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From the desk of Rhonda Cort:

Dear Self-Employed Friend,

Anxious and stressed out. I know exactly how you feel. I’ve been there too. In 1999, after obtaining my BS in Design, I decided to move to Europe—to Italy. I didn’t know anyone, I didn’t speak the language and I did not have a single connection—business or personal. I didn’t even have a business! I wanted to stay there and I needed to do it—FAST. I had to pay rent in Rome, buy food and cover other expenses (have you ever been to or lived in Rome?  Living in New York City was way cheaper—yikes!).

Who likes to be nerve-wracked by a flood of bills in the mail and phone calls from companies owed? Italy was plagued by high unemployment. The Italians I met thought I was absolutely insane for moving there without a job—and from the United States!  Other Americans told me to go home.

Now I say, "If you can make it in Italy, you can make it anywhere!"

I needed to start my business—in record time! My motto is "Do or do! There is no die." (that's right, there is no die in my vocabulary). I was not leaving Europe until I wanted to! I started networking like a mad woman, anywhere I was and with everyone I came in contact with. I tried renegade tactics and got really creative (a BS in Design comes in handy).

I started a business teaching executives business English, I modeled in Rome and Milan—even shot a commercial in Madrid for a German film director who "discovered" me while I was sitting in Plaza Major reading a book (that was wild!). The list of work is endless and full of adventure! I made a ton of connections from an executive at Valentino to a diplomat who was a director at UNESCO. I was on my way...

Quick action and outside-the-box tactics paid off. I met an entrepreneur called Max who would change my life and the way I looked at networking forever.

One day, he told me he "pre-sold" me as a consultant to an Italian firm that had close to 200 employees. They were planning international expansion and needed someone with an international background to manage all relations with their foreign clients and give their design team direction.

The CEO wanted to see me the NEXT day!
I was terrified...

BUT looking back, it was the BEST thing that happened to me. I used the networking secrets I had learned "in the trenches" to ace the meeting and negotiated a legendary contract as their youngest consultant—sitting at the "good old boys" table (if you know what I mean).

I was pulling in thousands of euros working just 10 - 15 hours per week for this 1 client.  While other men and women with years of seniority were working 40 - 60 hours a week for a fraction... This left me free to pursue entrepreneurial activities and work with other clients. (Psst! Learn a second or third language - it can make you BIG MONEY!)

I was traveling to various countries, meeting thousands of people and most importantly —NETWORKING BIG TIME with a lot of influential people: CEOs, executives, entrepreneurs, small business owners, government officials, diplomats, TV personalities and politicians! 

This led to a stream of exciting contracts and freelance work with various governments, embassies, organizations, small businesses, consortium and corporations—you name it!

No! I stumbled, tripped and took dives head-first in the mud of networking faux pas… It cost me time, energy, LOTS of money and some great connections along the way,

BUT…

Being in the circles I was in, I observed the powerful people I had come in contact with. They did certain things and avoided others.

During these ten years—I got my MBA in Global Networking (Masters By Action)!

Why do most people screw up networking?

They simply don’t know HOW to network or they are  too lazy to learn. Those who do try end up being frustrated with a list of contacts that are useless—or worse yet, DRAINING! That’s why they think it doesn’t work…

So don’t worry about it! There is nothing wrong with you. You're not alone, if others like me and my clients have done it successfully—so can you!

If you want to skyrocket your business by connecting with influential people, attracting joint-venture partners and a stream of new clients, then you had better learn now...