You Never Know When Opportunities Can Arise
I was reminded the other day that opportunities often present themselves when we least expect them, but we have to be making efforts to see them. This lesson hit home when I recently reconnected with a very old friend, and actually, a former student, who introduced me to a marketing specialist in his team. This new contact provided incredibly valuable advice on how I can significantly improve my social media content.
All of this came about because I decided to attend a networking event, which, interestingly, was not even related to my work at The Tinnitus Guy (TTG). Yet, it turned out to be a perfect fit for helping me move forward with this side of the business.
My Role in Gulshan Farms
Alongside my role running and growing TTG, I’m also an investor in Gulshan Farms — a dairy farm located in Lahore, Pakistan. Over the last few years, I’ve taken a more active role at the farm and am now officially the head of investor relations. A significant part of this role involves raising investment, and as we’re currently selling our remaining shares in the farm, I thought attending a Muslim networking event might be a good idea.
Attending the SMBF Networking Dinner
So, I booked myself into the SMBF Networking Dinner in Birmingham, which I attended on a Saturday night. To be honest, I’ve never been particularly fond of events like these. Maybe it’s because I tend to be a bit more introverted in these settings, but I’ve never found them to be easy. However, I attended with the intention of meeting potential investors, and I thought it might just be worth the effort.
It was a well-attended event — there must have been at least 40 people there, and the atmosphere was quite pleasant. Upon arriving, I immediately recognised an old friend and former student (he used to study Arabic with me around 10 years ago). He came over to greet me, and I joined the conversation he was having with another attendee.
Reconnecting with an Old Friend
He explained that he was there as a sponsor for his new startup company, Teamhub — an alternative project management software like Monday.com. He mentioned that he was actively looking for investment.
I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride for him. He delivered the keynote speech and shared some personal details about his journey. Starting out with a close university friend, he had decided to create an IT company. Over the past 20 years, he’s developed apps that have supported major brands like Next, and now he had come full circle, working on something that would solve a real problem. In his case, the problem was the lack of a project management software that truly met his needs. So, he decided to create one himself.
Overcoming Challenges
It goes without saying that competing with major players like Monday.com, with their extensive financial backing, must be a huge challenge. That’s why I felt so proud of him. I have deep respect for anyone who takes on big challenges, and I congratulated him for his efforts and his early success.
Realising the Difference Between Business People and Investors
Returning to my own business interests, I attended the event with the goal of raising investment, but by the end of the night, I realised that everyone else there was there for similar purposes. There’s a distinct difference between a businessperson and an investor. While the two roles can overlap, most people in that room were looking for investors for their own projects, rather than seeking to invest themselves.
Unexpected Help with TTG
However, in one of the early conversations, I had an interesting development. When I shared what I was working on with TTG and social media, my friend mentioned some advice on how I could approach it. Even better, he set up a call for me with his head of marketing in Malaysia. I ended up having that meeting a few days later, and I’m so glad I did.
Valuable Marketing Advice
The marketing specialist had already audited my social media channels before the call, and he gave me incredible advice on how to improve my results. He pointed out mistakes I was making when publishing videos to YouTube, explained the importance of keyword research, and recommended plugins and apps I should be using to amplify my efforts. Most importantly, he reassured me of the potential for success with TTG in our niche. I felt boosted and motivated to keep going, and I’m definitely planning to share all these tips in a detailed video/article for you to benefit from in the future.
The Lesson: Opportunities Come to Those Who Act
So, this brings me to the main point of this article. We never truly know what might come from the decisions we make. I never attended this event with the goal of benefiting TTG, but that’s exactly what happened. I reconnected with an old friend, who has opened doors to valuable knowledge and contacts that I might never have discovered otherwise.
But here’s the key takeaway: these types of experiences don’t come to you passively. You have to put in the effort and facilitate the changes you want to see. Opportunities arise when you take action and step out of your comfort zone. This is not the only example of this I could share from recent weeks, but it’s certainly a reminder that when people see you’re active and involved, they’ll take notice.
Looking Ahead
I genuinely feel that my goal of reaching 10,000 YouTube followers by 31st December is now much more attainable, thanks to meeting my friend. Let’s see how things develop in the coming weeks.
Comments