A few years ago I was asked in a Washington Business Journal interview about the best and worst aspects of networking in D.C. The answer was the same, “It’s a really small town.” So if you’re well-liked, it’s great because the word gets around. And if you’ve messed up, guess what! I constantly meet people who know me (or of me) in the most unlikely places – metro, airports, even the Lion King-the-musical (and yes, those hyenas are just as scary on stage as on the big screen!) A few weeks ago a business friend generously invited me his law firm’s company event at the Kennedy Center, where I promptly ran into someone who knew me as a teenager! And if the fact that he instantly recognized me (decades later!) wasn’t startling enough, he promptly reacquainted me with my former boss who is now a client at his firm! The fabulous news is that I couldn’t have been more thrilled to see them both, but the thought of how small this town is rivals the scariness of the hyenas! I walked away from this experience even more convinced that you have to be nice to everyone you meet since… birth!

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