Networking Tips from an 11 Year Old

My nephew Eric clearly inherited my mom’s ‘talking’ gene. He talks non-stop. He can carry on a conversation with adults just as easily as his friends. The last few times we’ve hung out I’ve noticed his ‘ice-breaker’ question leads with “What’s your favorite…?”

After I took him to the final Harry Potter movie…”Aunt Chris, what was your favorite part?” Mine was when you find out Snape was a good guy the whole time and made the ultimate sacrifice to go undercover as a bad guy to watch over Harry because he had been in love with Harry’s mom, Lily, since they were kids. His was the part when the fire was blazing through the room where everything is hidden and it turned into a snake and dogs.

“What’s your favorite thing at Taco Bell?” He’s just a basic crunchy taco with cheese nacho kinda guy. I like the very decadent Crunch-wrap Supreme.

We were watching “The A-Team” movie…”Aunt Chris, who’s your favorite character?” Mine was Bradley Cooper. Eric likes the crazy guy, Murdoch.

Eric is the cutest kid, he’s never met a stranger. It’s so amazing watching him grow up and have this funny, charming confidence. I took him to Chicago for his 10th birthday. We were at a Cubs game and he was dressed head to toe in his Cardinals gear. A Chicago policeman sat next to me and he and Eric hazed and heckled each other the entire game. I love that Eric inherited my mom’s talking gene and that he can talk to anyone (kinda like his aunt Chris). And the next time I’m at a networking event, I’m totally stealing his “what’s your favorite…” as an ice-breaker.

and PS, this photo is from our Chicago trip, pre-Cubs game, he asked if he could order a cappuccino. Of course Aunt Chris said yes. After he added three sugar packets, he took a tiny sip and hated it, so of course, Aunt Chris drank the cappuccino.

Random thought #1

Fresh from the DSA’s (Direct Selling Association) Social Media Seminar, my mind is a little overwhelmed with all the options and technology. Especially blogging. Why does anyone care about what I have to say? We’ll see. So consider this my “toe in the water” of the blogosphere.

It’s funny. I think my mom has been practicing social networking her whole life—just without the technology. She can go to the freezer section of the grocery store or a cruise in Alaska and meet someone who went to her high school. The first time I went to her favorite used bookstore, I introduced myself as her daughter. The owner asked if I was the one who worked on a cruise ship or the one with three kids. Classic Coco! (cruise ship)

But isn’t that what it’s all about? Connecting with people, finding common interests, sharing our stories with the help from technology? Like Funfetti cake or the cheesy biscuits at Red Lobster. I’m fans of both on Face Book! I follow Suze Orman on Twitter. Did you know she loves Taco Bell? Funny, surprising and kinda cool! Have you seen that skateboarding dog on You Tube? He is awesome! You can tell how happy he is on his skateboard and how much he loves it. We love it too! Over 9.7 million views! He’s been on Oprah and now he’s in a commercial, but I can’t remember who the ad is for. Bummer for that ad agency and client!

So I love food, pop culture, animals and marketing. This blog will be a little mix of all of that.

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