20A- Growing Your Social Capitol

Brain Greenberg, CEO of an insurance agency in Tampa, FL
1) Brian is the owner and operator of an insurance agency in Tampa named Alera Group Company. He went to the University of Florida and worked his way up in an agency and eventually branched out creating his own. He now currently merged with another insurance company and that is where he stands today.
2) Domain expert in the industry
3) I was looking up CEO's in Tampa and came across him on LinkedIn. I emailed him introducing myself and my elevator pitch asking for feedback.
4) The favor he did for me was evaluate my elevator pitch and told me the strengths and weaknesses of it. There is no return expectation other than him happy to help and for reaching out to him.
5) Including him in my network gives me the ability to exploit an opportunity due to maybe one day working for him. Coming out of college he will certainly remember me and could offer a job.

Ryan Griffin, Insurance Agent 
1) Ryan is an insurance agent that specializes in medicare and life insurance. He is starting as an agent and plans on working his way up to a manger role in the future. He sells insurance for a living so is an expert in insurance and the ways about it.
2)Market expert
3) I found Ryan by researching through LinkedIn and contacting him through that. I wanted to stay within the insurance agency setting since that is who the domain expert was and found him. I joined his network of connections and emailed him.
4) I asked about my elevator pitch and any feedback he had for me. His response was positive stating all the good things I did in my pitch and what he liked about it.
5) He is a good reference to have if I have any questions about his experiences or what to do at some point out of college.

Cindy Schobert, Insurance purchaser
 1) Cindy is an elderly lady who has recently purchased insurance in the medicare period. She would be the "supplier" in this case since she is the one purchasing the insurance.
2) Supplier
3) I found Cindy and contacted her through Facebook messenger. She is the grandma to my girlfriend who I have never met before and reached out to her on Facebook.
4) I asked her about the insurance process and what it was like on her end. The favor she did for me was giving good information on what it is like on the customer side of the insurance agency and her experiences.
5) This enhances an opportunity by gaining knowledge on what it is like on both sides of the spectrum. What I mean by this is I saw the ways from both the company perspective and the customer.

Reflect
This will shape how I participate in future networking events by encouraging me to meet and connect with as many people as I can. Building connections can only be a positive thing for myself and this post helped me realize that. It did differ from the past due to reaching them via online rather than person. It is a more challenging way to per personable with people but an effective way of communicating.