The Power of Spending Time with Like-Minded People

When is the last time you really connected in-person with someone you don’t know as well because of shared interests?

Surface level interactions with coworkers and people in groups you belong to don’t count. Neither do coffee or drink meetings for the sake of “networking.”

Having trouble coming up with an answer? I thought so.

In the fast paced, always connected world we live in, it’s easy to get comfortable with your current situation and not seek out deeper relationships with like-minded peers. People tend to stick to their friend groups and not branch out (consider myself guilty). That’s totally fine if that’s what works for you. However, I think there’s something special about going out of your way to get to know someone better who is passionate about the same thing(s) you are.

In fact, I know so because I felt the power of that connection a couple of weeks ago after a coworker asked me to lunch. He had been following my content and wanted to talk as he thought our personal goals for 2016 were similar. I was super pumped that he asked me as it was the first time someone made an effort to want to hear more about what I’ve been doing and actually meet in-person to chat about it. As excited as I was to share my journey and vision, I also wanted to learn more about what he was up to and see if I could provide him value.

Overall, the lunch went great. We covered a ton, from personal interests to long-term goals to content promotion. After reflecting on it a bit, here are the key lessons I took away from that experience:

1. There’s no shame in talking about what you’re interested in if you have the right audience.

Nobody is going to know what you’re passionate about unless you tell them. You can’t just keep your dreams to yourself and expect results. That’s one of the reasons I’ve started to be more open in my writing about what I’m trying to do. I want to attract the right people into my life and let them know about the journey I’m on. If I’m already having the conversation about writing and building an audience with myself every day, why not find someone who also wants to have that conversation and advance it? Opening up about all the things I care about to someone who was actively listening and curious felt amazing. It re-assured me that I’m on the right path and should continue to seek out similar people who want to have the same conversations as me. You just have to find your audience.

2. Connecting with like-minded people is conducive to new ideas.

While I had an idea about what we would talk about at lunch, it wasn’t like I prepared anything in advance. I wanted to let the conversation flow naturally and see what happened. Before I knew it, I felt like my brain was on fire with interesting suggestions that added value to our conversation, whether it was book, influencer or content recommendations. It was like I couldn’t even wait to blurt out something that was triggered in my head while my colleague was mid-conversation. At the same time, I was an active listener and walked away from the conversation with a few ideas to try out as well. The more like-minded people you meet, the more ideas you can share and receive, the more value that’s created in the world. That’s a good thing :)

3. Pay attention to the parts of the conversation that excite you.

On the way back from lunch, I told my coworker about the positive feedback I got from author Kamal Ravikant about a blog post I wrote about his book Live Your Truth back in December. I knew that this was a big moment for me when it happened, and it felt great to share the story again after the fact to help inspire someone new. His reaction to the story made me feel good and served as another subtle reminder to keep doing my thing. In addition, telling the story made me realize how much I love how writing lets me connect with someone at an individual level. There’s nothing quite like having someone engage with your content and letting you know that they acknowledge what you’ve put out into the world. They are the new like-minded people that I want to start having conversations with and building a following around. Self-awareness is key when you’re having these types on conversations.

4. Look to take the connection further.

While it’s great to continue the relationship with someone who’s interested in the same things you are, why not try to take it further? I’m talking about starting a mastermind / meetup group with ambitious people who have similar goals and dreams. I have always loved how many of the people I look up to in business not only know each other but also collaborate on projects from time to time. As a result, I’m always looking for interesting people that have the potential to be successful one day in a similar field. Now that I’m starting to meet them, I’d like to be the one who brings us together so we can learn and encourage each other on the journey to success. It makes me want to figure out who else at my company has similar aspirations so I can start having conversations with them and creating a like-minded group. Be the person who elevates the skills and talent of others.

In closing, I encourage you to make a strong effort to connect in-person with a like-minded individual in the coming weeks. You probably already have an idea of someone you want to talk to but have been holding back for some reason. Let this post be the catalyst to making that conversation happen. It’s worth it.

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