1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,480 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:16,920 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:22,760 Speaker 1: tip is to treat your network like a garden. If 4 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:26,639 Speaker 1: you've got blooming plants in your yard, you know that 5 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 1: you generally can't just plant a garden and forget it 6 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:33,960 Speaker 1: and trust the garden will be amazing anytime you visit. 7 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:40,960 Speaker 1: Tending a garden is an ongoing project, but if you 8 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: do tend regularly, you can create something that is pretty amazing. 9 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:50,839 Speaker 1: So I have been thinking of this topic lately as 10 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 1: my yard has been blooming. I love watching all of 11 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: the flowering trees bloom and sequence through spring, everything from 12 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:05,480 Speaker 1: hell to roses show their colors. I also know that 13 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 1: all of this beauty is nothing close to an accident. 14 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:12,360 Speaker 1: We have spent a lot of time and effort planting 15 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 1: things and pruning and waiting and hacking back vines and 16 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 1: helping a long anything that doesn't seem to get enough 17 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 1: rain or that might get nibbled on by deer. There 18 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 1: is a close analogy here to having a thriving professional network. 19 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: It is easy, in the busy seasons of life to 20 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 1: just ignore all this. Who has time to go to 21 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 1: that conference, or to reach out to former colleagues, or 22 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: to send that extra email checking in with someone, or 23 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:51,320 Speaker 1: to do a favor for someone that requires a few 24 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: uncertain steps. While it is great to have a network, 25 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 1: at least in theory, you may be telling yourself that 26 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: you will do all this when this busy season of 27 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:07,840 Speaker 1: life passes. But it turns out that years can pass 28 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:13,240 Speaker 1: without the busyness letting up, and then all of a 29 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 1: sudden something happens. You need to fill a vital position 30 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:21,800 Speaker 1: on your team, or maybe you yourself are suddenly looking 31 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: for a new job. You are scrambling to reach out 32 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 1: to people who haven't heard from you in ages. It's 33 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 1: better to be intentional about all of this watering and pruning. 34 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 1: I think the best approach is to truly make it 35 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:46,360 Speaker 1: a habit. Every single workday, do something to tend to 36 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:49,800 Speaker 1: your network. Put it on your daily to do list, 37 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: and cross it off at the end of the week. 38 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: Look at what you've done. You can plan things in 39 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:01,839 Speaker 1: and you can make a note of whatever comes up 40 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 1: that you do. This doesn't have to be complicated, but 41 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: don't let yourself off the hook too easy. Either. Liking 42 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 1: something on social media isn't really building a network, but 43 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 1: a well placed comment or direct message to someone about 44 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:26,239 Speaker 1: something they posted just might be. If you will be 45 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:30,560 Speaker 1: attending an industry event in the near future, reach out 46 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:33,919 Speaker 1: to people to see if they will be attending as well. 47 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 1: If they do, plan to say hello in person. Do 48 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 1: favors whenever you can. If someone asks for your advice 49 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:50,480 Speaker 1: on something, give it and offer to find other resources 50 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:54,119 Speaker 1: as you think of them. Introduce people to each other. 51 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 1: That is often a great way to make lots of 52 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:02,440 Speaker 1: people happier. Help a colleague figure out the right person 53 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:06,360 Speaker 1: to talk with about something. Send an article to some 54 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:09,640 Speaker 1: one if you see a mutual friend mentioned, or if 55 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 1: you read something you think the person might find of interest. 56 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 1: You might also try something more elaborate. One of the 57 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:21,719 Speaker 1: wonderful things about being in the content business is that 58 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:24,760 Speaker 1: I have been able to interview all sorts of wonderful 59 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 1: people for articles and books and podcasts over the years. 60 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:34,800 Speaker 1: Many times we stay in touch. Maybe you could write 61 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 1: an interview series for your company blog or for an 62 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:41,520 Speaker 1: industry newsletter. Maybe you would like to start a podcast. 63 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:45,320 Speaker 1: Maybe you could organize a panel for a conference, or 64 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:49,200 Speaker 1: even for a company brown bag lunch. Series, and then 65 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 1: you would have a reason to reach out to people 66 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:55,599 Speaker 1: you would like to get to know better. The good 67 00:04:55,640 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 1: news is that all of this adds up. One action 68 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 1: per workday is over two hundred per year. If you 69 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:08,119 Speaker 1: plant two hundred plants, you're going to have a pretty 70 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:11,719 Speaker 1: nice garden. And if they are perennials and you keep 71 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 1: planting two hundred plants a year, all this bounty will 72 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 1: soon be almost overwhelming. Well, probably not really overwhelming, because 73 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 1: obviously not all of your network tending will lead to anything, 74 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:28,840 Speaker 1: but it is rarely a bad thing to talk to 75 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:32,120 Speaker 1: other people and to have other people know your name. 76 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 1: Not all the plants in a garden workout, Deer eat some, 77 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:43,280 Speaker 1: and others just don't thrive. But very few gardens just happen. 78 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 1: They require ongoing effort to enjoy the beauty, so what 79 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:54,800 Speaker 1: it is all worth it in the end. It's the 80 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:59,160 Speaker 1: same thing with tending your network. There is no set 81 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:03,640 Speaker 1: it and forget it, but the process can be pretty 82 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:11,039 Speaker 1: enriching too. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, 83 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:22,279 Speaker 1: and here's to making the most of our times. Thanks 84 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:26,440 Speaker 1: for listening to before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas 85 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 1: or feedback. You can reach me at Laura at Laura 86 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:39,360 Speaker 1: vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. 87 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:44,040 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, 88 00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:47,560 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.