QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Everyone you’ll ever meet knows something you don’t.”
-Bill Nye
IDEA OF THE DAY
As promised, today we’re diving into the topic of networking, something that can feel exciting to some and downright dreadful to others.
I’ll be honest: I didn’t always enjoy networking. It used to make me feel anxious, stressed, and like I was doing it all wrong. I remember when I worked in education and occasionally attended large conferences. I was told to “network as much as possible.” But what did that actually mean? Was I supposed to collect as many business cards as I could? Attend every lunch and dinner I was invited to? Accept all the LinkedIn invites flooding my inbox?
At the time, I thought that was networking.
But it didn’t feel meaningful, and it didn’t really work. Because true networking isn’t just about showing up and checking boxes. At its core, it’s about connecting with others: learning who they are, what they care about, and how you might offer something helpful, either now or in the future.
It wasn’t until I started my own business that I redefined what networking meant to me.
Now, networking isn’t about me, it’s about the person I’m talking to.
One of the biggest hang-ups we have with networking is the pressure to present ourselves a certain way. We worry about what to say and how we’ll come across. That mindset can cause us to freeze or stumble, and above all, it just doesn’t feel good.
So here’s a simple strategy for the next time a networking opportunity comes up:
Make it about the other person. Ask questions. Get genuinely curious. Discover what they know that you don’t (wink wink). You might not share much about yourself, but I promise—people will remember you.
QUESTION OF THE DAY
When have I felt genuinely connected to someone during a networking interaction? What made that moment different?