Matt Greene

If you’re connected to Matt Greene, you know all about 6 Degrees. If not, you are missing out on a fast growing networking group where the goal is building business and the common denominator is a former sports promoter turned financial counselor with French giant AXA Advisors.

A veteran of the local event circuit, Greene found it lacking in creating a network of people who could do meaningful business with each other. So he teamed with Krista Lombardi of Century 21 and last summer launched 6 Degrees. (The term means that everyone is linked by six or fewer people. Google “6 degrees of Kevin Bacon” for a fun explanation.) In four meetings, attendance grew to 150 with all having one thing in common: a personal connection to Matt Greene, either directly or through a friend or associate Greene trusts.

“When I sent out the first invitation, it basically said we want like-minded individuals,” says Greene. “People who show up are invited. We try and keep it as industry specific as possible. We don’t want 25 loan officers running around, we don’t want 15 financial professionals running around. We have a few recruiting firms, architects, CPAs, commercial real estate developers, attorneys of every type, professional poker players, to people from the attorney general’s office from the public policy arena in San Diego.

“It is professional by nature and we want to keep it business oriented,” Greene says. “But you want to work with people you like, people you respect and people you trust. Here, everyone has that outlet to grow their business. I have received between 50 and 60 e-mails this month (November) that are testimonials from people who have closed deals.”

In 2008 the group launches a Web site — sd6degrees.com — and the 6 Degrees Brain Trust Committee will debut, a dozen professionals who will serve as a resource to members, ponder a North County chapter and venture into tying the events into supporting nonprofits.

The next two meetings are Downtown, in December at Red Circle Cafe and January at Jade Theater. For the exact dates, well, you have to get in Greene’s circle.