📍 Now I have a guest. Her name is Millie Goldberg and she has quite a great background in network and influencing and everything.
I wouldn't do it justice. Let me just start out by saying Millie Goldberg is a values expert and entrepreneur and now a published nonfiction business author. She launched her first startup in 2009. So before I go into the rest of the bio, I will say hello to Nilly. Hello, Nilly. How are you? Hi, Michael.
Thank you for having me. Good morning on your end, of course. Yeah, well, it is morning. It is morning. But, but, I know there's just so much more to your background. And could you fill us in a little bit, please? Sure thing. I I began my entrepreneurial career, as you mentioned while sitting at the office, listening to other startup pitch about their video solutions to me.
And suddenly I had the entrepreneurial itch. And so ever since I've been connecting my passion for marketing and entrepreneurship. 1st was, as you mentioned, to launch 1 of the 1st influence of platforms on Earth before even Instagram was on. So that was a bit of a challenge on trade, blazing the social influencer, the micro social influencer markets and ever since for the past decade or so, I've been also investing in working with.
Startups that some have now IPO'd on NASDAQ by now. So, so, so I'm very proud. In order to help them fine tune their product market fitch. Product market fit it was with the pitch. That's how it got all combined. And especially to help them overcome what I saw is that they used to call me the messaging doctor.
But as we dove into the messaging processes, it ended up being really a kind of alignment that got me to. sit sit on the beach for a year and write and write this book report for which I'm so proud of and excited about shipping. Congratulations on the book. That is just a very good thing. Okay.
So you, you network, you have an increase, incredible. Network of people that you stay in contact with. So now how do you, how do you remain in contact or network with these people in a digital age?
Well, that's a great question. And I will also add something to my bio that wouldn't have been relevant until this point, but that is the fact that I only found out that I have ADHD about three years ago. That's a year before I decided to write a book. And which helped me understand why, while I have many friends and acquaintance whom I love when I get, when I connect with them it's, it's, it's always extremely authentic.
We, we dive deep either on the personal or business level. We always find various connections to what we do and how we do it. You know, we find our why's, we find our why, why we're connected. But then Given the widespread of communities that I'm involved in, given the various startup verticals that I've been engaging with, and the academic world, and, and, and, It became very hard for me to maintain that level of connection on social media because to get back to messages and to create connections that are there to last, I found I needed something different.
I needed to have that kind of connection that if you and I are not going to speak together, you know, we're going to go off this call and then follow up a few times, but then we'll all, you know, we'll disappear into thin digital air. So what I keep looking for in my engagements on social media is to have the type of connection that when I meet these people again, because I, it's hard for me to maintain the personal contact in the deep way it was formed before, but it will feel for us as if we've just said our previous goodbyes and that the mutual connection, it'll just like, you know, like you have these friends that you pick up your connection with them, even if you haven't seen them for a decade.
And it's like, as if you just I've said your goodbyes. And that's the kind of engagements I see on social media. Okay, that's great. That's great. You know, I profess, you know, the in person, the networking so you can feel the vibe of the person and feel the vibe of the room. What type of networking in person, networking events.
Do you attend.
Well, it's interesting for me, you know, these kind of questions on one hand, they're like, okay, so I go to meetups like I go to when I get invited as a speaker. So I get so excited to see the event itself and everything else. So, you know, you get to spend time with people. On the other hand, it's, you know, for me, it's like what Brene Brown refers to the introvert, introvert, extrovert and vice versa.
So I, I'm as much as I'm very passionate about what I do and about helping people. And I dive in and it's like, I'm, I morph myself into being part of the room in order to better understand. The challenges I'm dealing with, I shy away in other events. So what kind of networking events I go to the ones that there's a Barton of the ones that no, it's not my, it's not my thing.
But The ones that I can blend in and not feel uncomfortable with you know, not approaching people and saying, Hi, my name is Neely. How are you? I noticed, you know what you do that. And I like the small and more intimate events and meetups that eventually either have. Breakdown sessions or or roundtables.
