200 of my Closest Friends and Margaritas....

Well, LinkedIn Live Raleigh V was a huge success on Tuesday night - with 200 of my closest friends enjoying margaritas and great food for three solid hours. Door prizes galore - including the Pay It Forward door prize of two $50 Best Buy gift cards - awarded to one person who then had to give one away to someone and "pay it forward."

The buzz was so significant after the event that the sponsorships for the May event are already secured!

This truly has become a passion for me and Stephanie as we bring people together to help each other in business and in life. What an awesome feeling to give it back after receiving blessings from friends and even total strangers for many years.

Thanks again to iContact, Preation, Select Group and FeatureTel for making the event possible.

One quick related story:

A very good friend of mine found out the day before LI Live 5 that his company was shutting down the branch office he ran in Raleigh - no warning just BOOM out of a job!

The outpouring of support for him was amazing - with friends offering to connect him to job potentials and other projects - in less than a day!

Erik is one of my "Power 5" a group of guys that are closely linked in both business and spirit - the type that you can call in the middle of the night and they would not hesitate to help - no matter what the circumstances. He felt that power this week, as we worked to bring some good out of a bad situation.

While he's not landed yet, he's on his way, and I truly believe it's because of the power of Paying it Forward that he's doing so.

I leave you - still glowing from an amazing event - with this thought:

If you were in a tough situation and needed help, could you pick up the phone and call 4 other people knowing they would be there in a heartbeat to help?

More importantly - can you say that you are the person ready to answer that call?

Continue to pay it forward,

Chuck

LinkedIn Live Raleigh V - A Success Waiting to Happen

LinkedIn Live Raleigh V - the in-person networking event I host every other month - is set to take place tomorrow night from 6:30 p.m. to 9 at Sedona New Western Grill & Margarita Bar in Raleigh.

We have received more than $1500 in door prizes from very generous supporters - and RSVPs top 175!

One of my favorite "giveaways" is a pay it forward door prize - this time two $50 Best Buy gift cards. One person will win both - with the caveat that they must give one away (pay it forward) to someone that is not a relative or close friend. Can't wait to see how this plays out!

I am truly blessed by an amazing network on LinkedIn - and my local connections are fantastic individuals who truly care about each other.

When I get a chance to breathe after the event, I will post pictures and a report on how it all went.

In the meantime, keep paying it forward!

Chuck