From My Inbox: The Network Effect of Getting Your Sh#t Together

Have you been following along?

Waaaayyyy back on May 20, I released the first post (Ambition, Interrupted) in a series exploring the elements of network design. Less “how to” work the room, and more “how to” think about the relationships you have (and those you may need) to move your ambitious goals forward. This post, dear readers, while hardly the last word in this conversation, is the final post in the series.

But before moving on, here’s the journey we’ve been on over the past 8 posts. If you’ve been reading along, then you've done the necessary individual work:

1.        Reclaimed your ambition from other people's definitions

2.        Examined why networking for women needs a radical upgrade

3.        Built your Why Filter to protect your focus

4.        Explored the dual power of networks (breadth + depth)

5.        Discovered how high achieving women prioritize building social capital

6.        Learned to ask precise questions to the right people

7.        Recognized the power of weak tie connections and casual interactions

8.        Understood that specificity is your networking superpower

This wasn't busy work. This was foundation-building.

Have you been doing the work to build a better networking foundation for yourself?

Here's What I've Observed

When women do this inner work and get strategically clear about their ambitions, something remarkable happens in their networks. Networking stops being extractive and becomes the ambition multiplier they’re seeking.

It’s not just connecting more intentionally for individual gain—it’s powerfully co-elevating for each other’s benefit.

The Unseen Power: Co-Invested Circles

The women who achieve the most aren't just well-networked. They're part of what I call "co-invested circles"—small groups of strategically aligned women who actively invest in each other's success.

Think about the research that started my journey into this work—female MBA students in one of the most competitive environments imaginable. Instead of treating networking-to-land-the-post-grad-school-job like a zero-sum game, these women chose to help each other navigate the landscape to land their best opportunities. They were all seeking the same outcome (great jobs after graduation), but they approached the challenge differently than their male peers and most of their equally-qualified female peers, too. The result? They achieved greater success, both individually and collectively.

This is more than networking to land a one-time job. This is a networking framework for sustained success.

Success Is Not a Solo Sport

Your individual clarity becomes collective power when you connect with other focused, gritty women. When you know what you want and they know what they want, you can strategically support each other's ambitions.

But here's the key: this only works when everyone has done their individual work first. Because as we all know, the only assured outcome from unfocused networking is frustration.

Step Back Before Stepping Forward

🗝️ Before you start building these co-invested circles, confirm:

·      Are your goals actually yours (not inherited ambitions)?

·      Are your networking choices aligned with where you're headed?

·      Do you know specifically what support your ambition needs?

Because when you're clear on what you’re seeking, you’ll seek out and attract other like-minded, ambitious women. And that's when the real acceleration happens.

Build Before Your Moment of Need

Co-elevation isn't about crisis networking. It's about building relationships during the growth phases, not just the desperation ones.

🚀 Ask yourself:

·      Who are you building your future with?

·      Do they multiply your visibility?

·      Do they match your ambition?

·      Do they expand your access?

Your Networking Moves This Week: Name Your Three

Identify three women you want to surround you as you look ahead to your next career chapter. This networking move is not about your current support system—it’s about your future one.

💡What is the social capital your future ambition needs?

💡What are you bringing to support others' future ambitions?

The transition from networking for individual outcomes to collective acceleration starts with this simple shift: Stop thinking only what a network can do for you. Start imagining what you and your network can build together.

📲 I'd love to hear about how this series has shifted the way you think about networking. What's one thing you're doing differently now? LMK by hitting reply. FYI I read every email and love hearing where you are taking your ambitions, and the circles you're co-investing in.