Why I’ll Talk About Networking Forever (Even If No One Pays Me)
A pastor, a career pivot, and the reason I’ll never stop teaching connection.
Welcome to issue #168 of The Introverted Networker.
I love hearing success stories from people who’ve used my advice.
Not because it feeds my ego, but because it reminds me that what I’m teaching works.
The truth is, most people don’t tell me when it works.
They go off, try something, and I never hear from them again.
And that’s fine.
I get it.
Life’s busy.
But every so often, someone circles back to tell me what happened.
And those are the most rewarding conversations I ever have.
This issue takes about 4 minutes to read…
Why I Do This (Even If No One Pays Me)
Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash
If you told me I could only talk about one topic for the rest of my life, it would be this one:
How to build real connections that change your career and your life.
I could talk about networking for free forever.
And honestly, I probably will.
Because this isn’t just about finding jobs or getting promoted.
It’s about creating relationships and communities that make life richer, longer, and more meaningful.
Networking, the way I teach it, isn’t transactional.
It’s transformational.
You help other people.
They help you.
And everyone ends up better for it.
The Pastor Who Needed A New Career
Recently, a pastor reached out to me.
He is nearing retirement but isn’t ready to stop working.
He wanted to pivot to do something he called being a death doula.
If you’ve heard of a birth doula, it’s similar, but at the other end of life.
A death doula helps people and their families navigate the emotional side of dying.
He asked me how to build connections around this idea.
How to find the right people, the right opportunities.
So we walked through The Connection Loop.
Start with who you know.
Reconnect online.
Have real, voice-to-voice conversations.
Listen. Give.
Be easy to help.
He did it all.
He reached out to people in his network: funeral directors, pastors, estate planners.
He set a goal to have one conversation a week.
He kept the habit going.
And then one day he told me,
“I already know what I’m doing after I retire.
I’ve got the job.
I did exactly what you told me to do, and it worked.”
He’ll now be training other pastors across North America on how to guide people through the end of life with empathy and skill.
One of the people he re-connected with got on the phone with him.
He talked about what he had been doing in his career.
He talked about what he wanted to do next.
That led to an in-person meeting.
That led to an offer for a career post-retirement.
And all of it started with a few simple, intentional conversations.
The Reward That Matters Most
That story hit me hard.
Because it reminded me why I do this.
I spend a lot of time creating videos on my YouTube channel, writing newsletters, posting on LinkedIn.
I have an online course, “5 Steps To Grow Your Professional Network,” that will teach you the process I use everyday to grow my professional network.
I’ve created Your Personalized 5-Step Networking Plan. It’s a comprehensive toolkit that combines years of content from my book, this newsletter, my course, and all my LinkedIn posts with user-friendly resources.
There are so many ways I can help people who want to be better networkers.
And, sometimes feeling like I’m shouting into the void.
But when I hear stories like his, it’s the best kind of payment I could ever receive.
It tells me this isn’t a waste of time.
That what I’m sharing makes a difference.
That connection, real human connection, still matters.
Your Turn
If my advice has ever helped you, whether it landed you a new job, reconnected you with an old contact, or just made networking feel less awkward, I want to hear about it.
Send me a note.
Leave a comment.
Share your story.
Because every time I hear how this approach has worked for someone, it reminds me why I’ll keep talking about networking forever.
And if you’re ready to take your own next step, whether through one-on-one coaching or a small group experience, let me know.
I’m building new cohorts now for people who want accountability, structure, and support as they put this into action.
But even if you never pay me, I’ll still be here.
Writing. Talking. Sharing.
Because I believe in this work, and in you.
Best Things I Found Online This Week:
Carly Valancy is reaching out to one person every day for the next 100 days. Follow her journey. Do you think you could do it?