Networking Unleashed: Building Profitable Connections. An Interview with Garrett Ervin and Michael A Forman

Welcome, come to Networking Unleashed, building Profitable Connections to show where relationships aren't random and conversations actually lead somewhere. I'm your host, Michael Forman, and today we're talking about a tool most businesses underestimate. Not because it's complicated, but because it's done wrong.

Podcasting not as a vanity project, not as background noise, but as a relationship engine. My guest today works directly with Business Radio X, where business conversations turn into long-term B2B relationships. We're breaking down how companies u use podcasting to open doors. Stay relevant and build trust before the first sales conversation even starts.

If you've ever wondered how to make networking easier, warmer, and more human, this episode is for you. So let's get into it. I'd like to welcome to the podcast Garrett. Garrett has a long time, we became friends, I guess about a year ago, and he is looking for something and he seemed to have found his niche.

So I'm gonna have Garrett explain his background and give us the cliff notes of why you are here today. Garrett, welcome to the podcast. Thank you, Michael. I appreciate you having me on your podcast for sure. And yeah, this is definitely a new venture for me. I spent roughly 30, 31 years in the environmental testing laboratory industry.

I've. Decided it was time to move on after that. Got to a point where I was working for several large corporations and wanted to get back into business for myself. After starting my career in a small business of about 15 to 18 people decided to resign and started networking a lot particularly in Johns Creek and Gwinnett County.

And that's where you and I initially met. And through the networking events. I was introduced to a business broker who had this business for sale, and it was very intriguing to me. It was an established business, and it was something new and exciting, and I decided to go for it. So I'm now a small business owner, getting out there, meeting a bunch of new people, putting some new roots down here in Gwinnett County, and really enjoying the time that I have right now within the podcasting industry.

That's great. Listen I think you're perfect for it. I happen to love podcasting. It's as close to radio, I think, as I'll ever get. But it's it opens up, it's a whole new world because it goes onto my networking, what I do on a weekly basis, but I think it opens up further than your local areas.

It opens up the world. It really does. I was looking at my LinkedIn, our business LinkedIn account, and we actually had an overseas LinkedIn member look at our latest episode that I just posted, which was interesting. So it is a worldwide reach with very little effort. I'll tell you, I've had guests from Canada, Mexico, the uk.

France, Germany, Israel, Egypt, Australia. I've had them from all over. So this, what you're doing, what you're saying, goes out to everybody. It's interesting 'cause I've thought about putting a map up in the studio here of the world and put little push pins on from wherever I get listeners from, just so I could see the scope of the reach.

It would be really interesting to see that in a single place. Yeah, it would. That's something you should think about doing. Okay. So let me jump into the questions. Most B2B leaders say they network, but few see revenue from it. What are they doing wrong and where does meaningful connections actually begin?

That's an interesting question. Being new to the networking scene with, within just the past year it really is a. Situation where you're meeting people and developing relationships. And those relationships are really what solidify B2B business transactions, or I shouldn't say transactions, but relationships.

So I. It's been very interesting to me to meet people through active networking events and start to learn that trust start to understand how I can make their lives easier, how I can give back to them, give back to the community and really be a servant to, potential clients at that point.

Yeah, it's I. I value networking so much. Networking is the lifeblood of all business, and I found that if you go into networking, a networking meeting or a networking event with a servant's heart, then you're looking to give, not receive. And if you do that, it takes all the pressure off your shoulders, it takes all the pressure off, and you can actually see what everybody is about.

And if you go in there thinking, how can I help this person? It'll come back to you tenfold. Bob Berg, Zig Ziglar, all these guys, they all say the same thing. Give first and you'll receive afterwards. That's a hundred percent correct with at least our business plan. We have a weekly show, which I had you on one of our shows where we're just highlighting local businesses and it's absolutely amazing when you give them an opportunity to talk about themselves.

