The Power of Connections

I was pondering yesterday the nature of connections and how one thing will lead to another. This is one of the most profound examples I’ve experienced in the last couple of years.
I helped host a portion of a permaculture design course (taught by Era Keys) that had Cassie Love attending as one of the students. Cassie referred me to her friend Lizzy Brown McDaniel who I assisted with doing some property evaluation / species identification as well as partnering with her to offer a coupon in her monthly newsletter. Lizzy then mentioned my name to the folks at CHEOKnox.org (a non-profit centered on supporting the practicioners of various health modalities) where I presented a class, found clients for consulting/design as well as finding a chiropractor, reflexologist and direct primary care physician. Assisting Lizzy also led me to realize that I could add species identification/GPS tagging right into my official business offerings. A few months later, one of the CHEO members also referred me over to a homesteading-focused group who meet at Patriot Church in Lenoir City where I presented another class on small-scale, intensive food production. I earned a few more customers that way and continued to build my teaching skills.
This is the power of word of mouth. This is absolutely the backbone of community building, strengthening strong businesses and helping many folks within your community circle to thrive and improve their lives. This just represents a tiny slice of the types of connections I’ve build since I started Strong Roots Resources in 2019.
I’m looking forward to how things grow from here as I focus more time on teaching – especially the foraging classes that are well attended and frequently in demand – look for more of those in 2024!
Thank you, Cassie and Lizzy and all of the other folks in between who have helped me push this venture into a full-time income that’s aligned with my personal ethics and interests.