Have you ever considered joining a networking group in midlife? For some, it is way more than career related!
Guest: Fred Klein, Labor Law Attorney and Founder of Gotham City Networking
On LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/fred-c-klein-a4983415/
Host: Dr. Deborah Heiser
On ITSPmagazine 👉 https://www.itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/deborah-heiser-phd
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Episode Introduction
Have you ever considered joining a networking group in midlife? For some, it is way more than career related! Fred Klein, labor law attorney and founder of Gotham City Networking, talks about how networking is helpful in so many ways beyond career advancement.
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Networking After 40: It isn't just for work! | A Conversation with Fred Klein | After 40 Podcast with Dr. Deborah Heiser
00:31
Welcome to After 40 If this is your first time here welcome I can't wait for you to meet our new guest today. Please take a listen to the previous episodes. And if you've listened before, thanks for coming back. I think you're going to be really excited to hear from Fred Klein today. Fred Klein is the networking Maven we're talking about. Networking today. And he's going to talk about Gotham City networking, and why he started it, why it matters to people to network after 40 and he can also tell you a little bit about his work with venture project and all of the other endeavors that he's involved in lately. So Fred, welcome. Thank
01:16
you. So what's what's the name of this program?
01:21
This is the after 40 podcast,
01:23
so that you're getting twice your benefit today with me
01:28
Yes. How old are you, Fred
01:30
82.
01:31
Wow, that's amazing, because I can't believe how much you do before eight o'clock in the morning. As an 82 year old. So tell us a little bit about you, Fred. And where are you right now? I'm
01:45
in Key West Florida. I'm defined as a snowbird. We're down here from January until Cinco de Maya and my wife is looking forward to going home and I'm not looking forward to it. And I understand when to talk about networking. And I did a little research. So networking, and then I'll tell you about myself is the actual process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts. So I'm a labor and employment attorney representing management and in 1997 in the 20th century. I founded along with my partner Nancy Shas Gotham City networking, which is based upon the principle as your mother taught you. It's better to give than receive, but we linked it with what what goes around comes around, and we've actually trademarked that that's our mantra is Gotham a social slash business networking group, or a business slash social networking group? I prefer the social because I think the social is the fuel. That Garner's business. People do business with people they like so there was a question.
03:17
Yeah. Tell me. So you founded Gotham City networking? Why, and what do you get out of it? And what can others get out of it?
03:27
Well, I founded it because a friend of mine asked me to go to a networking meeting. And a lot of people are naturally shy and or the imposter syndrome. And I asked him, What is the networking meeting says everyone makes breakfast, go around the room. We say who you are, what you do, and what's a good lead for you? And I said, I can't go. He said, Why? Because I'm a marathon runner and I have to run five to 10 miles every morning and I don't have time for it. So he said something to me, which no resounds to this day. He said I'm asking you as a matter of professional courtesy to come. And I said, Oh, you're using the kryptonite on me. Because lawyers always engage in professional courtesy. And a matter of fact, anybody when they have a last resort when they're legalized, begging, they should say I'm asking you as a matter of courtesy, to do something, and usually they'll know. But anyway, I went to the breakfast, and I was very nervous. And I saw the wave of compensation approaching me, and my heart was pitter pattering like rabbits. And I heard myself say when my turn came, I'm a labor employment attorney representing management good leads for me is anyone that has employees and I was done. I had exercised my obligation to my friend as a matter of courtesy. At the end of the breakfast, the narrator with a leader came up to me and said, You were terrific. My allowed to curse. No,
05:10
I prefer not.
05:13
He's so he said, You were terrific. And I said to myself, you're full of beans, but I said a different word. And I went on my merry way and I went back to work, and he started prospecting me and call me as if I was low hanging fruit. And finally I said to him, My father once said, If you're going to be in a circle, you want to be the hub of the circle and not on the periphery. So if you will form a new networking group around me and caught me, I might consider it. He hung up the phone on me, because I showed the chutzpah or whatever you want to translate that to, and I went into my partner Nancy Chester's office and said we're forming a networking group. She said, What's in that working group? I have no idea. This was my experience. And we took we took a flyer, a flyer, and we like to say that we had a no plan plan. And we were like counter punches. We were reacting to the situation. But we were very fortunate at a time I was treasurer of the Friars Club. And Friars Club had this beautiful building, and this image and, and all these people, and that was a natural draw. And in the end, we have right now, after a recession caused by the pandemic. We have 17 groups. We have lawyers groups, female groups, green group, you name it, we have it. We have so many bells and whistles. On May 19. We're going to have the Battle of the Bands and the winner gets to play a showcase at iconic Cafe wha and if you asked me it's better to give than receive but what goes around comes around. So if I if I do something for you, and you do something for someone else, it may hopefully endure by going around to my benefit, and what do I get out of it? I've been very fortunate in my life. And at this point in my life, I get something which I call psychic compensation, which is a fancy way of saying it makes me feel good. So long answer but
07:36
I love it. So how when you guys formed you and Nancy formed, Gotham, networking how many people joined up right away?
07:49
You had about 10 people we had a ticker a tailor, a candlestick maker. And I'll never forget our first meeting in a small room with the Friars Club. And we said, you know, this is never going to work. I mean, what are we going to do? But you know, we weren't quitters. And again, the venue drew a lot of people and by giving and showing empathy, and giving people dignity, dignity, and recognizing them. It started to grow and it got to the point where it was really very big. And we were always conscious of not we charged dues but we try to be economical. We don't make any money on it. And we hope that the members get both business and social compensation.
