02/21/2025
I recently had a member message me asking for clarification of the purpose of the group. I would like to share my response so everybody is clear on what the purpose of this group is:
“The focus of this networking group is equal parts business and social. I believe that this type of friendly, free form gathering will allow people that are new or just starting a business, as well as those that are established, to come together and do more than they could separately.
I was new to this area eight years ago and had nothing to offer a traditional networking group that ranks people based on their quality of connections. Since those groups have such a large presence in our community, their exclusive relationships were a barrier for me to overcome, which I have. I have no interest in creating a group that excludes people, especially those that are new or have few connections; these people can become huge assets if given the opportunity. We have one of the fastest growing counties in the state, and I want to make sure all these new people have a place where they can feel welcomed. I believe ranking people based on their quality of connections could filter out many of the new faces we see, essentially turning away opportunity for growth.
In the “details about me” section on the page, I mention that this is an inclusive networking group that basically just wants to connect people. And that we will not encourage exclusive alliances between members like in traditional professional networking groups. I’ll make sure to pin it as a post to make it easier for people to find.
Everybody comes ready to give more than they take, even if they don’t have that much to give, at least not yet. I believe a group with this mentality is a huge asset to the community. In just three short events, I have seen strangers become friends, business deals closed, partnerships formed, and business brought into Grand Haven from outside areas. I can’t wait to see where it goes!”
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