And the show concludes, they immediately go to what can I do for you? And my standard line is nothing. 'cause this is for you. This is for you to highlight your business and for us to promote you guys. So the immediate reaction when you do have a servant's heart is people do want to reciprocate and offer some kind of service back to you.

Absolutely. And really that's the way it should work. Because if you do something for, if I did something for you, you're gonna turn around and say look, Mike did that for me, so let me do something for him. And if we both did that and it just creates a larger and larger network.

Everybody's doing everything for one another and the world would be a better place. I, that's my thing. Okay. Business Radio X sit sits at the intersection of media and relationships. What have you seen work best when companies use media as a connection tool instead of a branding badge? You really got me on that one.

That's a real zinger there. It's an interesting media tool or marketing tool or branding tool. It gives people the opportunity to share information very easily to their potential clients. It gives them an opportunity to highlight their work easily without additional hours put towards the business.

I guess it's true and the AI is the buzzword of late, and you really throw that out. You really just get to the person themselves, and that's the relationship part. AI doesn't bring emotion into it. It just, it's there. It's facts and everything else. You are bringing relationships and I think that's what it's all about.

I agree, and I've been reading a lot of articles about AI recently, and they're comparing it to when the computer first came out and the big fears about, oh, it's gonna replace people when we have computers. And it really doesn't, AI is simply a tool that we're learning how to use, learning how to maximize that in our own businesses, in our own lives, and I don't think it's.

A replacement for true person to person contact, true person to person relationships. I just think, I don't think that will ever go away. No I agree a thousand percent. Otherwise I'd be outta business. It's it will just make you better. And if you use it as a tool in your tool, be but one of many, then you're all set.

But you can't rely on AI to do your entire. Business or be afraid that it's gonna take your business away because you still have to be you. Correct? Yep. So why does being a host not a guest change? The quality of conversations and caliber of relationships in business to business? Being a host allows me the opportunity to really dig into these businesses, to ask them the questions that make them stand out, to position them to look good, basically to highlight their business.

And it makes me it makes me allow them to really shine. Really offer to whoever's listening or their clients, what makes their services stand out amongst the rest of the competitive market? I agree. A thousand percent is a thousand percent. Okay. Because 'cause being a host and a guest.

Both. I've been on over a hundred podcasts and I've done, I've created over a hundred podcasts, so I get to see it in real time, and it's different, but it's the same because as a host, as you said, I'm making you look great, right? But when I'm a guest, they're trying to make me look great, and I'm still in the back of my head trying to make them look great.

So it's really strange. Okay. So which one do you enjoy more? Do you enjoy being a host or a guest more? I think I enjoy being a host more. I really do because I love the feeling of giving, right? And I love the feeling of okay, how do I make Garrett look great? And all that is going through my head, and I just would rather you be in the spotlight.

Show yourself and me just guiding you down the path than me having to be in the spotlight. For me, an additional aspect of it is I get an opportunity to learn about so many different businesses and when I go to networking events. And people say I really, I'm really looking for this, or I'm looking for this kind of service.

And that's where networking really explodes is I can tell whoever I'm speaking to, oh, I just talked to somebody about this. They seem like a very honest person. They're very eager. Their service is great. Why don't you go talk to them? And that's where the networking really starts gluing everything together.

Yeah. So being a host is fantastic. Absolutely. You know when you walk into a networking event and you see what's called a wallflower, you see the person he gets a drink and he goes right to the wall and he is I don't want to go in there. It's too many people, that's where you take the opportunity to walk up to that person and say, Hey that's a nice blazer we have on.

Or Hey, that's great shoes. Or Where'd you get that, that, that shirt. That's great. Have them talk a little bit and you'll see them come out of their shell and you'll walk them over and say, he's a graphic designer. Oh, that table over there is filled with marketing people. Let me introduce the two of them, and then you'd back away.

So what does that do? That helped him. Get into a conversation, but it made you look like, he's always gonna remember me because I walked him over. So all these different facets. What makes podcasting such a powerful door opener in business conversations compared to cold outreach or to traditional networking events?

