Networking Unleashed: Building Profitable Connections. An Interview with Faris Aranki and Michael A Forman
- mforman521
- Jul 28
- 15 min read
📍 Welcome back to Networking Unleashed, building Profitable Connections to show where we go beyond business cards and dive deep into the relationships that dive, that drive real results. Today's guest brings a fresh and powerful perspective on what it really takes to succeed in business. He's the mind behind CHI ghetto equation.
Success equals IQ times. EQ times fq, where IQ is the ability to generate ideas. EQ is the emotional intelligence that brings others on the journey, and FQ is the focus to deliver it all. He's used this formula to help businesses unlock their full potential. To launch a thriving startup of his own. But here's the big question.
How does networking amplify each part of that equation? We're about to find out if you're looking to lead smarter, connect deeper, and execute with laser focus. This episode is for you. Let's unleash the power of connection and success. My guest today is Ferris Arani and he has quite a background. I'm gonna let him fill you in with his background so I don't butcher it anymore than I already have.
I don't think you could possibly butcher it, Michael, but what a lovely intro and it's great to be with you. The listeners, the viewers, but it's just great to be with anyone. That's the power of networking. Yes yeah, my background where can I start? I've had lots of different aspects to my background, Michael people may find it in, find it interesting.
I. Okay. Alright so let's just, let's start with the iq. Yeah. How do you see, how do you see strong ideas connecting to strong networks, you all as I think this is a really great place to start, right? Great ideas are not built necessarily by one individual. Okay. When I work with teams and my job today, I run a company where we go in and we get more outta teams than they would get on their own.
Okay. And what, when we work on the IQ pillar, IE, the quality of their ideas, quality of their strategy, one of the biggest problems they have is they're not generating enough ideas. Often because either one person is doing it either explicitly, I, they're only handing it over and saying, John, you come up with all the ideas, or they are effectively doing that without realizing because the boss has a favorite in the room, or the extroverts are dominating and you're sitting in the room as an independent going, there's 10 people in this room, but only one person is talking.
If only they. Networked more, got to know each other more, saw the value that they'd have, suddenly they'd have 10 times the volume of ideas. Yeah, okay. Not every idea is gonna be great, but wouldn't you rather have 10 times the volume of ideas to start from and then sharpen those than to just start with one person's ideas, even if they're really good ideas.
And that's where networking really can unlock your iq, right? Talk to more people, be more curious, and suddenly your ideas will go through the roof. Great. Great. That's fantastic. And I, being in, in business myself I was in a position to teach others. But that's really a sure sign of leadership, the person who's controlling the meeting, and as well as I do, when you are a leader instead of a boss.
You're leading others to become future leaders. Yeah. And that's getting them to come out with their ideas and everything else, so that's very good. In your experience, how has access to the right people sharpened your best ideas? I. Oh, a hundred percent. Every idea I ever had has been better by contact with the enemy.
If it sits in your head it's gonna be good, but it's not gonna be great. And I constantly reminded of that, that get my ideas out. And just this morning I was talking about how I built my business, right? And it was an idea, I was sitting in a corporate job. Very happily paid.
And I had this idea, I'm gonna start this business. And I was a str, I'm a strategic thinker. I was a partner in a strategy consulting firm for 12 years. And so I walked away fairly confident in my own abilities. I said, I've got an idea. Sat in a room, wrote it down, spent two weeks, and then I went out and had contact with the enemy and they ripped my idea to shreds.
Because that's what happens when you start a business. You're so full of confidence. You're so sure. But actually it's not about your surety because you are not the one paying for it. Yeah. It's going out and hearing people go, that's rubbish idea. Or just looking at you blankly. That's what most people do.
They politely nod and go, yeah, great idea. And then they move the conversation on and you're like, that means it's not a great idea. They're just being polite. Until they pop money for your idea. It's not a great idea. And that is. Constantly what Running my own business, and I'm sure it's the same for you.
