@fleurdeleigh

Germinate, Cultivate, Celebrate

I have learned this year that Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube function as a petry dish teaming with organic potential for relationship cultivation.  Fertile.  Ripe for the picking. I want to share with you one connection that has bore fruit in ways I never imagined.

I owe my career success to Amanda Hite and her team at Talent Revolution.  (And I blame & thank her for my addiction to this social media playground. She introduced me to Twitter.)  Amanda, @sexythinker, coined as a change agent has transformed my passion for photography into my profession. She’s taught me that pursuing your passion while almost never easy, is the only way. Her faith in me from the get-go was catalytic and her continued support for my quest of the ultimate career lifestyle unrelenting.  Likewise, I eagerly help this visionary, genuine, rockstar in any way I can.  Our careers are so intertwined that way.  So when Amanda learned that my finances wouldn’t allow me access to the photography industry’s largest international trade show, WPPI 2010 in Vegas with the opportunity to learn about my trade, it’s people and make my online connections  in real life….she made it happen. She booked my flight.  Immediately.

My trip to WPPI is a dream come true and is totally made possible by Amanda, my friends, clients, ambassadors, savants, teachers, and idols at Talent Revolution.  Which.  Freeking.  Rocks!

A few from the TR Team:  Susan Fawcett @culturebabe, Chris Reed @c_reed, THE sexythinker, Bill Campion @culturedude, Kami Woodworth @kamiwood

At this moment, I am boarding a plane to Vegas knowing that Amanda not only believes in my career potential but is willing to take food off her plate to nourish me.   In the last year, she has opened doors for me by social media mentorship connecting me to incredible people like Gilbert Melott, Scott Stratten, Joni Doolan, and Kat Cole.  When I look back at the origins of this symbiotic relationship between me, Amanda and the whole community at Talent Revolution I see that we watered it regularly, provided it with abundant sunshine and fruit now hangs from its branches.

I wish everyone could have their own Amanda.  A champion.  She is the very first person I call to celebrate life’s good stuff because I know her role in it.  (Besides the fact she understands how cool it is when Chris Brogan retweets you and will call you all hours of the night to let you know when it happens.)  Just wanted to take the time to say thank you and to pass around a plate of happy fruit in sweet celebration of the people who grow us.

Thanks Amanda for this trip, your business and your friendship. I encourage you to take a few moments today to let someone know, that you know, that they have provided you sunshine, nourishment and water when you needed it.