I like lists. And, I love Keith Ferrazzi and his book Never Eat Alone. Yesterday’s post on the Never East Alone Blog by Ian Yberra has the following with a link to good descriptions of the first five or so on Kai Chang’s Blog:
"How many essential people in your life?
My friend Kai Chang lists his 16 and a few descriptions on his blog. Here’s the list for quick viewing.
1. Headhunter
2. Computer Security Guru
3. Realtor
4. Criminal Defense Attorney
5. Personal Finance Advisor/CPA
6. Medical Doctor
7. Police/Law Enforcement Officer
8. "The Wolf"/"The Cleaner"
9. The Event/Ticket Connection
10. The Local Celebrity
11. Big Money Guy
12. Local Politician
13. Auto Mechanic
14. Consigliere
15. Mr. Connections
16. Best Friend
It’s valuable to have a list of categories such as these but also make sure you fill them with friends. Some should be a few people deep just in case your first stringer ends up unavailable. As Ian said, "How long is your list and Who’s on it?"