I was sure the 'power of networking' was just corporate-speak, but a chance conversation at my kid's soccer game last Saturday changed my mind.

3 comments

3 Comments

Right?! It's wild how that works. My best tip is to just mention what you do casually when people ask how your weekend was. You'd be surprised how often someone says "Oh, I actually need help with that!

thomasgonzalez21d ago

My buddy was at a cookout last month, just talking about his weekend fixing a neighbor's fence. Another guest overheard and said his own deck was falling apart. That casual chat turned into a huge paid job for my friend... he wasn't even trying to find work. It proves your point about just letting it come up in normal talk.

olivercraig21d ago

It's true, the best connections happen when you're not trying to sell. Like, my neighbor mentioned she was stressed about her garden being overgrown while we were getting mail. I just said I liked doing that kind of work on weekends. Next thing I know, she's asking if I'd want to help out for some cash. It wasn't a pitch, just a normal chat that turned into a side job. Keeping it low-key takes all the pressure off.