This weekend, I was deeply moved by the warm, loving comments on a post I shared on February 7th, called ‘Ecademy Day’. I reflected on the day Thomas and I first conceived the idea of creating an online community for business owners. This was a time before Friends Reunited, LinkedIn, and Facebook—when the concept of online communities was still in its infancy.
The 151 comments so far, after 3 days, have mentioned over and over again, how special this time in business was, we were socially connecting as business owners, strangers becoming friends, just like Seth Godin stated in his book, ‘Permission Marketing’.
I read his book a year after I started Ecademy, it touched me hugely, his mantra ‘strangers become friends, friends become customers’, was inspiring and we put that into practice, and to this day, we still do this, 27 years on. Trust is the basis of everything we do, and everyone we talk to can know our truth, our reality, and our values. We want to be friends.
I always wonder, unless we are in a B2C business, how can we possibly expect ‘strangers to become customers’?
Reflecting on the comments I realise that the contributors understand the profound impact that social media has had on our habits, mindsets, and time management. The rush of technology gives us a false sense of time scarcity, pushing us to constantly keep up with trends, memes, and productivity at the expense of beautiful deep friendships in business.
Now, don’t be terrified by this concept, I am not suggesting that everyone comes to your home, like your personal friends, I am talking about the honesty, truth and genuine care you can also feel for your fellow business professionals.
Our challenge now is that we are more connected than ever before, but what do these connections really mean to us in our life and business? What do we mean to them?
How can we use THIS world to improve our souls and our businesses in a world that makes us time scarce?
How do you use your time in this brilliant digital, social media and AI age?
Social Media: A tool that allows us to remind others we’re here without demanding much time, offering efficiency in maintaining connections, and an opportunity for people to not only know what you are good at, but also like your values.
Productivity Tools: Tools like Asana have transformed my approach from a ‘do it now’ to ‘allocate it now’ mentality, helping manage my tasks based on weekly capacity and energy, allowing me to prioritise people over tasks.
Automation: With AI advancements and tools like Zapier, tasks that once took hours now take minutes, freeing up time for creativity, more in-person events, more 121 conversations and more time for our community to flourish.
The Gift of Time for Real Conversations: making time to have open, random and supportive conversations that reveal your values and also the deeper needs of others. Thomas’ belief since 2009, that we are now in an ORS world.
Yet, with all these advancements, the real question remains:
Are we making time for real conversations? Whether through typed messages, Zoom calls, phone conversations, or in-person meetings, we have the technology to deepen our interactions. But are you?
Do you know how to?
Is this a forgotten habit?
Is this a forgotten skill?
This week, I challenge you to track how many meaningful conversations you engage in.
If you find your reality disappointing, ask yourself: Are you truly optimising your unique human qualities, or are they getting lost behind screens and algorithms?
Loneliness, isolation, and disconnection need not define us. Each of us has the power to reach out and connect deeply.
Let’s make a conscious effort to use our time to foster relationships that go beyond surface-level interactions.
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Let’s make 2025 a year where our digital advancements celebrate and amplify our human essence. Thank you for being part of this journey, and for allowing me the privilege to share in your lives.
