When I was at SXSW several weeks ago, I was in the "Google" lounge waiting to chat with some people about Explain Everything and I happened to see Getting Smart's Tom Vander Ark sitting and chatting with some people nearby. I went over to introduce myself. Though we had exchanged DMs around the time that Leading Online was released, I did not expect him to remember me. Still, I felt that it was important to say hello to someone with whom I had engaged online. We spoke very briefly and before he left he gave me a card and suggested that I do a guest post on the Getting Smart blog. Several weeks later, Steve and I finished an article based on our chapter about meetings and the GettingSmart team reviewed, approved, and posted the article.
There is some serendipity around how this article transpired. Sure, we could have followed Getting Smart's guidelines for guest submissions on our own. But the combination of a Twitter exchange and a chance face-to-face meeting allowed something to be created from nothing. It just took some follow-through. The next time someone hands you a card, follow up with them. You never know to what end (or beginning) it might lead! — RR
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