Summary: They always say "Network Up". But everybody isn't always ready or in position to do that.Some folks are about to be mad at me, but this won't be the first or last time. This is a timely conversation. We ALL have to start somewhere. In my early days, I had to jump out and learn how to network the old fashioned way. Going to events, mixers and meetings. I didn't have social media (this was 1994). So I had no choice but to learn how to network up at the time. Getting into rooms, faking it until I made it...the absolute WRONG way and a way to set yourself up for failure quickly.If I had to start fresh and new from today, I'd do it differently. Don't get me wrong. I made powerful connections, learned a lot, did some business. But it was like a bootcamp experience for me. I didn't know what I didn't know. Had social media and the real internet (as it exists today) been around then, I would have taken a different approach in the beginning. I don't know if the internet and social media actually hurt or help because there's a false sense of security in networking on the internet. It almost makes you lazy. You see a profile, click, send friend request. And most times people leave it right there. But how do they build RELATIONSHIPS offline? Does it even matter? Of course it does.There are levels to this thing. And how fast you progress up those levels is individual. Some will get there faster than others. It depends on your end goals.
