I’ve been doing a lot of local networking this past month & and have met so many talented people.  With the exception of SOBCon08 at the beginning of the month, most of the events I’ve been to and people I’ve met have been local.

What I’ve found in this very busy month, has been a consistent mix of people from all sorts of industries and business fields all looking for new ways to connect with each other.  The main interest these folks have, is to find better ways to connect with their audience.

The most fascinating part for me recently, is just how much talent there is right here in my home town.  I’ve no illusions of Minneapolis being a center of cutting edge web 2.0 startups.  However, there is a rich history of successful, community-oriented and customer focused organizations that developed here and still call Minnesota home.

That, in combination with strong focuses on healthcare, non-profit, educational, and retail markets makes it a progressive environment.  Minneapolis has a diverse, knowledgeable, community-driven population of professionals that are looking to enhance their interactions with clients & peers.  They’re engaged in improving their game and providing improved services to their customers.

It’s this excitement that I hadn’t seen until recently.  The interest in making things happen is here, the knowledge to do it is here, and the determination to push boundaries is also part of this community.  I’m looking forward to continuing to look for ways to make things happen, to find those talented individuals who share this vision.  To make sure that they find ways to reach the right people with their ideas, and solve real problems that aren’t being addressed today.

Have you tasted the local flavor in your community?  I urge you to get involved.  Find a way to get yourself in the process, find how you can bring value and help build something for your community or customers.  How are you getting things started in your community?

Photo credit: strange librarian