
How a Chance Moment Became a Meeting That Mattered
I was in the car heading to meet a prospective client in South Florida and felt a nudge to say the quiet part out loud: I do not always give myself enough credit. Last October and November I taught an eight-week accelerator on Meta ads in partnership with Meta and HubSpot. I walked entrepreneurs through the practical parts of Meta ads, how to connect measurement with HubSpot, and how to A/B test with intention. It was one of those career chapters you sprint through, then forget to celebrate.
“Des, I was in your accelerator?”
Fast forward to Inbound in San Francisco. I expected a lighter crowd since many regulars are East Coast based. During an after-hours arcade event hosted by The Spot, a gentleman walked up and said he had been in my accelerator almost a year ago. In a sea of people, that recognition landed. I asked the only question that matters after teaching: “How are Meta ads working for you?” His answer was one word that said it all: phenomenal. He shared that they implemented the best practices, tested what I asked them to test, and leaned into the tips and “hacks” with discipline. Their results were strong. Then came the kicker: he lives in my backyard. Not Florida generally, but South Florida. That is why I was driving to meet him.
Lessons that keep paying dividends
Teach with receipts, then stay curious. Teaching is not about theory. It is about transfer. When former participants say they implemented and won, the curriculum worked.
Community multiplies effort. The after-hours event, the conversation, the follow-up meeting in South Florida, it all came from showing up. You do not “network.” You build connection over time.
Celebrate your own wins. I am quick to move to the next thing. Moments like this are reminders to practice the pause. Excellence deserves oxygen.
Serendipity needs a schedule. Karaoke on night two and an arcade on night one sound like fun, and they were, but they were also community containers that made introductions inevitable. Thank you, Shana, for curating spaces where real conversations happen.
Founders, here is the takeaway
Your brand grows at the intersection of expertise, proximity, and generosity. Teach what you know. Keep showing up. Stay close to the communities you serve. The meeting I was driving to happened because a year earlier I poured into an eight-week accelerator, and a week earlier I showed up at an event where that value could echo.
What we did next
We set the meeting to listen first. I wanted to hear what worked, what broke, and where they wanted to go next. It is easy to skip straight to tactics. The better move is to reconnect purpose to plan, then pick the smallest experiment that will move the needle.
If you are sitting on wins you have not celebrated or relationships you have not re-engaged, consider this your nudge. Start with one message to one person who gained something from your work. See where that thread leads.
If you want help turning community into momentum, let us map your next 90 days together.
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