20A: Growing Your Social Capital

1. Domain Expert

1. The first person I contacted was a future cardiothoracic surgeon that I met through my brother, who is going to be a groomsman in his upcoming wedding. I purposefully scouted out someone in the medical field because they are the most exposed to the virus right now, and I want to make sure the masks I design are adequately suited for hospitals. I asked my brother for an introduction and the phone number, and had to squeeze into their extremely hectic schedule--which I believe is a favor in and of itself. I did go on to ask a few questions regarding the nature of their work environment before the pandemic and during the pandemic, and took notes on what kinds of things were most needed. In return, I plan to use every detail to try and form a mask that is as protective as possible. I’ll be including this future doctor in my network to enhance my ability to exploit an opportunity by tapping into their experiences and medical knowledge. 

2. Market Expert

1. Next, I had to find someone who has similar products and services, masks, and immediately thought of Disney and their new character masks that have been introduced on their website. I saw a lot of people wearing these in Disney Springs where facial coverings are mandatory, and wanted to explore more so I contacted a peer I met last semester who has several internship experiences at the Walt Disney Company and offered to connect me to people. I asked her how she uses her platform as a graduate working in marketing and communications to promote new products and get people excited about them--even if they’re products that most people would rather not wear. This conversation allowed me to grow my network and enhance my future opportunities of selling my product. I also offered her as many complimentary masks as needed if they become produced.

3. Supplier

1. Finally, I sought after someone who is selling products and services to other organizations in my industry and thought of small business owners who sew homemade masks and sell them on the internet. I recalled that my friend told me a few months ago that her mom makes face masks with leftover fabrics, so I asked to speak to her. Through a phone call, I asked her the outlet through which she sells her products, what her buyer segment looks like and what her masks constitute of. With this information, I could better understand what people are looking for when purchasing facial coverings. In return, I showed her my business model and gave her all the CDC guidelines on protective requirements, because it seems as though she focused less on that part than on the actual designs. Since experts have said cloth facial covers are less effective, I wanted her to be able to create more masks from this point forward that align with regulations. 

 This experience has pushed me one step closer towards future networking events. Although the severity of the pandemic has forced me to perform all networking remotely, I still feel like it gave me a glimpse of what’s to happen at in-person events. Over the phone, I still practiced communication, listening and presenting skills, which are valuable traits to master. In the past, I’ve met people face-to-face, which I think leads to more expressive and in-depth conversations, but we still have modern technology like FaceTime and Skype to imitate that.