Trailblazers

Donna Messer
It's who you know

By Sharon Aschaiek

"It's not what you know, but who you know." And if that's true, then it's certainly good to know networking maven Donna Messer, who has turned networking into a way of life and a profession.

"If you don't learn to effectively network, you won't succeed," says networking guru Messer.

"Most people don't recognize their talents, they don't think of themselves outside the box. They think of themselves as their job - as a salesperson, engineer, technician and so on," says Messer, who is president of ConnectUs Communications Canada.

"They don't think of themselves as 'the person who has travelled, reads Tolstoy, likes dogs', for example, and so they miss out on jobs that are available."

Since 1993, Messer has been making it her business to get people to look beyond their job description and re-define themselves. Once people take that step, they're opening themselves up to a new world of job opportunities they never knew existed.

Through ConnectUs, Messer aims to introduce people to those possibilities through networking. Its Web site, www.connectuscanada.com, states: "Networking is the single most effective way to build a successful business" -- and Messer couldn't agree more.

"Networking is the most important thing," she says. "If you don't learn to effectively network, you won't succeed."

At ConnectUs, members (a membership costs $399) learn the nuances of the art of networking through specialized workshops. One workshop, called Network to Get Work, provides you with an opportunity to introduce yourself and your service or product to a group of people, who then become your "connector list".

Messer also works one-on-one with individuals to help them facilitate their own career development (a private session costs $200).

The crux of successful networking, Messer says, is being prepared to give more than you receive. Each time you help someone else, you are building a relationship, and in turn helping yourself. As you build your network of contacts, you will be enhancing your own opportunities for professional advancement.

Over the years, Messer has gained a reputation in business circles as a networking guru who knows anybody and everybody, and she has been able to help many individuals achieve their business goals. She estimates that her success rate is close to 100%.

Four months ago, Cathy Nesbitt of Bradford, experienced Messer's magic first-hand. Business was slow for Nesbitt, a vermacomposter who uses red wigglers for composting.

Messer came up with the idea of creating a Junior Farmer Worm Kit, which included a short book, a spoon and a flashlight, and they held an event called Squirmin' Wormin' Day, inviting children, parents and the media to attend.

The event garnered Nesbitt significant media publicity, and she has since been able to use that visibility to further expand her business.

Today, she has completed a vermacomposting project with a No Frills supermarket, and is working on vermacomposting proposals for the City of Pickering and the City of Bradford.

"Donna has put me ahead about three years," Nesbitt says. "She has so many contacts, she's a natural. People (with career goals) should definitely contact this person."

After graduating from the University of Toronto, Messer worked as a bank teller with foreign currencies. After marrying and having two children, the family moved to Rosemont, Ontario (pop. 300), and Messer found herself out of work.

After re-evaluating her skills, she realized she had a talent for making things look pretty, making things taste good, and doing it all on a shoestring budget.

"I came from the city and was used to different foods, like Chinese, Greek and Italian, so I tried to create the flavours by using spices," she says. "I was in a grocery store one day, walking in the aisles, when it hit me: I blend spices, that's why I cook so well. So I became a blender of spices."

She launched her own business, Orange Crate Herbs, Spices and Pot-pourri, and worked with local farmers in the process. The business experienced rapid growth, received major press coverage, and even became the subject of an MBA case study.

"What I learned from the business is we never recognize how we can create our income unless we ask someone else. We take for granted the talents that get us our next job," she says.

After that, Messer decided she would focus her energies on helping others achieve their career goals. In addition to launching ConnectUs in 1993, Messer is a public speaker and seminar leader, working with many companies, associations and government to help add value to their groups through networking.

She speaks to college and university students, and helps them expand their networks and find work placements.

And, Messer is also editor of BusinessWoman Canada magazine, which covers the activities of Canadian female innovators.

But at the end of the day, Messer's main goal is to help individuals grow as people, and to achieve new heights in their professional lives.

"People have to sell themselves, and often they are trying to sell the position rather than the person they are," she says. "If I can teach people to expand who they are, it makes a big difference."

To find out more about ConnectUs, call 905-337-9578 or visit the Web site at www.connectuscanada.com.

By Sharon Aschaiek