Being social in the real world

Personal ROI.

This is something that we talk about a lot at bigMETHOD.  To us it means giving something of value and in doing so being provided with a positive return on your investment.

I was traveling today.  When I arrived at LAX (Los Angeles’s major airport) I hadn’t coordinated a ride so I headed to the taxi waiting area.  I was the first person in line but quickly 10 or so travelers lined up behind me.  We all waited a good 5 minutes before the first cab arrived.  Thinking about how much I hate waiting in line, knowing the speed at which cabs arrive at LAX, and caring about the environment (now the above photo makes sense) I loudly asked if anyone was headed to the Venice area and wanted to share a cab.

A gentleman a few behind me paused a second, I assume waiting to see if anyone was headed specifically to Venice, and then said, “I am going to Santa Monica”, the next city to the north.  I told him to hop in and off we went.

After the cab driver asked if we were friends, to which I replied, “we are now”,  and then we struck up the expected casual conversation appropriate for this scenario.  We had a nice talk about life and work and exchanged email addresses because there was possible synergy between what we both do professionally.  I had asked the cab driver to drop me off at a gas station close to my destination so I could withdraw money from the ATM to pay for my share of the ride.  My new traveling companion graciously told me not to worry about the fare, I thanked him and we parted ways.

I saw that there was an opportunity to save any random stranger 10 minutes in their day by sharing the back seat of a cab.  In doing so I had someone interesting to talk to, saved a few dollars, put 1 less car on the road, and possibly opened a door for new business.  This is the same mentality that is needed to be successful via social media online as a brand.  This is personal ROI.