The Wednesday Wire
Issue of , from Florida Professionals Association
It's not about your pitch...
September 2, 2026
Walk into any networking room and you can spot the person working the hardest to make an impression: talking fast, pitching early, working the room like a checklist. It rarely works the way they hope.
The people who actually walk away with real connections are usually doing something much quieter. They're asking a second question. They're remembering what you said five minutes ago, and listening for the thing you actually need, not just waiting for their turn to talk.
That's not a personality trait. It's a skill, and like any skill, it gets sharper the more you practice it.
So, when you attend your next networking event, practice. Practice listening - and paying attention! - so that you can ask a follow-up question or make a real referral to someone. It's a skill that will make you a better networker.
Andy & Vanessa Rodriguez
Founders
Florida Professionals Association
What is "FPA Connects"?
Every Thursday at 8:30 AM, we open a Zoom room to business owners from every corner of Florida, livestream into over 35 groups throughout the state, and for one hour you stop feeling like you're in just another meeting.
It's part strategy session, part pep rally, part matchmaking service, real introductions, real advice, and real business getting done before most people have finished their coffee.
This isn't an hour of fluff. It's an hour that doesn't sit still, built around one idea: the right conversation with the right person can change everything.
For more than 30 years, Parsuram "Ram" Ramkissoon knew how to make money and how to spend it. What he didn't know, he says, was how money actually works, and despite a solid income, he found himself living paycheck to paycheck. That gap is what led him into this business: teaching families how to eliminate debt, build wealth, protect the people they love, and open up new ways to earn income.
He's not alone in that story, and that's exactly the point. The financial education most of us need was never taught in school, let alone college, so most families are navigating money decisions with the same blind spots he once had. Parsuram brings a different kind of expertise to that gap, one built less on theory and more on having lived through financial ignorance himself and come out the other side.
What surprised him most wasn't the business side, it was the impact. With the knowledge and licenses he gained, he found he could genuinely change a family's financial future, not just sell them a product.
Right now, Ram's ideal connection is a "Main Street", middle-income family who assumes retirement isn't in the cards for them: single parents, small business owners, and self-employed professionals who could benefit from a free Financial Needs Analysis to finally understand how money works and take control of their finances.
Try FPA Free for 30 Days
If you want to see what the kind of "listening" we mentioned above looks like in practice, the easiest way is to sit in the room. Try the business-level membership free for 30 days, private chat, full community access, a spot every Thursday at FPA Connects. There's no pressure, just a chance to see how this group actually operates.
DID YOU KNOW
Referrals Just Beat Every Other Growth Channel, Again
83% of small business owners now say word-of-mouth is their best source of new customers, up from 65% just a year ago. It's not just more common, it's cheaper too: referred customers cost $23 less to acquire and stick around with 16% higher lifetime value.
What this means for you: a referral arrives pre-qualified, pre-trusted, and pre-sold in a way no ad can replicate. The real gap isn't getting referrals, it's having a system to ask for them and follow through when they come in.
This work is already happening in the FPA community. See what membership looks like >
For more on what's shifting for business owners right now, visit In The News >
PROFESSIONALS IN PARADISE 2027
July 29 - August 1 | Gaylord Palms, Orlando
Save the date: The 7th Annual Professionals in Paradise will be taking place from July 29 – August 1, 2027, at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando. Four days of statewide connection, hands-on education, and the same energy that had this year's group not wanting to go home.
This year's sessions are being built around what our members are actually asking for, so expect the lineup to look different from PIP26's in some real ways. If there's a topic you want to see on that stage, tell us!
Our Sneak Peek rate has closed, and Early Bird pricing is live now at $1,399, for a limited time before it moves to regular pricing of $1,799. If PIP27 is on your radar, this is the best rate left.
Reserve Your Early Bird Pass >
Join the FPA Community
Membership means more than a Thursday Zoom. It's a private chat that runs all week, a statewide referral network, AI coaching tools, and a member profile that puts your business in front of the right people. The best way to know if this is your room? Try it before you commit, our 30-day free trial gives you full access, no pressure.
The Wednesday Wire goes out every Wednesday morning to business owners across Florida.
Free. No pitch. Unsubscribe in one click.
