[ChristianDeBlis]

I'm a young businessman, and I learned quickly the value of lending a helping hand.

Just recently, I connected with a software engineer/architect on LinkedIn. He's from Argentina (now in Zurich) and I'm starting a new firm in Buenos Aires, AR (real estate investment/property management).

I saw the possibility of us being able to help one another, but mostly I thought he was an interesting guy. My intent was to simply start a dialogue, no expectations, which is an important point I'll get to.

I introduced him to a recruiter at Google, a company he's been trying to get into for years. I sent along his resume, as well as a recommendation that I thought would click with this particular recruiter (they're both language buffs). The recruiter, Anne, responded within the hour, and finally HR from Mountain View and New York is paying him some attention. It's in the preliminary steps, but his gratitude for this simple introduction was overwhelming.

Next, he introduces me to a few people/organizations that can really help me market my firm, as well as do some good in the community. This is one example where a friendship budded from "is there anything I can help you with?" coupled with an interest in learning more about the person.

In my experience, when you begin a relationship without expectations, you set the stage for a lot of wonderful possibilities. And many times, the "karma" thing isn't linear... you help person A, person B helps you, person C helps B and A and you help person C. It's a network, loosely connected by goodwill.

And I can tell the difference between "how can I help you?" - and the sometimes underlying meaning, "how can you help me?" And even though the underlying meaning can be somewhat negative, many times a relationship is started with a gift that grows toward reciprocation. One thing I've learned is how to take the first step, and not expect anything in return.

For me, this is the best way to market myself, because it's at the core of my identity/philosophy of life.

(And I love the fish analogy, because everyone can relate to it.)