Expanding Your Network
Dry heat from the Starbucks air conditioning has never been so irritating before. Jim leaves a perfect imprint of his sweaty hand on the laminated darkwood table. He’s waiting to meet with someone that has a large network and wants to help Jim out with some potential referrals; let’s call him Bruce.
Jim sat nervously at the lone table, staring out the window as he waited for Bruce to arrive. He had heard so much about this man, the successful entrepreneur who was going to give him the advice and connections he needed to take his own business to the next level. Jim had always been timid, always afraid to put himself out there and take risks. But he knew he had to do it if he wanted to succeed.
As he waited, Jim ran through all the things he wanted to ask Bruce. How did he get started? What mistakes did he make along the way? How did he build such a successful network? Jim knew he needed to soak up every bit of information he could from this man.
Finally, he walks through the door. Jim’s heart raced as he stood up to greet him. Bruce was tall and well-dressed, with a broad smile and a booming voice that filled the room. He greets the multiple baristas behind the counter, he’s an obvious regular, he must meet clients and others all the time here.
“Jim! Great to finally meet you!” Bruce said as he shook Jim’s hand. “I’ve heard so much about you and what you do. How about we sit down?” Jim wonders how he hasn’t seen him around networking.
And so they did.
Bruce spent the next two hours sharing stories, advice, and connections with Jim. He told him about the mistakes he had made along the way and the hard lessons he had learned. He talked about what he did early in his career to expand this network (and what he still does.). Some of those things included:
Being a giver. Being someone who is always looking to help others and not expect anything in return
Putting in the time. Growing your network takes time, creativity and perseverance
Being intentional. You have to want to grow your network and put yourself in situations where you can build it
Give yourself some goals. Set some personal goals for yourself on how many events or connections you’d like to complete each month
As the morning wore on, Jim felt his confidence growing. He began to see that maybe he could do this – maybe he could use this advice to become a successful entrepreneur too. Bruce’s words of encouragement and support meant the world to him.
But as the morning came to a close and their meeting drew to an end, Bruce had one more message for Jim.
“Listen, Jim,” he said. “I’ve been where you are. I know how scary it can be to put yourself out there, to take risks and try new things. But I want you to remember this: the biggest risk you can take is not taking any risks at all.”
Jim furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”
Bruce chuckled. “I mean, you’ll never know what you’re capable of if you don’t try. You might fail – in fact, you probably will at some point. But that’s how you learn. That’s how you grow. And if you never take that first step, you’ll never know what you might have been able to achieve.”
Jim thought about that for a moment. It was true, he realized. He had spent so much time being afraid of failure that he had never even given himself the chance to succeed. “I’ll remember that,” he said quietly.
Bruce smiled. “Good. And don’t forget – I’m here for you. If you ever need advice or support, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re all in this together.”
Jim nodded, feeling a sense of gratitude and relief wash over him. He wasn’t alone anymore. He had someone in his corner, someone who believed in him and wanted to see him succeed.
As Bruce left, Jim sat back down at the table and stared out the window once again. But this time, he felt different. He felt a sense of excitement and possibility that he had never felt before.
He thought back to all the advice Bruce had given him, all the stories he had shared. And he knew that, with Bruce’s help and guidance, he could accomplish anything he set his mind to. Jim picked up a pen and began to jot down notes, ideas, and plans. He knew there would be challenges ahead, but he was ready to face them head-on. And as he worked, he couldn’t help but smile, thinking about Bruce’s words echoing in his mind.
- by Gavin Dinkel
Partner with Dinkel Business Development, LLC Today
If you want to learn more about good content strategy and the benefits of metric-driven business development, we’re here to help. Please call us at 443.226.0163 or reach us via email at john@dinkelbd.com to get started.
