It Really is Who You Know

We’ve all heard the sayings…”It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” “Your network is your net worth,” “The fortune is in the follow up.”

I’m not gonna be your dad reminding you of this over and over again…but…

I would be a liar if I said it wasn’t wildly important.

When I look back on every bit of success I’ve had in my life, I can attest that most of it was a result of a prior relationship:

• Earning a scholarship at The University of Alabama - Winning SEC’s and becoming an All-American 👉️ My high school coach had known the Alabama staff for years and put me in touch

• Landing my first internship 👉️ A UA faculty member connected me to the owner of the business

• Earning a scholarship for grad school at VT - Winning ACC’s 2x and becoming a 2x All-American 👉️ I had met the VT coach previously and kept in touch

• Landing my first role in management consulting 👉️ I connected with VT alumni and set up a meeting to chat about how I could break into the industry…A job referral pushed me through at my target firm

• Making sales at my first post grad role 👉️ All sales came from a client referral or introduction from a mutual connection

• Finding business / life mentors 👉️ Being proactive in reaching out to my friends’ parents, my schools’ alumni, showing up to extracurricular events, etc. Also, many have connected with me from my social media presence and content creation. Yes, this takes time to build but damn has it been worth every relationship that has come of it

I recently put together a kit covering everything I’ve learned in building my personal brand so you can have a jumping off point when starting your own. There’s anecdotes, reasons to build your brand, best practices, habits to build, and even journal entry reflections at the end of each chapter…get it for free or you can name your price. Proceeds go towards my 2024 season! Now let’s get back to this lesson :)

What’s the hardest part about networking? Actually putting yourself out there and reaching out.

Yes, I know it feels weird to send a message and ask for a phone call, a coffee chat, a job referral, etc.

But real relationships are built through human connection. It cannot be replaced.

Real connections are built in person. They’re built in the office (not remote), they’re built at student events (not on XBOX), they’re built at conferences (not in forums), and they’re built in the real world (you get the point).

You can apply for 1,000’s and 1,000’s of jobs through LinkedIn or Indeed…or you can reach out to that one friend from college who is at the firm of your choice and can probably get you an interview in the next couple weeks.

You can cold email every college coach out there in your sport with your film…or you can have your own coach make a call and connect you.

You can cold call every prospective client for your business…or you could reach out to repeat customers who know what you bring to the table for new leads.

Chances are, nothing will happen without a real-life connection on the other end.

We’re social creatures and value connection more than we even realize.

You may feel like it’s unfair or it shouldn’t be that way…and maybe you’re right.

But the people who accept this and are actvely meeting new people and expanding their network will always win. No matter what.

They understand the game and are playing it to their full advantage. Life is a game and it has rules…if you understand this rule and play it as best as you can, you’ll always come out on top.

The best set of questions we can possibly ask ourselves in our 20’s is, “Who do I ultimately want to be? What do I want to create? What do I want my life to look like?”

Take a minute to really think about that. Journal it out, ask what’s important, and really work to understand why you want to be that person.

Now create a list of people who are basically that person you want to become. Now, before you reach out, ask yourself what you can offer this person.

Maybe it’s a fresh perspective on your generation and the key trends of the youth, maybe it’s specific skills you believe can help them or their business (work for free…successful people love this), maybe it’s deep knowledge in an area that could be beneficial to them, or maybe you can create a deep connection through your similarities (alumni, where you’re from, shared hobbies, etc.).

Now, don’t think too much and pull the trigger. Ask for the call. Ask for the meeting. Ask for the coffee. Because the worst they can do is say no…and that gets easier with reps :)

The more people you know, the easier your life will be. I promise. So put yourself out there and shake some hands. You’ll always walk away from a meeting energized and you’ll never regret it…Happy networking :)

…and don’t forget the follow up…

jake_spotswood

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@jake_spotswood

“Injured” is a strong word #trackandfield #polevault #athlete #athletics #lifelongathlete #skinnypower #fitness #fitnessjourney