Las Mejores Relaciones: Keith Ferrazzi

Fame breeds fame. The fact is, all my prowess for reaching out to other people would be far less effective if a few of those people in my Rolodex weren’t well-known names. Problem is, while we’re excited by the idea of meeting “celebrities,” they are often not all that anxious to meet us. So how can we get close to them?

Yes, it helps to be at the right places and invited to the right events. But the fancy weekends and invite-only conferences aren’t the only ways to meet important people. In America, there is an association for everything. If you want to meet the movers and shakers directly, you have to become a joiner. It’s amazing how accessible people are when we meet them at events that speak to their interests.

Here are a few more places that I’ve found particularly rewarding when looking to find people on the rise or who have already risen:

Young Presidents’Organization (YPO)
This organization is for executive managers under the age of forty-four and has regional chapters across the United States. If you’re running a business, or want to, there are plenty of entrepreneurial organizations that will put you in front of the corporate chieftains of tomorrow. Similar professional organizations exist for the entire range of vocational pursuits. When you join such a group, and become a central figure in that group’s activities, you’ll become someone whom other powerful people will seek to deal with.

Political Fundraisers
Politics is the nexus of money, passion, and power. In politics, the unknown person you help today is the political heavy that can help you tomorrow. Join a local campaign. Host a fundraiser, or attend one. Become an outspoken advocate on a particular issue; if it lights your fire, it’s sure to light the fire of others: Find them and work together!

Conferences
When you have something unique to say and become a speaker, you momentarily become a celebrity in your own right. Networking is never easier than when people are coming to you. There are thousands of conferences that indulge any number of interests. If you develop a side expertise or passion, you can find out which well-known people share your interest and attend the conferences that these people will likely attend.

Nonprofit Boards
Start out by finding four or five issues that are important to you and then support them locally. Successful nonprofits seek out a few famous people to sit on their boards to help them get publicity. Eventually, the goal is to become a board member yourself and sit side by side with these people. But be sure you care and indeed want to help the cause.

Sports (Especially Golf)
Sports and exercise are terrific areas where you can meet new, important people. On the field or court, in the gym or on the track, it’s a level playing field. Reputation means little. What does matter is the skill you have and the camaraderie you can create.

There’s nothing wrong with looking for ways to spend time with people who have accomplished more and have more wisdom than you. Once you put yourself in position to connect with the famous and powerful, the key is not to feel as if you’re undeserving or an impostor. You’re a star in your own right, with your own accomplishments, and you have a whole lot to give to the world.

If you pursue celebrities in a sincere manner, with good intentions, you’re not being manipulative. And if you are emboldened by a mission and you’ve put in the time and hard work to establish a web of people that count on you, then the time will come when your growing influence will put you in a place where you’ll be face-to-face with someone who can help you make a difference.