By Kurtis Bell

In this month of November, we will spend time reflecting on the things and people for which we are thankful. I’ll start off by expressing how thankful I am for the way networking was presented and taught to me. I have been actively “networking” now for the better part of six years, and have always had what seems to be a much different approach than the general population.

After years of reading articles on networking, I continue to see one common theme in nearly all of them. Most recently I saw it called “un-networking”, and of course that sparked my curiosity and I delved in to the article. “Un-networking”, as it is called, refers to a discussion with others where all involved would share some about their business, current projects, and present any issues where some outside help would be appreciated. The idea behind this is that “un-networking” promotes making new connections and expanding one’s knowledge.

Perhaps it is just me and the networking culture I have been brought up within, but this “un-networking” idea should not be something groundbreaking. From day one it was instilled in me that you build relationships, share the wealth of knowledge that you have accrued, and be utterly selfless in your networking adventures.

To touch back on the theme of month, I can not tell you how thankful I am for my network. My network has delivered time and time again for me. Maybe it is because they are all tremendous people. Maybe it is because I spent more time building relationships rather than building my sales numbers. Regardless, I am beyond thrilled to have the connections I do and to be able to call so many of them friends as well. This month, take a look at your network and take a moment to thank your connections for being awesome.