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Writer's pictureAriana Friedlander

The Thrill of Chance Encounters - Where could I bump into you this fall?

My launch back into life after COVID was delayed last year by a health crisis. While everyone else was excitedly attending events, I was hunkering down avoiding germs so I could make my next medical procedure.


I knew I was socially deprived when I had fun at a biopsy because I got to have a conversation with someone in real life and make eye contact. But I continued to avoid crowds, opting for more intimate rendezvous with friends for most of 2022.


This year I've broken out of my shell much more. But I feel like a newly hatched sea turtle struggling to wade through the sand to the ocean. The world is sooooo much bigger than I remember it and all the old tracks have been washed away.


I'm not spending as much time on social media, so I completely miss events until after the fact when I happen to see cheerful pictures posted (looking at you Tour de Fat). My method of batching emails that aren't from clients or individual contacts means I miss deadlines for registration - whoops, guess I won't be going to that conference after all.


Luckily, I have some friends that clue me into fun events before they happen (nerd note, concerts and professional development conferences are both fun in my book).


One of the things I love about going to events are chance encounters. The other week I ran into a colleague that I haven't said more than two words to in 4 years. Reconnecting was fun and invigorating. And I look forward to chatting some more about our mutual interests in the near future.

These kinds of chance encounters are not only fun. They also spark new opportunities that are thrilling. And enable me to be of service, which I find quite fulfilling.

My coach from earlier days in my business, Jason Womack, said you make your own luck. He meant that luck is the result of intentional action and ongoing effort.


That's how I got my first professional job after I graduated college. I'd applied for numerous jobs, went on interviews and never got an offer.


Then, one day while I was working at Starbucks, there was a non-profit showcase in the shopping center. While on my lunch break I decided to walk around. I stopped at the Habitat for Humanity booth and after chatting for a few minutes asked if they were hiring.


It turned out they had just moved into a new, and bigger office space and were ready to add new team members to meet their growing capacity. I was hired for a position that was never even posted to job boards.


I made my own luck by first leaving the store. Then by directly asking for what I needed. Had I just walked around and talked to the different organizations without asking about job opportunities, I would have never landed my position.


As I continue to step back out into the world, I'm choosing to make my own luck again.


That's why I'd love to hear from you - where could I bump into you be this fall? What events are you planning to attend? What places (virtually or in real life) are you frequenting?


I'll share too. I'll be at the Fort Collins Internet Professionals on September 19th, and Disrupt HR Northern Colorado on October 18th. Plus you can see me at the Wholehearted Leaders Recharge sessions happening these next few weeks. You could also run into me at the Be Free Healing Center, Happy Lucky's Tea House, walking on the Poudre Trail or virtually co-working on Grooves.


I'd love to bump into you soon. Tell me where you'll be (email or comment here) and let's make our own luck together!

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