, crucially, the format made it possible for us to reach out to first-time attendees who might not otherwise have been able to take part.
For me, that mix of forging new connections and strengthening existing ones is inspiring – clients, associates, neighbours, family and friends: digital connectivity gives us the ability to be in touch more frequently, and with people we might not otherwise catch up with. It is, after all, those connections which help shape how we grow as people and as businesses.
My sincere hope is that the connectivity we generate now will remain with us “beyond the curve.” Having seen the possibilities and benefits of embracing new ways of reaching out to each other, I believe our connections will play an important role in whatever our future normal might look like.
We are already gearing up to follow-up our Houston success with the Aberdeen-Guyana Gateway which is planned for August and the Aberdeen-Norway Gateway in September. Both will adopt a similar format and here too connections old and new will be the name of the game. I look forward to welcoming both in equal measure to these events as we continue to navigate these complicated times and find strength in the connections we make along the way – for me that’s the true measure of success. To find out more about forthcoming Gateway events, click here