Introduction

I want to tell you the ValdostaConnect.com story. What gave me the idea and how I’ve met some great new friends and learned what true networking was all about.

The Idea for an Online Community

When I first moved back to Valdosta, Georgia in 2002, I remember feeling that I had so many great things that I wanted to accomplish, yet I didn’t have an effective way to share those aspirations with my friends, family, and the greater community at large. I learned some hard life lessons and over time I realized that you don’t become successful just by your own talent and skills. Simply getting a degree was not enough. After having face set backs and many disappointments it became crystal clear that I had to connect and network with others to accomplish my goals.

The idea for our online community came about after having lived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and meeting a good friend, Xavier Murphy, who founded Jamaicans.com. Although it was 1999 when I first saw his website and it didn’t have many of the interactive tools that we have on our website, I saw a united worldwide community that took the time to fellowship and stay in touch. At that time I decided to one day create something similar for Valdosta, GA. I was reminded of this goal in 2004 when the planning committee for my Class of ‘88 high school reunion asked me to make a website for those who wanted to attend.

In 2005, I created ValdostaLife.com, and while it was not successful, the effort helped to lay much of the ground work and content for ValdostaConnect.com, a social and business network for the Valdosta-Lowndes Metropolitan area,

The Challenge

My goal to connect everyone who has a relationship to Valdosta so that we can help each other seemed noble, and when I started this quest it seemed like this should have been the easiest thing in the world to do. Who wouldn’t want to get together in a fun setting online or in person and network in order to reach their goals. What I found is that some people completely misunderstood what I was trying to do.

We live in a day and age where staying in contact is incredibly easy. Unfortunately, as many people “grow up” and move away they do not see the importance of maintaining a connection to their hometown, their high school and college friends, or with their extended family. If someone does not know who you are and what goals you are trying to accomplish, they will not think to contact you if they come across an opportunity that could fit your needs.

I am excited that we have over 7, 000 members who have joined our online community, but many people view the site as just a local version of MySpace or Facebook. ValdostaConnect™ is much more than that. It goes well beyond cyberspace and ones own circle of friends. ValdostaConnect is a movement that shows that we can come together, work with each other, make things happen, and compete nationally and worldwide in any arena in which we set are hearts and minds.

Our Mission

Nearly 3 years ago I created ValdostaConnect.com with the mission of uniting everyone on the planet who has ever had a connection to Valdosta, Georgia. With practically no advertising, people continue to join us from just word of mouth referrals. This is a great thing to see, but my purpose for bringing people together was not just social. I invited people for the purpose of true networking: meeting people, sharing who you are and what you do, and mutually working together to reach a common goal.

I created ValdostaConnect.com to break the cycle of “starting from scratch” and “reinventing the wheel” by helping members stay in close contact with friends and family.

Catching up with old high school and college friends is great. Chatting online and posting comments is also neat but what if you are looking for a job, trying to build a business, seeking a tutor for your son, looking for volunteers in the community? What some people do not realize is that practically everything you need out of life to be successful involves some form of networking.

True Networking

As soon as you bring up the word “networking” many think of serious looking men in business suits hustling to make a sale; however, true networking has nothing to do with making a sale. True networking is about building a long term relationship.

If someone walks up to you, shakes your hand, tells you about their business, gives you a business card, and tells you to give them a call if you need to buy a car, they are not networking they are prospecting to make a sale.

Networking involves people that you trust. For example, if your son is going to college in Los Angeles and you have a good high school friend who lives there, you may give that person a call to ask them to show your son around town. You may also ask your friend to recommend a safe place to live and good place for your son to work. Whether you realize it or not, you and your friend are networking. There was absolutely no sales pitches involved. Your friend is willing to take time out of his busy schedule because he values your friendship. Now, would you pick a name out of a Los Angeles phone directory and call a total stranger with the same request? Unfortunately many take this approach when trying to accomplish life goals.

Join Us

I invite you to follow the ValdostaConnect story on this website,  MakingValdostaConnect.com.  With this website, I put my mission and goals for ValdostaConnect.com within context. I share my thoughts, challenges, disappointments, and success stories

If you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to contact me, and if you are not a member of ValdostaConnect.com, join today.

Sincerely,

Eric Jackson
ValdostaConnect™