What makes a difference is the reach. Just like you and I here, we're in two different locations right now, but with the technology we have, we're able to have a video conversation and we can distribute that conversation just about anywhere. Within a traditional networking situation, you're limited to a single location.

You're limited to the people that attend. And with today's. Busy lifestyle for everybody. Everybody's busy and whatever they're doing, you can still share this information to them even though they weren't able to attend. So I think podcasting just has a farther reach and many more tools to share that information to a larger audience of people than just the traditional networking events.

Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. And it does it makes going to the event special because you're there in person, but if you can't go to the event, then you see a re a replay of it or something else like that, and you can still, so it used to be where if you miss an event, you miss the event, and that was it.

Now you get to view it. As a webinar almost, and you get to say, oh, okay, and you see all these people, so you're introduced to all these people that you weren't introduced at a show. So it just opens everything up greatly. And additionally. You doing this podcast with me and with our Reciprocal eye doing that podcast with you, we're reaching different audiences.

You have a large network. I'm growing my network, so we're reaching different people as we post it on social media. And your contacts and my contacts. We'll see that information and possibly connect themselves or your clients or your contacts, your network will reach out to me and vice versa.

Absolutely. And that's what it's all about. That's what it is all about. Just when you speak to, and I as a speaker, let me just change hats as a speaker. When I'm speaking to an audience, I'm not only speaking to that audience, I'm speaking to that audience's network of people. So I have to keep that in mind because if I just speak to a room of 45 people, that's great, but how big are their networks?

And if I'm good enough, then they'll say, I've gotta get you over here. And that's how it all begins, right? You helped companies step into podcasting without tech overwhelm. What's the simplest mindset shift leaders need to make before launching a show? They just need to get over. Their fear of being in front of a microphone is my initial reaction.

People see podcasting as something that's very high tech, something that requires a certain personality. If they just get over their fear. Just loosen up and sit in front of the microphone and just have a conversation. They can realize it's not that difficult to do. Here at Business Radio X, we make it easier for people to do that, and I compare it to a car wash where everybody can go through a car wash or they can wash their own car.

But the convenience of going through the car wash outweighs. Getting the soap out and the bucket out, and that's what we hear at Business Radio X. We, we wanna make it easy for them to harness the power of podcasting to promote their businesses or make additional connections. Let me ask you a question. I do this when I coach.

People, businesses, C-suite executives, and I have them do something to get used to speaking in front of a microphone, speaking in front of people. What do you think is a good exercise that they can do to make things easier for them so that they don't think about the microphone, don't think about who they're talking to in front of, do you have an exercise?

Just talking to themselves in the mirror? Ah, there you go. That's the number one. Yeah. Just having that conversation with yourself and giving yourself the confidence that yes, you do have a voice, and yes, you are knowledgeable and you know what you're doing with your business. Absolutely. And also look at your facial expressions.

Look at the facial expressions. When you make a joke. When you don't make a joke. When you make a joke and it falls flat, look at your face and see how it is, right? And, but yes, that's perfect. That's perfect because that's exactly what you should do. Think it's funny when you walk past somebody, them talking into a mirror, but it'll make things go if they crack jokes or whatever.

It'll make them much more at ease so that when they come in front of you or in front of me or something else like that, they're much more at ease. And one thing to understand as well, when people are talking into a microphone or even in a public setting, and I've struggled with this over my own career.

I'm not a big public speaker. I've never enjoyed public speaking. However, when people do public speaking such as yourself, people need to recognize that once you enter that position, everybody views you as the authority on that subject. You are at that point, the smartest person in the room on that subject, and it's just gaining that confidence to know that you are in business for a particular reason, for a particular service, and you are more than likely the most knowledgeable person about that.

Right in the room. In the room anyway. So you know it Yes that's true. However, you really have to know your stuff. You can't just, you can't just fake it till you make it, because if you, I go up there, if I go up on a stage and I go up on a stage once a month, and I try to fake it till I make it.

