Life is full of superlatives. You know, those exaggerated descriptions or ways of referring to somebody or something, usually in an admiring way.

Think about it. There is the greatest birthday present you ever had. There is the finest chocolate cheesecake in the world. And there is funniest joke you ever heard. This list could probably go on and on with items that were the biggest, brightest, highest, yummiest, coziest, fuzziest, loveliest or cleverest.

And while this list could probably continue describing the highest quality or degree of most any aspect of your life, here is one you probably never considered: Who is the most valuable person in your network – your networking MVP?

Just as you might anoint a particular player as being paramount to the team’s success, someone in your network has that same distinction – Most Valuable.

No two people are alike. As such, everyone in your network brings a unique set of talents, temperaments and convictions to the world.

Given that, not all of your networking contacts are the same. Some people in your network are simply outstanding. While others, well, not so much. And the vast majority are somewhere in between.

There is no question that your network consists of contacts that are good, ones that are bad and those that lie in between. Thus, for sure someone is the very best…your networking MVP.

In the book The Champion, my LinkedWorking co-author Frank Agin and Jim Ballard make the simply assertion that we are all looking to network with that one person to singularly put on their shoulders our hopes, dreams and aspirations … and in so doing carry us to greater heights. In short, we all want a Champion in our lives.

In a very unique way then, Agin and Ballard illustrate that we do have such a person in our lives (the most valuable person in our network) and finding that person will lead you to great things.  However, curiously enough they advocate that the best way to find your Champion is not by looking for him or her.

The Champion is a quick read (covering less than 100 pages and selling for less than $10 on Amazon). Most importantly, it has a powerful message…the best way to find your Champion is to stop looking and to…

Have you been looking for a way to step up your game by finding your own champion contact?  The answer may surprise you as you discover the secrets of The Champion for yourself.  Here’s to finding the Most Valuable Person in your network.

I have been hosting a number of business related networking events around the country for the past year, all with the purpose of helping professionals meet their business goals and connect with others in their city.

This, however, is the first specific event I have hosted for the sports industry.

SportsNetworker.com has been around for almost a year and it is long overdue for a major site makeover.  This event is the official re launch party as I am looking to take the site to another universe in regards to functionality, design, and most importantly with its content.  I brought on a full time site manager, and have 7-10 amazing writers who will share their insider information regarding all levels of the sports industry.

I am excited for the journey of the site, and I hope you will be able to enjoy it with me by attending the first Sports Networker event in NYC.

Details:

Thursday August 6th, 2009 at Bar XII on 206 E 34th St. 10016. Some and some of the top sports industry executives will be in attendance including Bill Rasmussen (Founder of ESPN and CollegeFanz.com) and Ben Sturner (Sports Sponsorship expert and President of Leverage Agency). Click here to see who else is attending this event.

The event starts at 5:30 and the venue is extending Happy Hour for this event until 9PM but I am sure the party will last later in the evening.

Make sure to register below as it is $10 to pre register and $20 at the door.  Registration gets you a raffle ticket for some great door prizes and a night of quality networking with the top NYC sports professionals.