Your Network is Your Net Worth, blah, blah, and blah. I’m SICK of this line. It’s played out and not realistic. There are pros in the real estate game that have 5,000 friends on Facebook, but if they do not know how to utilize their “friends”, then what’s the use? They may look cool in cyberspace and in real life nobody knows them.  I’ve been in the real estate game since 18 years old and now at 24 I can say that my personal network is vast and stronger than most veterans’. As the owner of the Real Estate Media Company, Live Open House, and a serial event networker I’ve been able to create lasting relationships with the Nation’s biggest hitters such as Harry Macklowe, Robert Knakal, Paul Massey, Anthony Lolli. Walmart Execs and countless world-renowned conference coordinators. Here are 5 principles that I keep to network efficiently:

5. Never Judge – Your next big break could come from a 3^rd party, not necessarily a direct contact to the bigger than life person you would like to connect with.

4. Be Aggressive – The big boys and girls in the game do not relate to sheeple, aka sheepish people.

3. Practice Utmost Confidence – The reality is that your confidence should be borderline cocky! The higher ups will not waste breath if you give a nervous handshake.

2. Do Your Research – You need to know the big dogs that are attending upcoming events. In 2012 we have hundreds of reliable sources to find out personal and business information about almost every executive on the planet. USE THEM to get insider information that can make you stand out from the rest of the schmucks trying to make a lasting impression.

1. Make Connections within Seconds – This is a skill that takes years of practice to master and is by far the most important. The person on the other side of your conversation does not genuinely care what you do; all they want to know is how YOU can help THEM. In that first sentence of introduction, your mind must go from zero to hero by finding a distinct connection where a mutually beneficial business arrangement can be made. This will solidify a follow-up conversation, getting closer to a successful connection.

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• They have epically failed before making it big
• They are not afraid to fail again

Once an entrepreneur has gotten over the reality of failure and loses all fear in what might happen, the conceptualizing process can begin. Here are steps to creative brainstorm sessions:

1. FOCUS: I’m a firm believer in meditation. It is 100% necessary for a productive brainstorm session to be focused. You can’t worry about your girlfriend, mortgage rates, or the hot waitress at 230 Fifth. You will need an empty room and your brain, that’s it! Start by writing three words or phrases that best describe the concept I am trying to develop, and then literally stare at those words until you begin branching off singular ideas.
2. THESAURUS: Take all of the words that you have chosen and branch out even further by exploring the same book your 3^rd grade teacher shoved down your throat (the Thesaurus). This will inspire ideas that were not initially in the mind and force a broader perspective. Don’t stop jotting until you have hat least fifty words.
3. ONE SENTENCE: After the intense word/phrase search, it’s time to combine and connect the dots. A concept (especially one that has not been developed yet) must be explained in one sentence or less. Condense the information to a cohesive one liner.
4. VISUALIZE: It doesn’t matter if you are building a new social network or opening a new barber shop, the idea will never come alive unless there is a preliminary sketch painted. A degree in graphic design is not needed, just an imagination.
5. PLAN: As the final step to the brainstorm session, the forward moving plan is the most important. List up to ten points of action along with a specific time frame of completion. Answer the following questions:

• What is the most important point?
• Who will I need to hire?
• How long will each task take to complete?
• Why are these points going to engage a community?

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Jan 27^th 2012

Being young and hungry is a serious combination. Sprinkle in a dose of discipline and intelligence, you’ve got a strong entrepreneurial concoction. The passion for owning a company came directly from my father who started Reliable Cleaning Inc at 21.  Having someone close in charge of his own masters instills confidence in a young boy. I can remember our family coming together helping him place labels and stamps on postcards to send to potential clients. He would strategically organize the postcards by zip code because from his experience, “they get there three days quicker, plus the mailmen would appreciate it”. It wasn’t until I began my first company at the age of 21 that I realized how important my father’s indirect leadership was. Now, when I send out post cards to my potential clients I wrap rubber bands around each batch with the same zip code. I do this, not because someone told me, but because I watched my Dad. If I can infuse knowledge of being your own man to at least one person, my life is complete.

- Vernon Jones, CEO of Live Open House

Stay tuned for more posts from a Youngry Generation Y Entrepreneur

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#10 Shanghai – “Nehowma Yo Mama”

#9 Tokyo – “こんにちは”

#8 London – “I’m a wee bit low in the list”

#7 Los Angeles – “That’s Hella True”

#6 Toronto – “Thanks Friend”

#5 Chicago – “What’s up Joe”

#4 San Francisco – “I should be on top”

#3 Miami – “I’m in Miami Trick”

#2 Paris – “We we”

#1 New York – “Most def”

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“Don’t forget the impact of offline influencers. It is getting more difficult to separate online peer influence from offline peer influence as social internet marketing blurs the lines between the digital and physical worlds. As a result, it is necessary to remember the effect that offline social activity has on purchasing decisions”

There are three components to Singh’s quote:

Physical: The best way to describe the ‘Physical’ aspect of marketing is breaking it down to its raw definition, which refers to something tangible. It can be touched or felt with one’s hands. An example of a social media platform that can be confused with ‘Physical’ marketing is Foursquare. Although a Foursquare user is “checking in” to a physical location, they are not touching anything at the location.

Digital: Any technical platform built on the basis of software.

Offline: Even though Mark Zuckerberg may seem to be the Godlike figure of Social Media, the mass public is completely misguided. Social Media has been prevalent since the first organism produced two cells. Those two cells communicated with each other to form a metabolic “conversation”. An example of “Offline Marketing” in the 21st century would be an event, guerilla advertising, or a man giving out samples of a product in Times Square. “Offline” marketing is the most Organic and Interactive way to reach potential clients and can be supplemented by Online interaction.

After watching the TED Conference with Shiv Singh, I knew that the next big marketing development would be the seamless combination of Physical, Digital, and Offline components. Since my background is heavily focused on real estate and I own a real estate marketing company (Live Open House), there was only two things I needed to do; brainstorm and research. One night I had a dream that every storefront in NYC was turned into digital kiosks that attracted pedestrians and then the light bulb came on. I thought it would be awesome if real estate brokers could transform their storefront into a large interactive digital display so that their organic traffic can bring in easy green. After almost a year of research and countless all night brainstorm sessions with my business partner, we figured it out!

LOH Vision Baby!

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