"Can you fill the CEO's spot on the panel?"

. INTRO .

Welcome to the new Connections newsletter.

Every issue, we will highlight one leader's story and connect the dots of a specific moment of their life to their mission. Our goal is to recognize the patterns of other's breakthrough moments so we can inspire to take action on our own.

Real connections (the relationships between people, ideas, and technology) cannot be linearly planned–only understood backward, when the dots finally connect in retrospect.

Each week, I'll share:

➤ The Moment — A pivotal scene in the course of someone's life
➤ The Insight — The psychological principle at work
➤ The Breakthrough — The contrarian belief that transformed their life

Speaking of which...

Let me tell you about Pablo, who went from fearing for his stable job to having five people line up to hire him—all in 45 minutes.

. THE STORY .

Pablo was afraid of getting laid off. 

Yet there he was–standing behind three microphones, staring at 100 strangers. 

He was the Director of Sustainability of a Miami construction company, working under new leadership who didn't quite understand the value of his work: “What does a sustainability director actually do?" his CEO recently asked him.

Not exactly what you want to hear from your boss. 

However, his elusive role is what got him on stage. 

The CEO was supposed to speak on a Smart Cities panel in front of Miami's Economic Development Agency. The CEO's last minute realized: he knew nothing about smart cities and hated public speaking. 

"You're the sustainability guy, and you do all those public speaking things. Can you fill his spot?" asked someone from the leadership team.

So there Pablo was. 

Sitting between:
➤ The head of the World Bank's Smart Cities Initiative
➤ The head of Latin America for Cisco Systems
➤ And him—a guy afraid of getting laid off the next day

For 45 minutes, he spoke about his passion.

When he stepped off that stage? Five people lined up to speak with him.

“How can we partner with your team?”
"What's it take to get a guy like you to work for me?"
“I want you as a mentor. I want to be like you.” (that was Will, who became a lasting connection)

Pablo had spoken publicly before through nonprofit work, but never had a line of people waiting to talk to him afterward.

That's when it hit him—

. THE INSIGHT .

The brain explains what it sees.

Pablo's proximity to high-level leaders elevated his status.

Therefore— 

. THE BREAKTHROUGH .

The right stage positions you better than any credential.

Most people believe:

➤ Wait for credentials before claiming expertise

➤ Your title determines your positioning

➤ You need official invitations to belong

However, with Pablo's experience, a new truth emerges:

Proximity + one's own authority = magnetic positioning.

Surround yourself with the right people in your space for others to position you amongst the powerful, like-minded individuals for you to own your own stage. 

. THE RESULT .

Today, Pablo has dedicated his life to being a category leader in the community-building space for B2B businesses. His experiences taught him the power of proximity + authority by building stages through his proprietary framework of POV → Content → Online Events → Live Events → Community-as-a-Service.

Pablo's recent transformative clients include JWB Real Estate, Vendoroo, and Lenovo.

If you would like to connect with Pablo, you can find him on LinkedIn.

 . SPONSOR .

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Hey friends,

This year, I've reflected on something uncomfortable.

While I've been building an email marketing business, I've neglected the consistency required in my newsletter. Most advice I received said to "ignore it, don't say anything to your readers, and just start again."

But I believe ignoring the connection I have with you is antithetical to everything I stand for.

Therefore, I acknowledge it—and return with a compromise: a new newsletter structure.

Just as I advise my clients, a repeatable yet differentiated structure is the defining factor that separates a newsletter from a blog, and is therefore the secret to foundational growth.

Therefore, the Connections newsletter will now focus on:

The stories behind leaders who've connected the dots of their lives to build their authentic vision. 

Tell me what you think of this new newsletter style in the poll below.

Sincerely,

Lauren and the Connections team