You never know when or where you will meet a friend.

When I was first establishing my cadre of vendors in Dallas, I received a call from someone who sells marketing specialties. You know, stuff with your logo on it that you give away at trade shows (or trade them with fellow exhibitors if the show is really slow). My former employer’s target audience was government officials, so there wasn’t a huge call for such items. But he asked for the meeting and I obliged.

He arrived at the meeting bearing a gift – a New York Islanders key chain. The Islanders are my home town team and still my NHL favorite. That sparked quite a conversation. It turns out that we grew up about 15 miles from each other and graduated high school the same year. Had he gone to parochial school we would have been classmates! Small world, isn’t it.

He is more than just someone who sells marketing specialties. He is a savvy businessman who has been one of my trusted advisors and cheerleaders during my job search.

Lessons learned: take the meeting. Don’t be afraid to bear or receive gifts.