New blog series: Sprouter Success Stories

Our goal at Sprouter is to connect entrepreneurs in meaningful ways – whether to help them find resources for their business, bounce ideas off other entrepreneurs, or just have someone to commiserate with about the trials and tribulations of starting a business.

We love seeing the relationships that Sprouter members are forming with each other, which is why we’re launching a new blog series called Sprouter Success Stories. We’ll be showcasing how Sprouter members have connected with each other, how they’ve developed a relationship, and how it has helped their businesses. Read on for our first feature, about members Rachel Young and Jeff Waldman.

You know when you have one of those “wow, we have that in common” moments? Sprouter members Rachel Young (@ruyoung) and Jeff Waldman (@fusionpoint) had one recently on Sprouter – the entrepreneurs, who both live in Toronto, Ontario, realized that they had both lived in Vancouver, British Columbia before moving east. They originally started talking on Sprouter because Jeff had responded to a post from Rachel inquiring about spaces to set up a co-working space in Toronto – he liked the idea and said he’d like to stay connected. Rachel was an early adopter on the recently-launched site and was looking to follow entrepreneurs who were providing valuable content - she says Jeff was a natural choice because of his relevant posts and interest in co-working spaces. They began writing back and forth to each other on Sprouter, and Rachel says it was similar goals that gave them so much in common. “Knowing that he was basically in the same place in his business as I was in mine was what I found to be the base layer, and then we built on that,” she says.

They kept in touch on Sprouter over the next while, and Rachel eventually secured a space for her recently-launched coworking space, Camaraderie. Jeff owns FusionPoint, a brand design firm, and works out of his home office. He comes downtown 1-2 times per week, but finds that it isn’t easy to have a phone conversation or face-to-face meeting in a Starbucks. “What I needed was a place that is close to the downtown core, was professional looking, quiet, had rooms available for confidential calls/meetings, WiFi access and a network of like business people that I could potentially collaborate with,” Jeff says. He met Rachel for the first time face-to-face at the Camaraderie space, and Rachel said their first meeting felt like they had been friends for years. Jeff now works there on the days he’s downtown. “Having a space for him to work when he has other appointments downtown or hold meetings in our space has been a benefit to both of us,” Rachel says. “I can offer him the workspace and he interacts comfortably with other people and helps to spread the word. And in exchange, as I learn more about his business I hope to be able to offer him introductions to some of my network, and vice versa.”

They say they share many of the same traits – a great sense of humour; a sense of purpose; a natural inclination to help people and be a resource for others; and a similar drive and passion for their businesses. They’re now friends as well as soundboards for idea generation – Jeff says Rachel has been extremely receptive to his feedback and ideas.

Rachel and Jeff have some advice for Sprouter members looking to make connections. Jeff says to keep an open mind when meeting other members, and give each one a chance to show how they can help. Rachel recommends looking for connections with a purpose, and unfollowing if someone isn’t providing the value that you need. “As an entrepreneur, time is precious since we are the president, sales rep, and janitor all in one, so there is no time to worry about hurting someone’s feelings if you unfollow.” Jeff says members should always ask themselves how they can help other entrepreneurs on the site. “Engage in reciprocity. Give first then take, and if we all do this then the Sprouter community will be an unbelievably strong one.”

—

Are you a Sprouter member who has a Success Story to share? E-mail the details to erin@sprouter.com for your chance to be featured on our blog.