NETWORKING
             ...IT'S PERSONAL

It took me a while to realise that networking and connecting is in my DNA – we never realise that we are different from other people, we only know ourselves and it takes time to understand that what we think may feel natural, but doesn't for others.

 

I’ve spent much of the last 25 years either running my own business consultancy, or being a senior leader with an agency. The key things for me during that time were to make connections with people and build trust – my version of networking has enabled this, mostly… though I also bear the scars of when things went wrong.

 

People regularly say to me that I know so many people. I don’t know more people than anyone else, the thing I’m better at than most people is nurturing my existing network – building relationships, staying in touch, trying to be relevant in people’s business lives. Most people I know don’t see or believe the value this brings. Value starts with personal relationships, enjoying people’s company, learning. It can in the right circumstances lead to new clients, new contracts, new jobs, promotions… But it is all predicated on building trusted, valued relationships.

 

I co-founded a business consultancy in 2001. We sold it to Iris a global marketing services agency in 2008. In 2021 I jumped ship and now do advisory work for interesting scale up tech companies.