My not-so-secret power is...coffee?
In my opinion, the strongest power of coffee is not the beautiful aroma, taste, or jolt of caffeine. Coffee has a social power that anyone and everyone should use to their advantage. "Hey, can I buy you a coffee sometime?" has opened more doors in my career than any other question.
I can honestly say that my business was built on asking if I could buy people drinks. Those first meetings over coffee often turn into a great conversation, which in turn might end up compounding into a friendship with the individual and sometimes even more, like job offers or more connections to other talented folks ("Oh you would totally gel with so-and-so, let me give you their email.").
"...My business was built on asking if I could buy people drinks..."
Life as a freelancer can be a lonely path, especially with purely remote work being more and more common. Going for coffee let's me stretch my legs, get out of the house, and talk with a peer face-to-face on topics we're both passionate about. My advice is to go into the situation with the sole goal of getting to know the other person better, listen intently to what they have to say, and don't try to constantly shift the conversation to your work. Sewing the seeds of a good relationship my lead to a business-related harvest months or years down the road.
I'll be the first to admit that it can be kind of scary and awkward to put yourself out there, but I promise people won't think you're weird for asking and the worst that normally happens is that they say "No thanks". So what are you waiting for? Contact that awesome person in your life and ask if you can buy them a coffee!
- Brad
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