Michael reminds me about why the networking being introduced to others really helps you even if it feels painful in the short term. And it could be painful. Because here you are thinking that you have the best idea that anybody's ever heard and everybody else is poo-pooing it, yeah. But you stuck it through and you developed it and you started your business in, and that, that's fantastic. Yeah. Okay. EQ Yeah. Is all about bringing. Others with you? Yes. How does networking play into that emotional journey? Quite simply, you can't take others with you if you don't know, if you don't speak to others.
Yeah. It's you will, there's a big si there's a big link to the IQ pillar here, which is we often, we communicate we, and we go through life with our own lenses on. And that's great. And it where, you know, yeah, if you're lucky and you're surrounded by people who think like you have experienced the same things as you, they'll be swept along and they'll enjoy the journey.
But if you, soon as you meet people who have a different frame of reference, your way of approaching things, we'll be very alien to them. And don't be surprised if they start putting up resistance. So this is where EQ is because A reminds you. Your view isn't the only view, and B, it brings in that richness of new ideas, new people that will help you on your journey.
And I've got so many examples of this that it really is probably the number one area that I do personally. It's my default setting. Meet more people, find out what you don't know, approach them how they like to be approached. But it's also the number one thing I end up doing in teams, in companies is getting more people to know each other.
To a deeper level, because that always seems to just get teams working better together. That's so true. I personally believe that networking is the base for every company. Yeah. And without networking, you really can't have. A company because you can't grow and you know it. I have a little thing here on my shirt.
It says, connect, learn, and grow. Yeah. But first you're connecting, then you're learning about the other person and you're growing with them. So it's a very good thing. And a lot of people think I'm crazy, but I think you, this will resonate with you, Michael. I often recommend to companies that have reached a certain size to just employ someone who is a interconnector.
Right? Their job is chief networker. They have no, no content. Their job is just to walk the halls and go, Hey John, do you know Steve? Hey Sarah, have you ever met Peter? And broker that intro because that will return its investment. 10 times over in that company by just making those conversations a little bit easier.
Great idea. I haven't heard that before, but that's a great idea. And if somebody who has a company is listening I would really pay attention to what Ferris is saying. What do emotionally intelligent networkers do differently than arrest? The, probably the single biggest thing they do is they listen more than they talk.
They might talk just to start the conversation, but then they are not only listening by time, but they're listening actively. They are generally seem interested in what the other person has to say. They're not just waiting to speak themselves and boast about what they're doing. They are there going, wow, that's fascinating.
And yeah. Oh, tell me more. And yeah. That is. Like the closest thing to being loved. They say being listened to is the closest thing to being loved. So if you are a great networker, you are listening maybe 70, 80% of the conversation. That is, that's a big thing with networking as a whole. And I have something that I developed.
Yeah. I didn't develop it. I actually stole it, but I use it. Yeah. It's FORM because I have that in my head. When I sit down with somebody, it's family. Occupation, recreation, and a message. And you just pick one of them and have the other person speak about themselves, speak about their family, what they do, and have them talk.
And you're not saying a word, you're just listening, but you're active listening. That's correct. I just thought I'd throw that in there. Okay. FQ is all about delivering results. Yes. How can a well-built network help you stay focused and finish strong? FQ is we all get distracted and this FQ isn't about, not one level, it's about not using your phone and not multitasking, but the real emphasis of focus quotient is prioritization.
Okay. Is. Prioritizing and being really clear on what's important to you, and therefore saying no to other things, right? And so how networking can help you is in one of two ways. One, surround yourself. Go and find other people who've prioritized the same thing as you. It is easier to have that discipline and that prioritization if the people around you also.
Yeah. So that's number one. And number two, finding other people that you can hand over the tasks that are non priorities for you is equally important way, right? Because obviously there's all these other tasks they still need to get done. They just don't need to get done by you. So go and find the perfect person to hand all those other things to.
So that's why you need to network and not just for the sake of networking, but find people to surround yourself who will help you prioritize and hand find people. You can hand off the non-priority tasks to. Very good. And being a former business owner myself. Yeah. I learned something early on. Yeah.
