By Donnita Fisher
NETWORKING FOR GOOD Lon Ricker says volunteering is the best way to build business
Photo by Ethan Good
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etworking is a lifestyle for Lon Ricker. Not the onthe-web or take-my-business-card styles of networking, but the making-connections-to-createopportunities-and-lasting-friendships kind. “For years, I’ve been sharing with friends – and anyone that would listen – that the time to network is not when you need a job, a girlfriend or someone to fix your car,” said Lon, owner of Ricker Dynamics, a “fund development” consulting business. “You should be networking all the time.” More than going to lunches and group gatherings trying to build your business, Lon’s brand of networking includes doing something for the greater good. “Spend at least 10% of your networking time volunteering at some place that sparks your passion,” he advises. “The connections you make will be with people that have similar passions, which will open doors and friendships well into the future.” During the recent COVID-19 self-quarantine time, social media and the news were full of stories of people helping each other through the time of isolation. “If this pandemic caused you to start caring about your neighbors, please continue doing it, even when you don’t have to,” Lon advocates.
One such initiative that Lon has been spearheading is Team Up to Fight Hunger. In an effort to supplement their often-empty shelves, local food pantries are providing vouchers to clients that are redeemable at local area restaurants for a hot, hearty meal for their family. Via fundraising efforts, Team Up reimburses the restaurants for a portion of the meals as a way of not only giving food and love to families in need, but also to supplement the restaurant’s business. “It’s been a real blessing to see the collaboration of nonprofits and restaurants, not to mention the financial support from the community.” Most people would agree that Lon is a success story. Born and raised in Michigan, he attended a one-room schoolhouse until sixth grade. (“Just like ‘Little House on the Prairie,’ ” he explains.) After high school the self-described nerd earned degrees in electronic and computer engineering technology from Lake Superior State University in Sault St. Marie, Michigan. His first job out of school was with Bell Laboratories, and he spent 20 years in the telecom industry “primarily working for start-up companies,” he said. But success doesn’t always mean passion. “I dropped out of the corporate world – three times – and traveled,” Lon recalls.
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