3 Practical Ways to Connect With Millionaires Dreaming of meeting amazingly successful entrepreneurs and picking their brain? Get down to the brass tacks for doing so.
By Meiko Patton •
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Over the past several months, after starting my podcast, Career Savvy Fed, I've had the privilege of getting to know several millionaires.
One millionaire, David Hornik, is a venture capitalist I came to know after reading Adam Grant's book Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success. Hornik explained in the book how he's a giver and endeavors to help startups in pursuit of funding. I didn't know Hornik but was intrigued by his story, so I visited his website, found his email address and sent a note. To my surprise, his wonderful secretary set up an interview. Within a few days, I was speaking to a millionaire. It's really that simple.
Getting to know millionaires isn't nearly as hard as some people might think. Here are three ways to help you do so:
Related: How to Become a Millionaire by Age 30
1. Ask for an interview.
The goal of my podcast is to help federal employees as well as others become inspired by listening to entrepreneurs' tales. After hearing a story of another person, people may conclude that if someone else could do it, they can, too.
Interviewing millionaires is a great way to connect with them and get to know them. It's a win-win situation because you provide a platform for them to gain exposure while you and your audience benefit from their knowledge.
Tip: Millionaires are busy. So if you ask them to spare only 10 or 15 minutes, they'll be more willing to say yes.
So here's what I did and you can do the same:
Connect with millionaires on LinkedIn. Send a request asking to interview someone for a podcast or blog. Survey the person's website, send an email and request a quick interview.
2. Pay to connect.
If you haven't heard about Clarity.fm, check it out immediately. This site lets users pay for time with the millionaires they wish to know. If you've wanted to talk to Shark Tank's Mark Cuban, you can do it through this site. It will cost just $166.67 a minute.
Tip: If you're an authority in an industry, consider having a Clarity.fm listing in order to earn money as an expert and gain more brand recognition.
Once again here's what you can do:
Visit Clarity.fm and check to see if an expert desired for an interview is listed. Schedule the call, connect, talk and pay. Charges are assessed by the minute.
Related: A New Model for Results-Driven Networking
3. Attend conferences.
One way to meet millionaires involves meeting face-to-face. Most people attend conferences simply for the information, but those who are strategic know the best way to leverage the time there is to make contacts.
I attended a writer's conference a few years back and made sure I got to know everyone involved with putting on the event. I even took a picture with each person individually. Later I was able to parlay those connections into paid writing assignments.
So the next time you go to a conference, make a list of everyone you want to connect with. Next year l'll be attending Social Media Marketing World. My goal will be to connect with thought leaders so I can develop relationships, do interviews and bring more recognition to certain individual's products and programs. Everyone who's anybody in the social media space will be there. It's a great way to meet millionaires and others.
Tip: At conferences I like to do a mini-interview with someone I already have in mind. A great device to keep on hand is the Rode smartLav and Lavalier microphone for iPhones.
Here's what you can do:
Identify two or three people you want to meet at an event. Connect with them through LinkedIn or another social media site a few months prior to establish rapport. If possible, see if a friend already knows these individuals and get introduced that way.
So there you have it. Start connecting with millionaires today.
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