I did the things I enjoyed doing, but the things I really did enjoy doing, I handed off. Yeah. Or I hired somebody to do those things so I can really put the emphasis on the things I enjoy doing. Enjoy. Yeah. So that goes right along with what you're saying. Yeah. Okay. Have you ever leaned on your network to help move a stalled idea into execution?
Yeah. It's, it goes back to what we said about or what what we talked about being, spending too much time in your own head, right? The great thing about a network and about the world today is you are never the first person to solve a problem, right? Okay. And this is something I learned when I moved into consulting, we were encouraged to bring others on board and get others involved in the problem solving early.
Whereas I, my first career was as a school teacher that was very isolated. I felt I had to solve every problem myself, every lesson, design it myself, and similar. And once you realize that's why you keep a good network, and one of the best things I did early on in starting a business was creating a network for small business owners.
And every month we get together and each person takes it in turn to throw out their biggest challenge for that month. And then we ask anyone who has faced that challenge to talk through how they got through it, not somebody to speculate how they might get through the challenge, because that's great.
Everyone's got a hypothesis and everyone has got an opinion on how they might do something. But if someone has actually solved it, let's give the floor to them. Let's hear them. And so many times, not only have I that helped other people, that's helped me with my problems, I've turned up and said, I've had this month.
I really dunno what to do. And someone steps from the shadows on the call and says, don't worry, that happened to me two years ago. This is what I did. And it's just immense having that pool of knowledge. That's great. That's great. I developed a networking group. Yeah, it was in New York and one I had actually, I had two of them.
One in New York, one in New Jersey. It was a group of small businesses and that was really, because I should have thought of that also. But it was just a weekly networking group that we got together. We all exchanged ideas or problems that we were having and we all walked through, worked through them together.
But it's almost the same thing, but I like your idea better because you really emphasize the problem that you were having and somebody else who went through it is going to help you get through it yourself. Yeah. So I like that a lot. Okay, so let's bring this all together. When all three iq, EQ, and FQ are firing Yeah.
How does networking act as the glue that holds it together? I think you'll hit this, you'll be in your flow and it will, what will happen is you will dip into your network to top up your own levels of iq, eq, and fq. But you'll also give back to that group and that's where the real power of networking comes together.
You all grow and and then begins to compound. And that's how I really see the networking being the glue. Because at times you might be low on one of those aspects and you need to dip into the group. And that's why you keep a network. At other times you've gotta give back out. And that's why I love a, not only expanding my network and meeting new people who will add to that Paul, but I keep a part of my week every week to ask for help, but also to give help.
Because I know it's an investment back in myself, right? It's that whole is there ever truly an altruistic activity? And I often joke to someone I'm helping who's, who might be stuck at, I'll say, don't worry buddy. In 10 years from now when you are a unicorn, I'll come knocking and remind you of this very conversation.
But for now, you take what you need. That's really the main focus of networking, is really to give. Yeah. Not to receive. So if you're going with that in Zig Ziglar said this the best. But if you go and if you just think of what you can do for somebody else, what you can do to give them, you're gonna receive it, afterwards.
But don't look to receive anything. Just look to give. And, or if you I have a few ideas and thoughts, but we'll go on to that later on. Yeah. Okay. So I. Do you think it's possible to succeed with just one or two parts of the equation, or is the networking that connects 'em all? I think you need all three parts of the equation.
I'll be honest. And networking does link it all, but I guess what sits above it is self-awareness. If you are unaware that you are low in one of those areas, you are le, you are less likely to go looking to do the networking, to fill in the gaps. So you can be the greatest network in the world, but if you don't get off your ass and realize you need to network, then it's all for now.
And that's that's the bit that is often missing. People get, tell me I'm a great networker. I'm like, yeah, but when was the last time you networked? Because you've got too over confident in your own abilities or you're, you've got two lazy, or you've got too comfortable. That's a bit that I think we need to throw into the mix.
Absolutely. And when I speak, I go across the country and I speak on this, on the networking. I always say put networking on your schedule. Yeah. Make it a scheduled event. Let's say even two times a month, but get out there, make it. Network. And just because, the first time you're gonna go out, you're really not gonna do well.
