A long day - but it was well worth it

In life and in business, it's no good having lots of interesting things to say or a great product to sell if no-one knows about you.

It's why advertising is so important and why getting out and meeting people is so important. It's why I started this blog, why I get up at 6am on some days to go out and meet people at networking events. And it's why, last Friday, I got on a train to go to Manchester to attend a networking lunch.

I was travelling all that way to meet a lady who may be able to help me with my efforts to do public speaking engagements about stroke education. She and I had a couple of very useful discussions and that is now a work in progress, but the day turned into far more than that.

On arrival at Piccadilly Station, I bumped into someone I've known for years and who grew up with many of my best friends who still live in Tamworth. He now lives in Manchester and although we converse regularly on social media, I'm not sure when we last met in person. We've now made plans to go for a drink when I'm back in the city next month, speaking at another meeting of the same group.

At the lunch, I found myself sitting next to a voice and speech coach. I'm sure that was planned by the leadership team of the group, we had a fascinating conversation and are planning to meet again.

And later in the meeting, I found myself talking to a fellow stroke-survivor who I am familiar with through an internet chat group, but had not met. I never expected to be talking to him when I left home that morning, I'm sure he didn't expect to be talking to me that day, but the combination of our skills could be very useful in progressing the cause of education about stroke.

A good day all round, then; not even a slightly convoluted train journey home could ruin it. Of course, I was shattered when I got back to Warrillow Towers; that comes with the territory after busy days. But I'm thankful that I am physically and mentally able to get out, to advertise what I do and spread awareness about stroke. So many stroke-survivors are not.