If I say one thing that's really wrong and they call me out on it, I go and that's it. So I really have to know what I'm talking about. So that's what you have to do know what you're talking about. Yes, definitely. You do need to know what you're talking about. And there, there will be those people in the audience that are looking to discredit just about anybody.

Absolutely. And no matter what you say, they're gonna try to find something to discredit you and you have to be ready to answer something like that. Yes. And I've had many people like that. Many people. Okay, can a podcast quietly warm up prospects and partners long before a sales conversation ever happens?

I'm sorry, would you please repeat that? How can a podcast quietly warm up prospects and partners long before a sales conversation ever happens? I'm gonna take a little bit outta your playbook and just. Use the methods that you've described. Just get personal with them. Ask about family, talk about current events or get to know them.

You have the form. Method. And you heard that method number? Yes. Number one is family and the most important thing to people is their family and getting to know them understanding where their children live. Understanding what their children do or what they're doing with their parents.

I, I've been reaching out, I've been going to a lot of Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce and I've been seeing repeat people there, and I make a point to go up and talk to 'em for at least a few minutes, and it's gotten to a point where they are sharing information with me as far as, oh, the daughter's coming down to visit with me today.

And it really excites them and it excites me too, because I have. Daughters as well, and I enjoy seeing them. So getting to that personal level really gains trust with any potential client, whether they become a client or not. That's beside the point, but it's given you credibility and it's given you that, that personality that people wanna work with.

Absolutely. And you can go one step further. So if you were to speak with somebody and they say, oh, my daughter's coming down and she's all excited, the next week you ask that person, how was her daughter? How you know? And she goes you remember that? Say, yeah, I remember that. 'cause we're talking.

And that will stick with them a whole lot longer than anything else. One thing you do, people yell and scream at me, but you never talk business. And with a chamber a chamber of commerce, the one thing that you don't want to do is talk business right away. Because I feel I've told this to just about all of my clients I get a lot of clients from the Chamber itself, but, you never talk business and you never, if you have, if you do 10 things, let's say, and you get up and you talk for your 30 seconds, whatever, don't try to cram everything all in there at the same time. Pick one thing, pick two things and talk about it. The meeting beforehand. Don't talk business. You're there just to socialize and everything else, and people say no.

The Chamber of Commerce, I'm there to network. I'm there to get business and everything else. You are getting business. It may be a longer wait, but you are getting, because you have to get to that level of trust and everybody has a wall between them. Sure. And when you're speaking with somebody, that wall is coming down and that trust level is rising.

And once they pass one another, then you're okay. Then the next week you talk about something different or how your daughter came in or something else like that, and they begin to trust you and then they be, then they let a little bit slip and they talk about work or occupation or anything else like that.

And then you start. So it's a longer process, but it works so much better. It does, it certainly works a lot better. And it just, it solidifies those relationships. It does everybody. Everybody's always thinking about business. Every minute of the day in the back of their head, we gotta accomplish this, we've gotta sell this, we've gotta do this, we've gotta change this.

There's so much going on in the business world that it's actually refreshing when you start going to networking events and you talk about something other than business. Absolutely. Absolutely. Okay, so separates podcasts that create real business relationships from those that just create content. It gives you the one-on-one opportunity, at least with Business Radio X.

When we have our show, we generally have two individual. Companies on the show, which we highlight, and after the show is concluded, or even before the show starts, it gives those people an opportunity to just talk. Even if they're just talking about, wow, I'm so nervous to go on this show, and then they have something in common at that point.

But the real value comes after the show when people are more relaxed. They've made it through, they've realized that they've survived. The podcasting and being a microphone, and they can start talking about their, what do you do? What services do you offer? And they start building that relationship.

Whether or not they are ever going to do business together is beside the point. But it gives them an opportunity to start expanding their network and making those connections with people they normally wouldn't have made a connection with. Absolutely. And it depends on whether they're extroverted or introverted.

