For the past 20 years, I’ve made my living by bringing in new business within the financial sector. To solidify my connections, I’ve made it a habit to take my contacts and clients to lunch; it’s been my signature move. Not only that, but I also made business lunches a serious five day a week commitment, every month, every year. I found that breaking bread was such a great way to get to know someone that I easily made friends and built lasting connections. As the world reopens safely and more businesspeople return to actually conducting in person business, I’m thrilled to announce that I have set up several lunch meetings with referral sources. When I calculate the lunches I’ve had over my career, the sheer number is well into the thousands! So being excited about lunch kinda seems silly now. But being out of work for so long compounded by COVID being so terrifying makes me honestly ecstatic to be back at the table and I’m ready to do my best work.
And since I’ve been off the circuit and out of the loop for more than a year now, I actually had to look up my Open Table password so that I could make reservations! I’m also unsure of what’s open and what places are offering outdoor dining or dinner only. I’m so happy for the NYC restaurant community that the lights are coming back on and diners can’t wait to enjoy meals others than that TikTok feta pasta and another loaf of homemade banana bread.
I was also thinking that it might be slightly challenging for me to remember some names and faces. I’ve always been really good about selecting key words or something about someone to jog my memory so that my brain coughs up a name to match a face. And before an event, if I had access to the attendee list, I reacquainted myself with the folks and that usually helped the faces jive with the people. But I’m a little out of practice with the small talk and socializing– aren’t we all? And if people aren’t looking exactly like their LinkedIn picture these days, I might not have a clue who they are!
I was on the phone with a business connection the other day and he confessed that he has not been physically back to his office since March 18, 2020 and has no plans to return until after Labor Day. So I was joking that he could probably start a game with all of his associates called, “What’s On My Desk?” Maybe it’s a New York Times from March 18th, next to a pile of papers, underneath a trade magazine and three open capped pens that have lost their ink? I know a lawyer who left her sweater on the back of her chair, spare heels under her desk and an emergency can of hair spray in the drawer. (I sincerely doubt she’s missed the heels all that much this past year, although the hairspray is always a necessity.) Sounds like a reboot of The Office might have a field day with the concept of time standing still?!
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