There is so much more to Networking than simply exchanging business cards at industry events. That’s just one tactic among endless possibilities. At its core, networking is about building genuine relationships that deepen and grow throughout your career, enabling you and those around you to achieve your professional goals together.
When I first started attending networking events as a young professional, I had no real idea of what I was doing. I’d watch senior colleagues who seemed effortless in working a room, transitioning from casual conversation to meaningful opportunities. Initially, my own attempts felt clumsy. Overly enthusiastic at best and outright awkward at worst. But I was determined to learn.
It wasn't until I started my own business that the true power of networking became clear. Running a business wasn’t just about selling. It was about learning and growing through conversations. Without realising it, my clients became my greatest teachers, advising me on business strategies, solving problems, and even recommending other professionals like accountants, lawyers and the like. These casual coffee meetings, which they considered simple catch-ups, became my informal advisory meetings.
This was the time when I began to understood that networking was something much deeper. It was about community, about sharing experiences, and mutual growth.
But even as I began to understand the value of networking, I still couldn’t find a single book or resource that explained it in a way that really made sense to me. Sure, I read a lot of great networking books, including some classics, that offered useful insights, clever tactics, and practical methodologies. But none of them laid it out in a clear, step-by-step way I could actually apply. So I decided to dig deeper. I started interviewing business professionals—some highly successful, others moderately so—and asked how they learned to network, what advice they would give their younger selves, and what mistakes they had made along the way. I read more books, listened to podcasts, and tried to pull it all together. Eventually, I started to see a pattern, and that’s when networking really started to click for me.
While doing that research, I realised I wasn’t the only one who felt unsure about how to network. Talking to people made it clear that most professionals recognised its value, but very few approached it with any real structure or purpose. Most were just like I had been—waiting until they needed something, or rushing to sell a product or service, then scrambling to connect with new prospects or reconnect with people they hadn’t spoken to in years. No wonder networking often feels awkward or even a bit transactional.
What changed things for me was understanding that networking is not just about building relationships. It’s about building the right relationships. Relationships that align with your values, goals, and ambitions. It's about being intentional.
“Most professionals recognised networking’s value, but very few approached it with any real structure or purpose.
As a result, I now treat networking more like a craft than a checklist. It’s thoughtful, deliberate, and centred on building relationships that genuinely matter. I stay curious about the people in my world, and I try to be just as intentional about who I reach out to as I am about how I show up for them. This mindset has changed everything—how I grow my business, how I learn, and how I open up opportunities that feel aligned with what I’m trying to do next.
It all became much easier once I developed a simple framework, shaped by everything I learned through research, experience, mentoring, and plenty of voracious reading. It gave me a clear way to think about networking and how to weave it into daily life. That structure is now the foundation for how I connect with people and grow meaningful relationships.
This isn’t about building a giant contact list. It’s about building a network of people who are genuinely in your corner, and you in theirs. It’s about identifying the gaps and finding ways to fill them. Most importantly, it’s about discovering how you can bring value to the people around you, because that’s also how you build value for yourself.
If this approach is new to you, or you’ve been trying to figure out how to network more intentionally, I’ve recorded this 25-minute networking masterclass that walks through these ideas in more detail and demonstrates the framework I use. It’s not about quick tips or one-size-fits-all hacks, but it will help you build a plan that actually works.
And if you’re ready to map your own network, I’ve also put together a simple spreadsheet to help you get started. It’s a great companion to the 25-minute masterclass and a practical way to see who’s already in your orbit, who you want to stay connected with, and where new connections might need to be made.
Download the Networking Map Spreadsheet
(Note: Downloading will subscribe you to the newsletter, where I share ideas like this every month.)
What I’ve learned over time is that the most powerful networking is quiet and consistent. It’s not about grand gestures or clever pitches. It’s about checking in, being generous with your time and knowledge, and staying curious.
That’s why turning up to events and handing out business cards is only ever going to take you so far.
Networking, when you approach it with real intention, becomes something far more valuable than a pile of contacts. It becomes a community. Your community!
If any of this has got you thinking about how you approach networking, and you’re curious to take it a little further, here are a few ways to explore it more deeply: