The following is a story written by William Christensen, a member based in Athens, GA. William is an automation nut — if he could automate waking up in the morning and falling into his clothes like in cartoons, he probably would. He’s been teased for trying to get Excel to turn on his sprinklers! His professional career has evolved and centered itself around marketing and business automation. He loves helping people and is excited that the skills he has are helpful to others in the Simbi community.
As a life-long learner, I have been a big believer in exchanging services and personal knowledge or skills for another person’s skills. I don’t quite remember how I found Simbi. I had been searching the internet one day for help with my workload and organizing my thoughts. Stumbling upon a blog earlier in the year, I found a link. I clicked the link and when Simbi popped up I was very excited to find there were so many like-minded people involved in a number of efforts as a community. As someone who is in Marketing, I could immediately see the potential for this. I posted services and started interacting with the community immediately.
Simbi allows me to discover quality people with skills and services that can help me, while I help them at the same time. This symbiotic relationship style is spread throughout the community — people helping each other in a community that is not based on currency. Simbi allows you to take the risk of investing in a service or person without putting money on the line. Let’s face it, sometimes you invest money in a person or service and the product is not as expected. I am excited about the opportunities Simbi offers so many people. The biggest surprise for me has been the welcoming attitude and support that I receive from other members, as well as the volume of people reaching out.
Simbi has potential because money can be hard for some people to acquire and/or they may not be willing to risk it. Sometimes, people are not willing to part with money even though they may need some form of help. For instance, Person A needs help with her computer. Person B has that knowledge, but usually charges money for it. Person A does not have that money. How else can Person A solve this problem? Simbi allows you to become friends with everyone so you can trade their services, there is reduced risk because it is based solely on relationships. People offer their services for things they feel capable and passionate about. Person A just needs to find someone who knows someone like Person B willing to work with them. Throughout Simbi, personalities interact in dynamic ways they may not otherwise interact, this creates a cascade of new possibilities.
Time is only money as long as someone is willing to pay you for it. When you are not making money, why not offer your services for a great symbiotic relationship which can, in the larger scope of things, lead to more symbiotic relationships? I am able to increase my productivity, better myself and others, learn more, and gain life experience through Simbi. My friends have noticed my increase in productivity and asked what my secret is. Honestly, I need to attribute Simbi to helping me be able to deal with more in general. I tell my friends about Simbi and then they have access to sharing their passions, too. Simbi gives me a way to extend my business relationships without having to go through the monetary risk.
I am already developing lasting symbiotic relationships with people due to Simbi and hope to achieve more meaningful friendships in the future.
I would tell other Simbi members to be specific about what they can perform and trust in the community. We all help each other. Don’t offer to do things you are not capable of, deal fairly with people, and most of all: pursue your passion! People work best together when they feel appreciated and encouraged, and Simbi fosters individual growth within a community where we all enhance each other’s talents. The future of Simbi looks exciting from my point of view. Assess what you are good at and put your all into it! Working together as a community, everyone contributes for the well-being of the group in some manner. I hope they create SimbiCon, so everyone can meet each other in real life! Together we can help each other further develop ourselves and enrich our lives for the better.
Simbiotic Stories are real anecdotes told by you and other Simbi community members. Tell us about your Simbi deals and experiences with other members. If your story is published, we’ll credit your account with 150 simbi. Submit your entries by starting a conversation with us via this link.
