Subscribe to Love Mondays newsletter updates via email »
LM: #276: The work is the network
Having a good network is powerful. But you don’t build your network in the obvious way.
The obvious way would be “networking.” Go to events, hand out business cards, and scan QR codes.
I wasn’t born in a hip place, didn’t have ambitious parents, and was too feral in my youth to even consider attempting to go to a prestigious university. But I have a great network, though 99.9% of anyone who has helped me succeed, I met after the age of 26.
WANT TO WRITE A BOOK?
Download your FREE copy of How to Write a Book »
(for a limited time)
I’m not a very outgoing person, but I’ve read How to Win Friends, and have learned some basic networking skills. Those are worth knowing. But I’ve never found a better networking tactic than this:
Put your head down and make something other people will respect.
Write a book or write a blog. Build a company or a short campaign. Make something tangible others can look at and see that you care about something and have done something about it.
When you meet someone face-to-face, the old saying is correct, “Be interested, not interesting.” But before you meet anyone, don’t be interested. Be interesting. There is no better way to build a network than to do the work.
Instead of “networking,” put your work on the ‘net.
Aphorism: “It doesn’t take much to be a successful artist – all you need to do is dedicate your entire life to it.” —Banksy
Cool: This inflatable neck pillow (Amazon) design is the best I’ve found for sleeping in coach class.
Best,
David
P.S. I’ve collaborated with Sudowrite to make some AI-powered plugins that improve your writing with my favorite techniques.
