A Lesson I Learned in ‘Networking’

I’ll give you a hint — it doesn’t involve persuasion

The meaning and practicality of ‘networking’

Networking is one of the many buzzwords on the internet today in online entrepreneurship.

Defined on Google, the meaning is as follows:

“the action or process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts.”

I see it everywhere on the internet.

“You have to network!” “In order to start your freelancing career it is of utmost importance to network!” “Networking is the best way to build business opportunities!”

Of equal importance is the association between networking and the result of doing so. It adds to our professional lives — we end up with another connection, job offer, or a little pearl of wisdom that can assist us in obtaining the latter.

But, I have some beef with the definition laid out on Google.

Interacting with others solely on the basis of fostering professional gain in return isn’t the only way to reach a goal or opportunity.

Let me explain through personal examples.

Experience and application with ‘networking’

I am currently in the works of planning a brick & mortar business with a nurse practitioner and a doctor whom I’m friends with (I am an ER nurse). The general idea surrounding the business is that it will be a luxury medical spa that helps healthy people stay healthy or even improve their baseline.

Another avenue I’m working on includes breaching entry into Freelance Writing. I had joined a Facebook group that included young professionals in Missouri as I’m involved in contract work in St. Louis. I then joined a hiking group within that group and participated in a hike.

After a genuine conversation in which we were getting to know one another, I was offered contact information for an internet entrepreneur who wants to take me on as a ghostwriter.

The Message

Prior to planning this business or building a connection with a fellow Freelance Writer, I was sending cold pitches left and right. I was also trying to form brick and mortar businesses with any health care personnel I knew, or they knew of.

I did garner some success with some companies that were flattered at the request to assist them in building their blogs as well as introducing new ideas to their websites.

But for the most part, my well-thought-out and individualized pitches were met with … well … crickets.

Would you like to know the one thing that the nurse practitioner, the doctor, and the gentleman I met during a hike all have in common?

I didn’t see them as a business opportunity.

I didn’t give a shit if they wanted to start a business with me or offered me information to kick off my writing hustle.

They were just cool — I valued their friendship, and we expected nothing in return from one another.

Once we got to know each other, they decided they wanted to help me and I, in turn, wanted to help them too. This all happened very passively as a result of genuine human exchanges.

The moral of the story is not that seeking out business opportunities is bad. Proactively building a network of purely professional relationships is necessary.

It’s that as a result of expanding your horizons, talking to many people, and building friendships with no intention of capitalizing on them — Sometimes, you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for while not looking at all.

Thanks for reading,