And then I think that's a true way to get to know people. So those are the events I would vote for. Okay. Okay. How about if you give me a few key elements in a key elements of effective communication in your in your professional network. Just some key elements. What I would, what I would, I think that my key element for engaging on the professional level is not very different from the one on the personal level, because what I, what I usually aim for is to have, you know, I've been working for so many years that I prefer, you know, only good conversations.
Transcribed Over just conversations. So a good one would be or an engagement would be on the basis of a core of core values. Which means that if you and I connect and engage and we had a few minutes to talk beforehand, I was able to connect with you on a level of the empathy of the fact that both of us it wasn't just the small talk of making it our business to feel comfortable with each other.
It's the fact that we found the way to show each other. We know each other that we get it. We get a specific experience or feeling or, you know, it was even a tiny bit of, you know, not anxiety, but anxiousness and and looking forward and being very curious about every one of us on two sides of the world about what's going to happen.
We are we do take note of of of of of the global.
And you know, effects that are currently taking place on various levels. So that is why I feel that in addition to the world of communication, of course, I felt that I was very much at ease to talk to you and to dive into a podcast being the introvert. Okay. Okay. Well, here we go. Now, since you said that you were an introvert, all right, how would you recommend people overcoming a fear or discomfort?
About networking,
make a friend. Okay, but that truly is because the conversation not it's like to me, the way to overcome the anxiety is to make it less about me. And in that field, everything is any tool that I have is relevant. So it's either I will introduce someone else into the crowd or I will create a discussion about like the blend into a discussion about something else.
So if I fear the situation of introducing myself and putting myself out there, I will find ways to create an engagement that puts myself out there next. I was like, Oh, Right. So you ski, you do this, you're, you're, you used to windsurf. Oh, you wrote a, oh, you wrote a book, right? Well, you know, it's, it's funny you say that because listen, I was in the air force, so I call this a wing man, but when I'm, when I'm up on a stage or doing a workshop or something like that, I am always asked the difference between extroverts and introverts.
And everything we talk about is about an extrovert, nothing about an introvert. So, you know, my main thing with an introvert is listen, I mean, let me back up. With an extrovert, I always say go alone. This way you don't have to share your attention span with anybody else. When you're an introvert, however, it's you bring a wingman, somebody that knows you, that you trust, and that can introduce you to every table and everything else, and of course that just makes things easier.
So you're right in line with what I have been talking about. So that's very, very good. You know that we could also add you given your experience at the air force. I, my experience is in the intelligence force. So the more we do our homework and again, to me, it's to get more of the experience, the vibe of who are the people that I'm meeting and what kind of event I'm going to, it helps me better set myself in advance to.
The vibe that I would like to be in to put myself in the setting that is best for me for that kind of an event and for the people I meet. So even if it's a networking event and you've been to a gazillion of them, it's you know, the better, the more you're prepared, the more you're going to ace it.
And, and if there's a specific target, then then, then by all means, there's that movie on Apple TV with WeWork, WeCrashed. Of how of how the entrepreneur got the funding round from from from the Asian parties, like the 2nd, you know, exactly like that. Knowledge is power. Knowledge is power. So if you're going to go to a networking event, you're going to investigate all about that event, not only the event itself, but the people that go to that event, because you, a, you have to see whether or not it's for you.
Are you one of those people that are going to go to that event? And you're right. When you walk into the room and you pick up the vibe of the room, that's so important. Now, when I do anything, my wife. Absolutely goes crazy about this, but I do that everywhere we go. I always have my back to the wall. I, you know, everything because I was a police officer with the air force.
I'm always armed. So, you know, it's all, that's the way my brain works, but you have to pick up the vibe of the person you're speaking to and the vibe of the room for it to work out. Okay. So, What would you say is a mistake that you made in networking and how did you overcome it?
