Networking Pro-Tip: Network Your Way to Create the Network You Need

"...networking honestly is the start and end of everything – it’s where everything happens and where everything comes from." - Mary McKenna

Problem: You're competing for business in crowded networking spaces, where everyone follows the same relationship-building formula. The cycle is draining — and not producing the outcomes you’d hoped for, despite all the time you’re devoting to it.

Solution: Step out of the indistinguishable and into the remarkable by creating intimate, passionate communities around your specific interests and expertise. Build your own niche network by leveraging what genuinely energizes you, like Manisha Thakor did with her book-focused gatherings.

“The best networks aren’t found. They’re built.”

Manisha Thakor — a financial advisor and advocate for women's financial literacy — floundered in traditional finance networking settings, as these settings didn’t play to her strengths. What worked? Finding outlets for her thought-leaderships, including writing a newsletter. What also worked? Curating intimate events, such as the book discussions she hosted in her home. Her love of reading became the foundation for meaningful business relationships. She curated thoughtful conversation and connection — which became community, which then became clients. She chose not to network in the traditional way her industry dictated. Instead, she built a business network that aligned with who she is.

📌 Three Tips on how to build your own:

💡 Start with what energizes you, not what you think you "should" do. Manisha shifted her client development concentration away from networking at generic gatherings of finance types to intimate book discussions in her home. Her love of reading became the foundation for meaningful business relationships.

💡 Design gatherings around your strengths. Are you a great host? Thoughtful convener? Play to that! Manisha excelled at curating thoughtful conversations and bringing interesting people together. She didn't excel as a traditional "networker" – so she became a host who created value through her unique facilitation abilities.

💡 Let passion create business momentum. When you network around genuine interests, word-of-mouth happens organically. When your energy is real, referrals follow naturally. Manisha's clients came through referrals from people who experienced her thoughtful approach firsthand.

🚀 Your Networking Move This Week:

Identify one topic or activity that genuinely excites you and could interest others in your field. Plan one small gathering — virtual or in-person — around that shared interest. It doesn’t have to scale. It just has to start.
📖 BYDN Reference: p. 75

And that quote from entrepreneur and investor Mary McKenna at the top of this post? Read the full interview with her on Image.ie