Most people will say things like, "Jess, you know everyone".

It is too not far from the truth, but that was not always the case.

I remember earlier on in my career thinking that if I just kept my heads down, produced good work, and let my results speak for itself, I would always be rewarded for my talents. I quickly came to learn that this is not how the world works.

After observing several people around me getting promotions, getting opportunities, being platformed by channels I thought I was more qualified for based on my professional experience and history of work, I had to ask myself:

Why am I being passed up for these opportunities?

I was being passed up for these opportunities because these folks were better than me at relationship building with decision makers who were the keepers to these opportunities.

You don't have to like it, but your network gets you everywhere.

It is not your hard work.
It is not your determination.
It is not about how talented you are.

It is simply about who you know and who knows you.

I hated the idea of networking. Something about it felt "icky" to me, very transactional in nature. When my early career mentors encouraged me to start building my network, I felt a sense of inauthenticity.

The two big questions I committed to going deeper on were: Why would I just be building relationships with people to get something out of them in the future? And why is there so much emphasis on this?

I started reading tons of articles and books and sought out advice on how to build a networking strategy that would help me proactively build relationships with people in a way that felt authentic to me and how I do business.

As my career has progressed, I have learned some critical strategies that have helped me build a robust network across different levels of seniority, industries and disciplines. I have actively and intentionally built my network over time and today I am sharing that playbook with you.

This Week's Episode Is Here:

As you watch today's episode of Behind The Work, I want to encourage you all to think about two things you can do to start implementing what I call a "Proactive Relationship-Building Mindset".

This mindset is about genuinely being connected with people because you want to, not because you need something from them. This mindset encourages you to pour into your relationships and treat people well.

I believe our hard work, dedication and talents should get us through doors. I don't believe the lack of social capital should be the reason why we don't accelerate our lives, careers or businesses…

but there is a way society works and you can either choose to swim in it or sink in it.

I choose to swim because I want to build a legacy. To do that well, I believe relationships are at the core of unlocking my promise and potential.