Bubbles: Networking For the Now eCommerce Generation – Part 2

This is Part 2 in my series on Bubble Networking, please see Part 1 as well.

Whales and Guppies: Where are your Bubbles swimming?

Surrounding yourself with non-toxic people that are where you want to be

In networking, social media, your personal life, etc, deciding who to surround ourselves with is a huge concept.  I define these as Whales and Guppies. Whales are the ‘Rock Stars’, those that are where you someday hope to be. They are big mammals in a vast ocean of space. Top of their game and kicking butt in the market.

Guppies are those that are where you are, or possibly still trying to get to where you are. The Big fish in the little Pond is the one that is an authority on everything, but expert on nothing, as they swim in the little goldfish bowl (They don’t even have a pond) and we do not even consider them too much.

So ask yourself, “Do I want to be surrounded by guppies in the pond, or the whales in the ocean?” Toxic or Non-Toxic? It is as simple as being asked paper or plastic at the grocery store.

The end result affects you, therefore, yes it is your decision to make. Take ownership of it and allow no one else to think themselves important enough to make this decision for you.

Remember that swimming in the little pond shortens the eyesight, and stunts growth. An organism will only grow to the limits of its container, where do you want to stop your growth?

Consider surrounding yourself with those that are where you WANT to be, while maintaining contact with those in your same level. Let’s break it down with a simple example:

A mom and pop business starting out in the garage. Networking with others in this position is a very good thing, as you share the same challenges and gain insight from the solutions of others (guppies). Consider also creating a bubble of those that are where you want to be – networking with those that have gone from the garage to the warehouse, is also extremely important (whales). These people inspire us, their very presence tells you everyday that success is obtainable. Their conversation forces you to think beyond your garage, expand your mind and your capabilities. The learning potential is infinitesimal.

Maintain these two bubbles, make a conscious decision about how much time you want to spend developing these bubbles. This decision should be directly based on the level of success you wish to obtain, and the importance of each individual in each bubble.

Toxic or Non-Toxic Relationships

According to Wikipedia, Toxicity is the degree to which a toxin is able to damage an exposed organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as … en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxicity

You are the organism and toxic people can be and actually ARE damaging. They drain your resources, damage your mindset and in general hold you back from achieving your goals.

Take assessment of all your relationships both business and personal, virtual and physical. Is the relation ship toxic or non-toxic. When defining toxic, you know the type of toxic personalities I am speaking of;

• The Whiners – that ‘nothing is ever right’ person, they always need and find something to complain about. You and only you decide how much of you and your time these types can have. And yes, it is okay to fire them completely from your networking efforts.
• The Wishers – that “I wish I had that kind of luck folks”. You know these people, no matter what you accomplish via your hard work, they turn it in to “you are so lucky”. They never identify the outcome of hard work, planning and strategy, they turn it into just dumb luck.
• The Worriers – that person who can take every thing you think, do or say and find the negative about it. You can say the sun is beautiful today and they got to tell you about a guy who got skin cancer! … Need I say more?!?

Let these types go and feel the clean waters of the ocean. Empower yourself. If a weed grew up in your flower bed you would pull it out with no hesitation or mercy – same concept in your bubble network – pull out the toxic ones and toss them to the side, gently if they are loved ones LOL.

Begin NOW to empower yourself to create positive Bubbles, allow yourself to make conscious decisions about the people you allow into your Bubbles. They are your bubbles, you make the decisions. Keep those Bubbles nurtured, growing and expanding naturally.