08:44
How many members do you have now?
08:47
We have probably around 250, but we're going through a growth spurt. And in fact, we're on a membership drive. And there's usually an application fee. We've waived back. We have a new group which is called the Zoomers, my granddaughter who you know, Maggie is in there, and we're not charging them any dues for the first six months. And we're trying to pass it on to teach them Secrets of the Universe, if you will.
09:24
You know networking is so important for individuals and most people think it's the Zoomers, right, are they, the young kids coming in that really need it? But you need it after 40 as well midlife and, and and at any age. Did you find it useful when you were in midlife when you started? Well, you
09:45
know it's interesting. We have one group, which we call the Encore group, which are people that have lived their life. And now we're experiencing the Encore. And we're not so concerned in that odd reveal who you know we're not so concerned about developing business but we're interested in living healthy lives. All my life. Whether I was in the beginning, middle or end, I've always been the same. My father is deceased now.
10:28
And now it's actually okay. Okay.
10:31
He was a natural salesman, and he taught me a lot of things. By example, he didn't sit me down and say this is what you do. But one of the things that he taught me was with anybody you want to be on their level so what I do is their first time ever you're not I'm shy. Once I agree to meet the person. I'll say to them whether it's over drink or breakfast. Tell me your life story in 60 seconds in person looks at me as if I'm crazy as it No really I'm very interested. And you know, listening is a superpower. You listen, and people like to talk about themselves. And as they're talking, you're registering what you have in common. You'll say Oh, I'm a Yankee fan too. I know nuclear physicists. I know the moon is not the center of the universe, and things like that. And you know, if you if you have empathy, and if you follow Woody Allen's credo 80% of life is showing up. All of these things come together and they work. Absolutely. For me. They work.
11:41
I've seen you in action. I see how it works. And you really are the best networker around and I think that just from watching you do it. You build deeper relationships from your networking. It isn't a it isn't an exchange that ends at that moment. And I wonder if you have found that you've gotten closer friends or anything social that has come from networking.
12:15
Well it's interesting. I'm a social person. And people either hate me or they like me. It's an acquired taste. But, you know, people like me and I want to help them I don't say how can I help you? But if I hear somebody has a daughter, that next door here, and she's a junior in high school, and my mother told me that she's found a new passion that she wants to be a stage manager. So I immediately thought of our Samantha and I spoke to Samantha yesterday, I can't help myself. I said this, this young woman, could she possibly talk to you? And she said, of course. And that's just an example that happened within the last 24 hours of this natural desire to be of help to be of use. So
13:13
I know that networking is one of those things that we can engage in, in midlife and later that can bring us more business. Obviously, we can help others who are starting out. But the component that most people don't realize exists is that social connection, and here you are making new connections. But you know, with other people, but it's the social connection that you don't always get from every other interaction. And sometimes, in midlife, we're at the point where we could we our space opens up and we have more time for socializing. It's the point where maybe kids are grown. We just have a little bit more room because our jobs aren't as demanding. And a networking group can be used for something other than just trying to get new business. And I've seen you doing that using your real gift for networking for social good.
14:18
Well, you know, it's interesting, one of the things that I was thinking about, I mean, a number of organizations. I'm in the Mentor Project, which is very laudable, distinguished people. I'm involved in golf and I'm involved with the law firm, and I'm involved with peoples of peace and I know that I am i doing significant work, but one of the things I've been thinking about is I no longer need to be given credit for things he used to be that, you know, if you do something you want to be acknowledged, and you want to be given, but there have been instances in the last months where I haven't been given credit. And I make a note of it, but but I don't ask for credit. You have to rise above pettiness or foibles and the mentor project opened up a whole world for me and the person that is the founder of that group has encouraged me to do good work.
15:29
Well, you do good work. You've always done good work, Fred and I I'm really excited to be able to let people know about Gotham for any networking organization as well as an opportunity for midlife because most people think that if you're already established in your job, you don't need that work and they're wrong because not only for your job, maybe to grow it in some way, but for your social connections so that you have more meaningful connections in your life and networking organization can bring that for you and you've done that beautifully. I've been able to see you navigate it. Do you have any recommendations for anybody? Well, well, one
16:14
of the things that people face after 40 is it's a youth oriented society. Some people have a need to remain relevant and some people have a need to pass on a legacy. And as I said before, to be of use, but you can't get ahead in life. Lying in bed with the covers over your head out there. My father always used to say that. So, again, going back to my my cyclic compensation. The more you do, the more good you do. Sometimes it comes down and you're frustrated, but it's not boring. And what I like to do is take care of business.
17:05
I love that. Taste. Elvis. You have the best features. You do. So Fred, I'm really excited that I got to talk to you today. And I'd like to just ask one last thing of you. Can you tell me if help people can reach you if they'd like to reach you? And if you have one parting word of advice for anyone?
17:34
Well, they could they could reach me through you how's that? Okay.
17:40
And
17:43
my, my parting piece of advice is you can't get ahead laying in bed with the covers over your head. You have to get out there and be active and everyone that you know you should consider all part of the same tribe.
18:00
Very good advice. So if anyone would like to reach Fred, please leave a message in the comments and I will get it to Fred. Thanks. All right. Have a great day. Take care