Oh, I made so many That's usually the answer but you know, let's try to narrow it down it's like sometimes i'm like Did you just say that are you like it's? I think that one of the mistakes I made a few times was the understanding of of the follow up process. Because on the networking front, you know, you, you hit and miss, and then you can, you come back for round two, three, four, if that's what's needed you pick yourself up and try again, but when you, when you leave the room, when it, when, or by the way, a Zoom call or a live call it's crucial to follow up in a certain way.
And in a way that, as I said previously creates a continual, It continues the vibe of the previous engagement, which requires a lot of time and attention, by the way. So, and, and, you know, there's that kind of cycle after a networking event, there's like the hype and then it maintains for a day to five days.
And then you start, you know, spreading the followups and and, and mutual connections that you've promised to create. And but then there's, there is that continuous followup of living up to your promise. And, and, and then some, because otherwise it's transactional. And then that is, I make my business to, to give value.
It's, it's important to me. So I I'm on the lookout for that. It should be. And over over delivering is the key. The follow up. I feel is almost more important than actually meeting the person. So I, I have a secret sauce for followup and for, for two weeks after. And I find out a, whether or not you're really interested or B you just, it's fluff.
Okay. And it's all right. If you weren't really interested in what I had to say or have to offer, because I'll put you on a drip campaign within my CRM and everything else. But. With that follow up, it's very, very important that you follow through with your follow up and what you said is very important.
You have to make good on what you promise. Because, listen, know you, like you, trust you, then they'll do business with you. And know you and like you, that's really the easy part. Because everybody knows you, but like you, well, that narrows down the field a little bit. And trust you, you'll, you'll have, Five seconds, 30 seconds, a minute, 10 minutes, a half hour.
You don't know what you have for them to trust you. So when you walk up to somebody and you're letting them talk, their level of trust is increasing. And that barrier between you is decreasing. Okay. So I just mentioned that that trust is crucial. How do you establish and maintain authentic relationships with fellow professionals?
I say I say what I, many of the relationships I have are either with founders or investors in either private equity or VCs. So the level of trust I have to maintain is, is extremely, extremely, it's, it's very high up there because they tell me about challenges that they're facing with their portfolio or a specific company.
And I help them or the reason they're they're a chat, either chatting with me and at an event or following up is because they would like to get a second opinion on, Either get a second opinion on, on what may really be taking place there. And then we, cause based on the core four, there's, there, there may be misalignment inside the company between the vision and the core values or the core values and the mission or the promise.
And, and therefore I've gained their trust by being.
Pretty accurate, but they would also ask me about companies about, you know, whether when they're contemplating investment rounds or, or changes in the board or the leadership teams, that's one hand or they call me in as the doctor to help. And then I need to gain trust from the CEO and the leadership team because they bring me into their Their temple they they take me on an off site.
That is a leadership off site and There has to be a very very very strong element of trust because first of all No one is allowed to prep for the off site as opposed to any other off site in the world no one's you know, you don't prepare your decks in advance and then because then It gets everybody biased and, and, and defensive and you go nowhere there if you really want to solve a business strategic issue, not a, not just a cultural, you know, kumbaya kind of thing.
So I need to live up to my promises. I they trust me to say what I think and and And that to know that it's in their favor So if if you know, if it's not a win win, they know i'll say it. That's great. That's a great answer by the way okay, so What are give me some common challenges? That you would face and how would you overcome them or how did you overcome them?
Are we talking networking or are we talking business? Challenges? Let's stick with networking. Okay. So
it's, I'm sorry, I'm like, I'm trying to think of something, but eventually I, I, I.
The challenge I always have is approaching people. And my challenge is always as much as, again, it's, it's very personal, but it is putting myself out there. So it's like, I'm the entrepreneur who always creates a product. And then as many in Silicon Valley say, if you've launched a product, you're proud and proud of, it means you've launched too late.
So I have a gazillion products, just like I wrote the book and I have a tons of workshops that I've created and launched and worked with them, but I never. Put myself out there and say, Hey, this is my whole portfolio. And this is my umbrella, because then I would feel given my Russian background that I'm chasing some, you know, you don't chase and that it's, as opposed to the American culture, that it's like, I'll put myself out there.
