The Power Lunch: isn’t what it used to be…it’s better!

Back in the 80’s The Power Lunch was named in NYC where it was symbolic of “having made it”. If you didn’t have to run out during the lunch hour, grab your lunch then rush back to eat at your desk but rather had the luxury of enjoying the long lunch at one of the more prestigious NYC eateries…well, it was a big deal and big deals were made!

Today I have a whole different philosophy about a new kind of “Power Lunch”. My idea started percolating a couple of years ago and keeps evolving. A girlfriend/professional colleague and I started having “business” meetings at the local nail salon in order to fit as much as possible into our busy schedules – if we hadn’t wrapped up what we needed to cover during our manicure we would then continue our meeting next door at the Trattoria for lunch; being multi-taskers we understand that in order to get it all done creativity becomes a necessity! I then took it a step further when I had an idea back in the Fall to invite a group of 4 professional lady friends that I thought should meet each other to lunch because they have complimentary professions and I was hopeful that if I made the introductions in a fun, informal and yummy setting there might be some synergy and connections would be made that they could take from there and deepen. I also “helped” myself by inviting them to a client’s restaurant so it was a win/win/win! The North Kingstown chapter of “freshconnections” reminds me of a BIG and on-going example of the Power Lunch! We meet every other Wednesday during the lunch hour to deepen existing relationships and make new connections while helping each other grow professionally. After having written the rough draft of this article I shared it with the group and it sparked a fun conversation. One of our members, a Civil Engineer, said she thinks the idea is akin to being a sort of mediator that brings others together and consciously steers the conversation towards creating connections that can produce positive outcomes. Another member, of the Southern RI Chamber, really liked the theory because it is so similar to an important function the chamber provides often when facilitating relationships that are beneficial to their members.

So, the new “Power Lunch” theory is a part of the overall paradigm shift going on now…it’s not anything new, it’s just a matter of changing our focus a little to a “how can I help” mentality- which always comes back to you in a positive way…aka, “Giver’s Gain”! And, living/working in RI is just as good (if not better) than NYC when it comes to those “Power Lunch” options, with all the fabulous restaurants, cafes and bakeries we have you can support your local economy while growing your professional network and/or business.