Aren't people just amazing!
Blog post description.
BEHIND THE BUILD
8/6/20261 min read
One of the nicest surprises over the last few weeks has been reconnecting with people I haven’t spoken to in years.
Not in a “networking” sense. More in the sense of having proper conversations again.
I love the humans you get at depth, but I’ve always found surface-level networking quite exhausting. Watching them watching me watching them watching me… and trying to make sure I’m saying the right things at the right time. Or finding a small corner where I could close my eyes and hope it would all end soon.
For some people, the role, the job title and the expected conversation are a comfort zone, a source of strength. For me, they often left me wanting to run outside and hug a tree. Or stare into the eyes of a dog. Anyone’s dog. Or cat… or goldfish… or any creature who wouldn’t judge me for my foibles. Just something that reminded me who I actually was underneath all the performance.
But I had a conversation yesterday morning with someone I used to work with many years ago, and I came away with pages of notes, a head full of ideas, and a genuine reminder of how generous and thoughtful people can be with their time and experience.
What struck me most wasn’t the (honestly brilliant and hugely appreciated) business advice, or even the future possibilities for my new venture we wandered into (which ideas he made look effortless!).
It was the reminder that people are actually and quite frankly amazing. Kind, thoughtful, funny, intelligent, slightly wacky humans carrying around entire worlds you know nothing about until you stop trying to “network” with them and actually start talking.
Maybe effective networking isn’t really about performing confidence. Maybe it’s about becoming comfortable enough to be yourself in the conversation.
Have I had it wrong all these years?
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