So that is a continuous challenge for me. And as I shared before, then I either have my wingman or my surfer do it in my case. I, I love engagements with students. So I teach a lot. And
and again I stopped making promises that would exhaust me to live up to. Okay, that's all right. All right. So let's, let's bring this full circle and give me your favorite marketing tactic.
These weren't really hard questions. I want to tell you. So I am a very, very, very strong believer in cherry picking. And it doesn't matter whether you have, you know, you have a hundred service slots to sell in a quarter or 10 partners or customers that you would like to serve given service businesses or product businesses.
That is very Scalable as opposed to the service businesses. So that's a lot of customers. I believe that the best way to get your customers is just like in a, as we start spoken before an electric, like a campaign, like if you're running for president, you're running for office. You got to shake a lot of hands.
No more hugging a lot of babies, but you know, now the, any marketing tactic I use is like, even if I need to approach a hundred thousand people, I will always start with my hit list with it, which is my 30 preferred customers or the people I would like to serve as now with with the accelerator, the core for accelerator that we're launching.
So I create that hit list of 30. And then I test those that audience, or sometimes I have a few of them. In order to or to crystallize the promise I give them being able to deliver by the way, product and service alike. So testing the audiences, but in a way that you really know those people that that if I ask my team, who is that?
John Solomon, they're going to tell me exactly who he is, not just because they're going to go into the CRM and see the details, but rather, they've been on his Facebook profile, on Instagram, TikTok, whatever, LinkedIn, depending on the on the target audience, but that to me is if I had to choose one. It would bring me back to the intelligence force.
Okay. Okay. Kind of close to your heart. Okay You make those clusters and then you can really reach a wide audience because you've already lived up to your promise You know, you can keep it then you grow. Yes, absolutely Absolutely. And that goes back to keeping your promise and keeping your word. And, and that's all very important with the trust factor and everything else.
So you brought everything together, which was very, very nice. Let me have, give me one takeaway that my listeners could use today. Give me a, just a takeaway.
Many people talk about, like, I think there's this manifestation trend. Manifest and it shall, you know, and it'll happen. You have to vision it. Now, I'm a very strong believer in visioning because it's the, it's, it's a very substantial part of the core four. And that goes the same for, for the prep work. I do.
You know, while going up the elevator into, into events and, and when I work either being the presenter in the keynote or the, the offsite facilitator, or as part of the networking crowd. And there's, that is, I do create a vision and setting within my, myself of the kind of engagements I'd like to have. So I bring my best self into the room based on Person I'd like to the value.
I would like to provide and I guess it's I guess it's Working. Okay. Okay. Well, that's a good thing, by the way. Okay. So Millie, if somebody wanted to get in touch with you, either use your services or learn about you, or just give me everything, how can somebody get in touch with you? And if there's anything else you want to add, as kind of like a conclusion, please tell me.
My conclusion is that is not a conclusion. I think it's a blessing. I mean, we, we, we were kicking off the year together. And I truly hope that with dedication and work, of course we will find ourselves more at ease. And in some kind of a flow state mentally and with our business, that's my vision for 2025.
And I, again, as I said I would really, if, if, if, You know, if people get curious, I think I, I respond personally to my LinkedIn profile. So I can give you all those, the phone numbers and, and emails and, and, you know, they're all, I shared them with you, but I, I like getting in touch personally on LinkedIn.
Okay. That's great. That's great, Millie. And I, I just, I can't begin to tell you how I enjoyed this podcast, listening to you and, and everything that you're, you're doing. And especially about your, your military background, because I really enjoyed that. But I hear what, so I'm just going to sign off and, and tell everybody if they want to get in touch with you, please do so she's a wealth of knowledge and she has a wealth of experience and I just thank you again for coming out on the podcast.
Thank you, Michael, for having me and for spending as you can see the evening with me. And I look forward to sharing all of your insights and words and and comments on LinkedIn with all of my followers really soon. I had a wonderful time. Thank you. My pleasure. My pleasure.
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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