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Chance encounters away

At Disney World on Monday we were getting ready to go thru the ticket gate at Hollywood Studios when my wife, Lynnda spotted our nephew from Pittsburgh and his family approaching the gate right behind us. We knew they were coming down from Facebook posts on Saturday. We were able to intentionally connect with them in the Magic Kingdom Sunday evening. Was it chance, we decided to visit our grandkids the same time as our nephew choose to vacation? We didn’t discuss Monday plans because we were going to be with our grandkids before they went home. This was a chance encounter. What are the odds we would meet at that exact moment in time? Disney World is a big place. There are four Theme Parks and thousands of people. If we had been there just 5 minutes sooner or 5 minutes later we would never have connected.

Last year at World Petrochemical Conference (WPC) in Houston Shale Crescent USA left with only one lead. One of our target contacts (based on name badge) got on the elevator at the 26th floor. I used our elevator pitch and had his business card and a commitment for a follow up meeting after the Conference. Two weeks later Jerry James and I were at his office. What we learned at that meeting convinced us to do our IHSMarkit Study. That study opened doors for us in Japan and put us in front of CEOs, Presidents and other high- level decision makers at this year’s WPC. It has also given Jobs Ohio, the West Virginia Development Office and others hard data they can use to convince prospects to come here.

After being at WPC for three days what are the odds that I would be on that specific elevator at that specific time? WPC had over 1,400 attendees. Specific people are not easy to find especially if you don’t know what they look like. That was the only time we had crossed paths. Without that chance encounter, there wouldn’t have been an IHSMarkit Study. Without the IHS Study, the foreign company that recently told us all of their prospective sites are now in the Shale Crescent USA would be headed to the Gulf Coast with their petrochemical and construction jobs. Without the Study no main stage at WPC and few if any meetings with executives. The West Virginia Development Office, Jobs Ohio and others would not have additional third- party data independent data from a trusted global organization to help them.

When I look at our incredible Shale Crescent USA Team, I marvel at all of the thin threads that brought us all together at this place and time. In my case it was getting laid off and then spending money we really didn’t have to attend a meeting where I made a contact that ultimately let me to Shale Crescent USA.

You have probably experienced similar situations. Maybe it was how you met your spouse or significant other. It might have been a chance encounter that led you to your current job. Is it purely chance or luck that these things happen to us. Is it karma, divine intervention or something else? Our brains are powerful and we still have a lot to learn about them. You are welcome to your own opinion. I don’t believe in luck. I am a person of faith. True faith requires action. The late great Earl Nightingale defined luck as, “When preparedness meets opportunity and opportunity is there all the time.”

The one thing I know for certain is that all of my “chance” encounters happen when I take action. Shale Crescent USA had to decide to spend money and attend WPC in 2017. We were prepared. We knew who our prospects were. We had developed an elevator pitch. This created the opportunity for the elevator meeting. We then had to follow up with the prospect. Shale Crescent had to decide to spend money to have the IHS Study done. There are no guarantees. It was action and preparedness that ultimately led to success.

Lynnda and I had to decide to go to Florida to spend time with our grandchildren. We could have stayed home. We went to Hollywood Studies for the evening instead of having dinner at our timeshare condo. We also make a point to go to family events and communicate with family members so that we can have a relationship with our nephew and other family members. The result was a “chance” meeting with my nephew and his family, a fun evening and a great memory.

The key to our success to make good things happen in our lives and to experience more of these positive “chance encounters” is to do something. We need to take action. We need to prepare. Action is one of the Keys of Leadership. Leaders take action. Leaders make things happen. The harder we work the luckier we get. In industry when I got started in sales, a good friend and fellow salesman told me, “Kozera, you always have to be out among them (our prospects).” This was awesome advice. I generated a lot of sales from “chance” meetings where I ran into the decision maker in a restaurant at a meeting or being at their office at the right time.

I encourage you to take action. You may be surprised how “lucky” you get. You may be surprised how many “chance” encounters you have. Remember success is when preparedness meets opportunity and opportunity is always there if we look for it. We have seen this in our work at Shale Crescent USA. You have probably seen this in your own life. Talk is cheap. Do something!

Success and the achievement of a big Dream doesn’t happen in a day. It happens by what we all do day by day.

Thoughts to ponder.

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Greg Kozera is the Director of Marketing for Shale Crescent USA www.shalecrescentusa.com. He has over 40 years of experience in the energy industry. Greg is a leadership expert with a Masters in Environmental Engineering and the author of four books and numerous published articles.

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