How Can I Be of Help?
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I met up with Paul Traub, a former bankruptcy lawyer and now consultant and entrepreneur, at the Peregrine Hotel in downtown Omaha for breakfast.
We were both in town to see Warren Buffett at the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting.
Usually, I use these columns to tell a story about someone’s career.
And trust me, Paul’s career is distinguished. He was at the forefront of combining consulting and legal services. He has stories about negotiating a deal with Donald Trump in 2003.
This time, however, I want to do something different. And that’s because Paul is at heart a connector.
So I want to tell the story of how we connected because it explains a lot about modern networking, as well as how and why people end up attending events like Buffett’s “Woodstock of Capitalism.”
Here’s the timeline:
➡️Last November Paul’s son Eric Traub cold emailed me via LinkedIn for career advice. We talked about his experience producing a podcast.
➡️Three weeks ago, Randall J Moore, PharmD offered me a free ticket to the Berkshire meeting. We connected because Randall reached out to me after reading my posts on LinkedIn.
➡️Thursday Eric saw a LinkedIn post I wrote saying I would be in Omaha. He texted to say I should meet up with his dad Paul.
➡️Friday, Paul and I had breakfast. Paul was traveling with 3i, an investment group which invests in private credit and other private investment vehicles. 3i also organizes trips for members. The Omaha trip was arranged by Cassie Lewis and Victor Perez-Abreu.
➡️I told Paul that by coincidence I had met 3i CEO Teddy Gold last year. We were introduced by newsletter writer Eric Rosen, who I met on LinkedIn.
➡️Saturday afternoon, Paul met up with Opening Bell Daily writer Phil Rosen, another guy I had met on LinkedIn. It turns out Phil knew Eric Traub, having been on his podcast. Small world!
➡️That evening, Paul and Cassie invited us to dinner.
Forgive the blizzard of name dropping. But I want to make a point.
All of these relationships started online and proceeded to develop in real life. Many would never have happened in a pre-digital world.
People who don’t use social media actively might be surprised to realize how often it’s used to build deep relationships IRL.
It’s also a good illustration of how social media has changed business networking in a fundamental way.
We’ve moved from an era where you approach a specific person to one where you connect with a broad range of people online.
Paul embodies this new approach, which is also defined by giving before receiving. “How can I be of help to you?” he asked me.
The meeting reminded me that life is long and relationships are everything.
Also that it is wise to always accept the random invitation because it can lead not only to serendipitous connections but a fantastic dinner in Omaha.
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BRIEF OBSERVATIONS
PERFORMANCE: If you are wondering why people make a fuss about Warren Buffett the chart below clears up the doubts.
VISITING THE HOUSE: While I was in Omaha for the Berkshire meeting I did what lots of tourists do: visited Warren Buffett’s house to take a selfie.
CHINESE CARS: One thing that is only starting to really penetrate the American psyche is how overwhelming superior cars made in China have become.
VIDEO GAMES: This is your periodic reminder that tech billionaires are just people who play video games like the rest of us.
APPLE: It’s just extraordinary how much cash Apple generates.
P.S. Hit reply if you have something to share about today’s newsletter. Did anything stand out? Are there any stories or themes I should cover? You can also click on the poll below. I review every reply – so say hi!
