In this episode, Dan connects with one of the leaders of The Connective, a lifelong learner, marketing expert, entrepreneur, and self-proclaimed “business mechanic,” Adrian Sasine. Dan and Adrian discuss intentionality and purpose in the professional sphere.  Adrian considers himself an inventor of sorts, and for good reason. His undeniable drive to create innovative and successful businesses has led him through several marketing endeavors over the years and ultimately led him to the Head of Operations and Marketing role at The Connective. He’s also building a new connection platform called Nolodex, which he hopes will optimize connections by merging affiliate marketing, community management, and FinTech. Listen in to discover how he’s supporting the growth of The Connective and Nolodex and how you can create lasting connections with intention.  In This Episode (3:02) Adrian shares his journey to The Connective and his philosophy surrounding marketing (9:04) Why The Connective is a unique networking group (13:26) How Joe and Adrian built and now run the Atlanta chapter (16:18) The role revenue plays in the decision-making process (18:25) Connecting vs. networking and the future of The Connective and Nolodex  (25:18) The need that Nolodex meets and how it merges affiliate marketing, community management, and FinTech  (30:55) Practical implementation of the software in a school or church setting (33:36) Why this new platform will optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of connections (37:47) LinkedIn and Discord as competitors  (42:02) The process of referrals on the Nolodex platform (43:26) How Adrian expects connection to evolve and how COVID influenced the corporate space   (46:06) The difficulty of connecting in a virtual environment  (51:26) Why the digital age can cultivate belonging as well as loneliness (55:59) Adrian’s hope for The Connective’s growth and community as an educational resource Notable Quotes “Networking for most people is about, ‘What’s in it for me? I’m networking with you because I want something.’ And I’ve found that this group [The Connective] – very different.” – Adrian (8:21) “My personal mantra is push myself hard enough that I will fail. And when I do – and believe me, I have failed more than more people are willing to put themselves in that situation – it’s ‘fall forward.’ That’s my mantra. ‘Fall forward.’ You’re gonna screw up. It’s not all gonna go your way. As long as you learn from it and you take a step forward, great.” – Adrian (18:38)  “The difference between networking and connecting? Connecting is taking it a step forward. ‘How can I help you, getting to know you…’” – Adrian (20:35)  “My idea of what community really is is a baseline of people you are connected with, that kind of meaningful intent, that ‘OK I’m not here just to have a name. I’m here to actually get to know people in a certain way’… There’s some common ground and usually there’s several shared values as well.” – Dan (25:33) “It’s the relationship first, you know, and the business second, which is really important. But you always know that the business is there. People always ask with interest and intent what’s going on.” – Dan (59:25) About Adrian  Adrian Sasine is the co-founder of Nolodex and the Head of Operations and Marketing at The Connective. He has over 20 years of experience in marketing and business, and his entrepreneurial drive has fueled more than a few business ventures, which allows him to advise brands, business owners, and executives in company strategy and growth. Alongside his work at The Connective, he’s working on completing a platform called Nolodex, which will support connections across various communities.  Resources & Links Dan Nestle The Dan Nestle Show: https://nestle.libsyn.com/ Dan Nestle on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dsnestle Dan Nestle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestle The Dan Nestle Show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDanNestleShow/  Adrian Sasine Adrian Sa