By the third, fourth, fifth time you're doing better and better. But make it a scheduled event and go out there with the thought of giving. Yeah. And that's what I do. Yeah. Love it. Okay, so as a startup founder Yeah. How did your network help you move from concepts?
Company? Yeah. It's entirely based on my network and I made the cardinal mistake that we all make at the start. So first of all, I did decide not to do any cold outreach. Okay? I decided that's not for me. I'm working on emotional intelligence. I've got to lead with emotional intelligence.
But the mistake I made was I just picked people that I thought were rich and powerful. And I said, okay, yes, I know them a bit and I, so therefore these are gonna be the people I'm gonna build my business around. I'm gonna sell them lots of work. And I didn't sell to any of them. I had a list, a hot list of 30 people.
And all I did, Michael was irritate them by contacting them too much. And unbeknownst to me at the same time, something amazing happened from my network. Somebody I had interacted with 12 years previously saw. A post I'd made on social media and contacted me out the blue and said, I don't know if you remember me from 12 years ago, but you helped me out then and I'm forever grateful and now I'm in a position to repay you.
Come and work. Come and do some work for me and my company. And once that happened, I sat after we did it and we had a chat and he told me the story of how it helped him. I sat back and thought, maybe there's other people from all the years I've worked who also think of me fondly. So instead of picking 30 powerful people, now let's just go looking for the people I, enjoyed working with who left a smile on my face, 'cause maybe I left a smile on their face.
And so I made it my mission to reconnect with those people. Do you know what, the more you find those people, those are the ones who became my clients, and those are the ones who helped me grow a successful business. Absolutely. Absolutely. And if you were good at what you do or if you what you did, then it'll come back to you.
Yeah that's right. So let's bring this full circle. What's one? Oh, what's one piece of networking advice? Yeah. You give to someone. Yeah. Who has the IQ and fq, but struggles with the eq. With the eq. We've already talked about listening. Active listening. Active listening is the big question.
So listen more and ask one more question than you normally would is my advice that I normally give people. And if you struggle, walk into a room with, 10 questions. So your form template is brilliant, that already provides you with four questions. Tell me about your family, tell me about your job.
Okay? Have a list of 10 questions and and and ask them. Just try them out. That will help you with your eq. And listen. And if you're feeling particularly vulnerable or say, try it with people you already know. You'll be amazed. You might not know all the answers already, eh? Because linking back to what we said earlier, if you really are nervous around networking, I've got a news flash for you.
You don't need to network anyone new ever again. You've got enough people take from my story. Previously, you've probably got enough people who, for one reason or another, you haven't spoken to in a while, just renet them. And you could get the same gold out, out of a meeting, an entirely new person at a new event.
Outstanding, outstanding Ferris. I can't, I, first of all, I can talk to you for another hour. You are that interesting. But if somebody were to want to contact you Yes, sir. Want to ask you about coaching or starting a business or whatever the case may be. Yeah. What's the best way that they can get hold of you?
So one of two ways. One, come and visit shia ghetto.com. That's the company website. We have some tips on there. We have some articles. You can contact me and the team or if to contact me directly, come and find me on LinkedIn. I spend probably a disproportionate amount of my time. Incidentally, I do a lot of networking on LinkedIn.
But come and find me. It's Farris Reky. There's only one of us. There's only one of me. And I do post every day sharing tips, tricks but also I reply to every message so they can get hold of me. Outstanding Farris. I can't beg I can't believe this was, this happened, this so short. This podcast seemed to me like it was five minutes, but it is been longer.
You are a great guest. Thank you very much for coming on, and I hope to speak with you soon. Thank you very much, Mike.
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Michael is a business networking expert specializing in enhancing professionals' networking and communication skills to drive profitability. As a leading authority in this field, he is highly sought after for his dynamic presentations and workshops. His extensive experience has consistently led to significant improvements in corporate profitability by empowering individuals and organizations to connect more effectively and efficiently.
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