If you have been following my Snap Stories –for those who don’t know: a Snap Story is a series of ‘x’ second videos stored chronologically in the My Story timeline within the Snap Chat application — you would have encountered the bad and boujee version of the JessTheProfesh (what had happened was… I was on vacation and channeling my inner Beyoncé thus resulting in me feeling myself–Don’t hate the player; hate the game!). My recent lapse of humility is caused by my realization of how “lit” my life is (for those of you not fluent in this verbiage: Urban dictionary defines LIT as “having qualities pertaining to dopeness or greatness – usually about an object, thing, or event” loosely translated as awesome and/or amazing). This realization is accompanied by extreme gratefulness for my ambition, work ethic, and for the sake of this blog post, my network. I am a hard worker, but I am no fool; I will be the first to admit that many of my opportunities stem from the relationships I have developed over the years.

Recently, I have been helping my friends pursue their career goals. In addition to supporting them I have been leveraging my network to further develop my own, which led me to wonder: is our generation still out here mixing and mingling?

First and foremost, what is networking? The homie Merriam-Webster defines network as “a usually informally interconnected group or association of persons (as friends or professional colleagues).” In my two plus decades, (don’t worry about my age) I have made it a point to foster great relationships with the purpose of building a credible network. This network has been instrumental in my personal and professional development. (If you are reading this and you are realizing you are in my network, know that I appreciate you and I value you as the amazing people that you are, however do not act brand new if I call you one day out the blue asking to borrow some of your awesome or maybe even a cup of sugar – I’m just saying I like to bake… a lot).

Understand that the benefits to building an incredible network extend far beyond baked goods (you all must try my red velvet cheesecake) and epic Snap Stories. Some of those benefits include:

1. Referral/Lead Generation
2. Enhanced Support System
3. Promotes Knowledge Transfer
4. Exposure
5. Introduction to New Opportunities

Rest assured that there are plenty more where those come from. The above list is just a few of the key benefits that come to mind.

As a closeted introvert (meaning people assume I am an extrovert because I appear super social, but in reality, I prefer to be alone at home in a PINK footie pajama onesie with a glass of wine.), I can empathize with people’s discomfort of talking to strangers, so I fully recognize the awkwardness associated with attending networking events. How ever daunting the task may seem, the problem is not the event itself but how people tackle the concept of networking as a single entity versus approaching it holistically. Think about it like this: everything is a part of some sort of network i.e. an ecosystem, organs and cells in a body, or even the solar system (if you don’t believe me, check out the  The Magic School Bus “Inside Ralphie” episode — FYI, Ms. Frizzle was legit amongst the most incredible educators out there, and she is still teaching to this day. Shout out to all the teachers who still rolling in the TV cart). The aforementioned all have a objects that function independently but also promote a common goal of the collective. Humans work the same way, meaning we can exist alone but we can accomplish a great deal together. (Cue Michael Jackson’s 1985 hit charity single We are the World.)

The beauty of all of this is that you do not even have to start at square 1; that is, unless you are an anti-social homebody who likes to rock a Victoria Secret’s PINK onesie while sipping a Cabernet Sauvignon. If you find that you do have multiple onesies, take a breath and relax, for there is hope for you yet. Here are a few simple steps that can get you headed in the right direction.

1. Examine your circle: You already have a group of friends or people you socialize with. Identify what they do both personally and professionally and note how they align with your interests.
2. Focus on meaningful interactions: It is tempting to go to happy hour with everybody, however time is precious. Before scheduling a meetup, be sure that there is a goal in mind.
3. Leverage your resources: Considering that we are drowning in social networks, try to leverage websites like www.linkedin.com, www.facebook.com, and discussion forums relevant to your interests to engage with others.
4. Join professional associations: These groups do you a great service of removing the guess work as they already have individuals that share your interest.
5. Attend a Conference: These events attract huge amount of individuals who are not only willing to travel to learn more your shared mutual interest, but they are willing to PAY for it. You are sure to come across at least one person who you can connect with.

Networking is a powerful tool that can literally cost you nothing short of time and your willingness to showcase your winning personality. As someone who specializes in epic Snap Stories (that’s my opinion, but on this blog it is basically fact) there is nothing worse than realizing you missed out on life because you failed to hold the elevator door open for someone. Life is too short to go it alone.
#NetworkToNetworth