Finding friends at the 2024 Radiology Society of North America conference

By Gary A. Stone, ASA, Manager at Swartz and Associates

This is my first blog post! As an employee of Swartz + Associates, I have been asked to do many things. I cannot say blogging would be one of them when I first joined Don Swartz’s team in 2005. I am one of three people that volunteered for this task. I cannot speak for the others who are blogging this month, but it seems rather daunting to step out of my comfort zone and share my thoughts.

I consider myself an extroverted introvert. I do enjoy socializing, but I recharge when I’m alone. I am also a private person. In spite of that, I also have a desire to be “known”. I think we all have this dichotomy within our personalities with varying degrees. One way we become “known” is by networking. Networking is a business buzzword that that I think is ultimately all about making friends.

Networking at the RSNA Conference

This month, I had the opportunity to make two new friends, Alan Moretti of Radiology Oncology Systems and Ian Schnurbusch of Mindray Imaging. I met both gentlemen in person at the RSNA (Radiology Society of North America) 2024 conference in Chicago.

Alan Moretti

I included “in person” because it was Alan that invited me to the conference. The invitation came when he and I were speaking on the telephone in November. The conversation came about because I was conducting research for an equipment appraisal for a local radiology group. Alan has decades of experience in the medical industry. Some of his roles include working for a major medical system in Chicago, a business owner, a consultant and many others throughout his career. His invitation was unexpected and I was so grateful to receive it.

Ian Schnurbusch

While I was walking the floor at the convention, I also met a young man, Ian Schnurbusch. Why this chance meeting stood out to me is  that we had so much in common. These include attending Southeast Missouri State University and being members of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. However, the thing that was uncanny is his family is from the same area of Missouri as my family. My maternal grandfather’s sister married into the Schnurbusch family. I’m not saying we are long lost relatives… But it was fun to have so much in common with someone I met at a conference in Chicago with thousands of people attending from all over the world. What are the odds?

It’s all about making friends.

I think when it comes to networking, many of us make it more complicated than necessary. It’s true that some folks do it with an agenda. I think we all do  that to a degree. When done with humility and sincerity, it’s simply about making friends. I don’t know if I will be able to help them in the future. I just know that I’m a little bit richer for meeting them. And I think that is a great way to approach business networking opportunities.