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I recently read a theory that going for 50 coffees with people you've never met is the entrepreneurs equivalent to the theory that doing anything for 10,000 hours will make you an expert on it. While I get the idea, 50 coffees is far easier than practicing something for ten years, and while I'm far from lazy I've decided to set out on a fairly simple mission: over the next 50 weeks I'm going to invite 50 interesting Vancouverites, most of whom I have never met before, to go for coffee. I'm going to use this as an exercise in networking for myself and for V.I.A. while also using it as a platform to introduce you to some people who are doing really cool stuff in the city you live in. |
Meet David St. Laurent. President of Western Media Group and a new online advertising network that V.I.A. is a part of. It's called BC Info Net and it's the most complete and locally based community news network available to advertisers in BC. The network serves 18 million page views per month from properties that are the go-to sources for community leaders and local residents across the province. Sites include V.I.A., The Tyee and Vancouver Observer here in Vancouver, Castanet in Kelowna, CHEK in Victoria and all of The Jim Pattison Broadcast Group's radio station web sites across the province. Check out the media kit HERE to read all about the network.
I'm posting this during the holidays with the hopes that you'll extend some of that seasonal cheer my way and not hate me for having now done two of these 50 Coffees at Canucks games where the person I was taking for coffee got me into the game. I've actually been sitting on this one for awhile because it was the home opener this season and I was worried I was going to alienate you by boasting about my good fortune when all I really want to do is introduce David and the work he's doing.
This wasn't the first time I'd met with David but it was the first time we'd ever done anything aside from hang out in his office and talk about advertising. Although we did talk a lot about advertising during the game and technically it was a business meeting it was still cool to have some great conversations beyond that subject. I really value the insight that David has as he's been working with the media for decades, and as he's a bit older than me there's some general life wisdom to be gleaned there as well. When I ask somebody if they've got kids and they say their kids are almost as old as me, and I say I have a three year old, there's an interesting bridge that we gap there. An awesome conversation always ensues, and I was thankful to hang out with David and enjoy coffee over a Canucks game.
