Do you judge people based on first impressions?
April 2023
As some of you may know, I recently returned from a few weeks in in Thailand, where we took part in multiple freight networks and conferences.
Now, if you’ve been to a global freight network conference before, you’ll know this was no relaxing jolly. The conferences can be pretty intense. It’s back-to-back meetings from start to finish.
Think speed dating but for freight forwarders – now there’s a thought!
Anyway, it’s one meeting after another, 20-30 minutes each, around 10-12 meetings a day. Relentless. But I love it. Everyone I speak to has a different story and brings different opportunities.
As with any business networking event, you get to meet some interesting people – and you get some no-shows too. A lot of people whinge about the no-shows, complaining that it’s disrespectful and a waste of their time.
And it is. But it’s also an opportunity…
An opportunity to see what the world has to offer you in that moment, to look for spontaneous connections.
And that’s exactly what happened at this recent conference. I was sitting there in my booth, waiting for my no-show when a guy popped his head in and said “Have you got a minute?” “Of course” I replied. Now, this guy didn’t look like a big fish. But I love to get to know people of all ages, backgrounds, sizes and industries. And I have been in business long enough to know never to judge a book (or a fish!) by its cover.
So we started chatting…
Turns out, this guy has quite a background. He started out as a freight forwarder in Pakistan. He noticed how much air freight he was shifting so thought to himself, why not buy an airline? And so he did. Not long after that, he decided that if he was going to own an airline, he might as well buy an airport too. But he didn’t just buy one, he built one. And now it’s a major hub for air freight moving in and out of Pakistan.
But that’s not all.
Not only does he own a freight forwarding company, an airline and an airport, he’s also connected to a manufacturer who made all the footballs for the Qatar World Cup! We had a great chat and made a great connection that will surely serve us both in the future.
So the moral of the story is that sometimes, no-shows are a blessing – and to never judge a book by its cover! You just never know who you might be speaking to…
That’s all for now,