What's your Social Circle Like?

Great topic! I've heard that you are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with. So, if you want to be a great business man, arrange to spend most of your time with five successful business men (Women).

I think finding special events where professional networking will happen is a great way to meet others offline. Check out your BBB and see what resources they have - and if you have a local Chamber of Commerce, get involved in that as well.

Good luck!

I recommend MeetUp.com to meet people with similar interests. Here in DC there are tons of groups that meet regularly; it's easy to find a group where everyone is interested in internet marketing. In a big city like Montreal you'll probably have no trouble finding groups like that too.

I understand where youre coming from,I experience this many times...
then I realised you cannot teach everything to everyone but we can try ..
I believe that time spent in having fun,with a few jokes here and there ;thinking about the future ,planning ; but in a relaxed way is best possible with real friends ...
Seriously I envy those people who were best friends and then started their companies together ...I mean imagine spending time with your friends ,and earning money simultaneously...

I feel if my friend was giving a presentation ; I will not be able to help myself and , quitely make faces and make him laugh............

You can share your fears,feelings,emotions and dreams.. freely with them ..without embarrasment or negativity ....which is very satisfying...

but then to grow in anything ;you need connections ..

One thing which i did was planned meetings in which I involved one of my friend just to be there and listen to the discussion....after half and hour my friend joined in the discussion and started participating...
So now when I have a meeting with that person I ask my friend if he can come along..so.. Two birds with one arrow kind of thing...
did this with a couple of clients ...
I usually think very carefully; where this is applicable and where it is not..it is not a general practice what so ever...


why don't you try to teach them a few things or ask them to partner with you on a project and see what it is like...
Give them a few ebooks to read..they might get hooked...
That way you can spend time with your REAL FRIENDS ..and also you can progress in your business...(This is the best thing possible...)
or else you can spend time with them discussing the end-user or layman things
...from a customer point of view....what appeals to them ,will this offer work?,what can be done to make this offer exciting ? etc..

But I believe that time is precious and it has to be spet wisely ,hence might have to balance your time between professional meetings and meeting with people who really matter in your lives.... the latter being more important

I have a problem with the whole 'you are who you socialise with' type statements. I only say this because as I was growing up all my friends and close associates were high school educated at best, involved in crime ranging from low level all the way up to murder, mostly now have menial jobs or are unemployed. I have still managed to get a university degree, no criminal record and have my own company and a good lifestyle.

People are always too quick to blame other people and everyone else around them for their own demise or failures. It's up to you, not your friends or family, to achieve what you want in this life.

I'm relatively young (19 years old), so most of my friends don't really even know what they want.
Anyhow, if I had to summarize how are they like, there's some sort of a tendency, that at least 4 of them are studying philosophy.

Never thought on becoming friends with IMers though... sounds interesting.