Extroverts will just come around and say, Hey, what do you do? And, oh, that's what you do. Oh, that's great. I know somebody who and will go into it that way. And an introvert will not say anything. That, that's the wallflower that, that walks in a, in an event. Okay. And B2B.

Trust often matters much more than reach. How does consistent media presence shorten the trust building curve? At least with podcasting. To answer your question consistency is key. If someone is interested in the information that you're providing and they're listening to several different shows, they want to know, is this person gonna hold true to their word and publish their podcast every Friday at 9:00 AM?

When I take a break from my work and I wanna listen to that, so that helps build trust. This guy, he's a standup guy or a woman, and he's being consistent all the time. So I can trust when I take a break from my work, this gentleman or this podcaster is gonna have that information that I wanna listen to at that particular time.

Very good. Yep. Absolutely. Absolutely. What's one overlooked way companies can use podcast conversations to stay top of mind without chasing follow ups?

You, you got some zingers here? I'm, my, my goal I don't wanna be the typical guy to ask you just general questions. Sure. I want you to think about it because my listeners will truly want to understand about Radio X, about networking and how they can do it better. Because the better you are at networking, the more money you make, correct?

So I'm gonna ask you the question one more time. What's one overlooked way companies can use podcast conversations to stay top of mind without chasing follow-ups. So looking for one way where we can use this conversation so we don't have to chase follow-ups. One way for me would be. When we, just using you and I as an example and our podcast that we did several days ago, staying top of mind is once you complete this podcast, you share it.

You share it on your LinkedIn account, your Facebook, wherever you're sharing your podcast, and you're probably also gonna share the link with me and it automatically becomes top of mind 'cause you're refreshing my mind as. Michael Foreman is the networking guy. He is the public speaking guy. He solidified that within my brain by doing that immediate follow up.

Okay, so let's bring this podcast full circle. If a business owner wants to turn their next 12 podcast episodes into long-term relationships, what should they focus on first? Making sure they have good content to discuss. Having information that's relatable, having information that will spark interest in a lot of people, and also, as we have stated, being consistent and sharing that information on a regular basis to their potential clients or their top prospects.

That's great. I wanna tell you, Garrett, this was a great podcast. I'm so thankful to you for what you're doing and that you came on my podcast. If somebody wanted to get hold of you to be either on Radio X or ask questions about it, or just networking in general, how should they contact you?

There's two, two ways to contact me. One of them is email, so Garrett, G-A-R-R-E-T t@businessradiox.com. Or they can call me or text me directly at 3 8 6 2 8 3 8 3 1 5 and I'd be happy to discuss how business RadioX can promote their business and highlight what they're doing to the greater business community.

That's great. Today's conversation proves one thing. Meaningful connections don't come from chasing attention. They come from creating conversations worth staying in podcasting when done right isn't about downloads or microphones. It's about access, credibility, and showing up with consistency where real business relationships are formed.

If you're thinking bigger about how you connect, how you're remembered, and how people decide to do business with you, this episode gave you a clear path forward. If this hit home share with someone who still relies on cold outreach and hoping for warm results. I'm Michael Foreman and this is Networking Unleashed, building Profitable Connections.

Until next time, keep your conversations intentional, your follow-up real and your network working for you. Garrett, I want to thank you so much for coming on the podcast and I will talk with you soon. Thank you, Michael. I appreciate you having me on. Very enjoyable.

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 a huge thank you to our guests for sharing such incredible insights today, and of course, a big shout out to you, our amazing listeners, for tuning in and spending your time with us. If you're interested in my digital courses being coached or having me come and talk to your company, just go to MichaelAForman.com and fill out the request form.

Remember, networking isn't about being perfect. It's about being present. So take what you've learned today, get out there and make some meaningful connections. If you've enjoyed this episode, please don't forget to subscribe. Leave us a review. Share it with someone who could use a little networking inspiration.

Let's keep the conversation going. You can find me on Apple, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, or my website michaelaforman.com/podcast.

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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