My life as a “business match-maker” started well before I formally understood the concepts of brokering, or networking.  I believe I started to understand core business ideas as early as my first paper route.  But I couldn’t put words to what I was learning at the time.
I am a Digital Media Professional.  In this role, I’ve lead or contributed to many teams in the production of numerous media projects, that have ranged from Rich Media Applications; Web Development; Video; Print; Database Integration; Content Management; Multi-Channel Marketing Programs; Scent Marketing, Immersive Spaces, and now Social Media. Within those projects are rich stories about the people, the technology, the creative, the conditions, the outcomes, and then of course, when all is said and done the ongoing relationships.
My partners (Sim Taing and Ky Ekinci) and I were all working from our home offices and traveling to clients, and our client’s client locations, when we thought there would be value to a co-working space, where we lived in Palm Coast (in North-East Florida).  Recognizing that this business idea may be wrong or right, we decided to forge on and start Office Divvy.  We found ourselves meeting business people that for a variety of reasons did not want to carry the overhead of a full-time office.  We started our venture out of the kinship we were feeling with entrepreneurs and business owners like us.  We gained from being with each other and appreciated the periodic reprieve from our independent focused tasks, which seemed to bring a fresh perspective with it.
As we would meet prospective Office Divvy Members, they would see us as peers and quite naturally tell us their Business Life Story.  There was a lot of common ground and many areas to relate on.  Ideas, referrals and other forms of valuable input were welcome.  Member stories would include how they started, what matters to them, and often times accidental paths and self discovery at the most unexpected times that lead them one way or another in business. But the most common thread was why people love what they do.
In my consulting life, in digital media, I’ve had terrific success matching people and businesses.  It has always been a strong suit and an area I take great pride in.  As people tell us about their businesses, we cannot help but organically match them to a prospective buyers, like professionals or potential partners. It is sometimes something seemingly simple, like an extra ticket to a luncheon; something completely new like a member considering markets outside of the US;  or perhaps the birth of an entirely new product, whatever it may be, we’ve earned the role of trusted partner and advisor.
An example of a basic routine goal within our organization:  Introduce 2 people in our network who may benefit from knowing each other.  As we grow and add new members to our Office Divvy Team, we’ve had to create goals that are shareable and easy for people to make their own.
I love what I do.  I’ve had the most unbelievable good fortune, family and friends, business and life experience.  Working with diverse clients from Fortune 500 companies to sole practitioners has given me a truly well rounded view that aids me every day.  Because I am learning about new people, places, products, and ideas constantly, it forces me to have to look at things differently. I love what I do because I am in the world drawing connections constantly. Social media and the wave of what’s coming, positions me to be able to leverage the collective and share it, making the possibilities of who can be connected, through what ideas, over what time period – endless.  Just Fantastic. What’s not to love?

follow Lisa on twitter: @LisaFLA | @OfficeDivvy

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