An Introduction

Before we get into this, we need to be on the same page.

If you're here thank you and welcome! You are here because you want to take the red pill. You are 0% interested in waltzing into a room of strangers and trying to make friends, and I have good news! You don't need to.

There are more effective, more fun, and more flexible methods to building a professional network. There are a lot of benefits to these alternative approaches, but I need to cover three things before we dive in.

There are no shortcuts

There are no hacks, no “get rich quick” schemes to building a valuable network. It is hard word and effort, but with these alternatives the work is enjoyable and flexible based on your own preferences.

Increase your surface area for luck

I have heard this phrase used often and I really love the concept. A related concept is that you need to be in the water ready to paddle to catch a wave.

Luck is an unquantifiable attribute that hits at various times throughout your life. You can probably think back in your life by this point and can vividly remember the feeling when an opportunity just fell in your lap, but you didn't have what you needed to capitalize on it.

That is what you are going to be actively working to do. The approaches we are going to cover are going to expand your ability to capitalize on moments of luck and opportunity in your professional life.

You're building long term assets

You will begin to understand this more as we dive into the content, but if you start to feel discouraged by the result of your networking efforts remember this. No matter the outcome for your network you will come away from the effort with new skills, stories, resources, and much much more.

Soooo, strap in, focus up, and let's do this.