Networking Matters
Hello and welcome back to Be Whatever.
You truly can be whatever you want to be. Someone once told me, “It’s not what you know, but who you know.” I agree to a point. You certainly have to be smart. But, today, businesses grow and careers are built on business networks and relationships. So, to some degree, getting out there and talking to people, and building true networks of people you trust are vital.
I recently spoke on a panel titled, “The Power of Your Network.” We discussed all kinds of matters related to networking (may be used in future blog posts), but one of the best discussion points was describing how networking has changed our lives.
For me, it started at a young age. I truly believe it started at the age of five when I began dancing, and then as I got a bit older, tennis, piano, cheerleading, student council, college groups, among other activities. There are all kinds of networking and ways to get involved in our lives – both personally and professionally. And each one of those experiences leads us to where (and to some degree who) we are today.
I didn’t think of those activities or hobbies as networking, but some of those friendships and relationships have impacted my career and life. As I started my career, I networked within my immediate family, and was connected to my first internship at a marketing agency. At that agency, I learned the true value of networking. Getting involved with the community, volunteering my time, participating on boards and mentoring others – that is invaluable. Networking led to the successful exit of my first company, Slice Communications, and now Be Group.
So the moral of the blog is get involved, give more than you get, be prepared to tell people how they can help you, and just be yourself.