Unlocking Your Social Capital

I'm really tired watching brilliant, driven women hit walls they shouldn't be hitting — and asking the wrong questions about why the outcome they were seeking didn't happen. The answer, almost every time, comes back to networking or more precisely, network strategy.

And this is why I wrote The Social Billionaire: A Networking Roadmap for Women Seeking to Flourish and Achieve More.

I want you to achieve the outcomes you're seeking.

In a series of Q&As, I'm pulling directly from the research, the frameworks, and the hard-won insights inside The Social Billionaire to answer reader questions — and dishing out the kind of honest, practical answers you'd get if we were sitting across from each other.

This is the third post in the series.

Q: What steps help identify hidden social capital in my network?

A: We all have hidden relationship gems in our networks - and spending time searching for it is time well spent.

First off, identifying the hidden wealth of social capital already existing in your network, requires a shift in your networking mindset: from viewing networking as an exercise of endlessly seeking connections with new people. to one that values the relationships you’ve already cultivated. And shift your mindset on where you construct powerful networking contacts: these can equally arise at a community service project as over a 5-course business lunch.

High-achieving women recognize that their success is fueled (in part) by valuing connections others typically overlook.

Here are three steps to take now to begin uncovering that hidden capital, pulled directly from Chapter 2 of The Social Billionaire:

• Suspend Judgment and Regret: Begin by objectively looking at who is in your network right now, rather than beating yourself up over who "should" be there or past networking omissions.
• Conduct a Comprehensive Network Audit: Categorize your connections into several layers to see the full picture, then focus on:
  • The "Go-To's": Identify those you share a true bond with and turn to for advice or gut checks. Then think about the questions you could be asking them? Are there more ways they may be willing to help you?
  • Close Yet Not Quite BFFs: List recurring professional relationships, such as clients, co-workers, classmates, or co-volunteers, who offer a meaningful but lighter level of support. Which of these relationships could be deepened?
  • The "Wider Net": Identify familiar faces from annual industry gatherings, quarterly meetings, or even those you engage with intermittently on platforms like LinkedIn. Where could you engage more? How could you enhance these connections beyond the intermittent interactions?
• Excavate Your Past: Review your resume and past experiences to reconnect with "Past Networks" from former jobs, schools, or volunteer roles. These are often forgotten "gold mines" of social capital that can be reactivated with a simple update.

By taking these steps, you transform your mindset from one of "networking lack" to one of abundance, realizing that the answers to your current challenges are likely already buried in the networks you have.

📘 The Social Billionaire: A Networking Roadmap for Women Seeking to Flourish and Achieve More is available in paperback (workbook) format on Amazon + Barnes & Noble and in ebook on Kindle, Bookshop.org, Smashwords, Vivlio, Thalia, Apple Books, Fable and Rakuten kobo.

📚For bulk orders, order here, on IngramSpark.

💡 Book reviews help other readers find the books they should be reading, and I'd love ambitious women to get the networking strategy they need. Review The Social Billionaire on Amazon and/or goodreads.

🗝️ If you’re planning events designed to boost women’s professional connections, let’s talk, as I’d love insights from The Social Billionaire to be part of these conversation.

Need more?

💡 When the path isn't clear, build a compass. Career GPS: How to Navigate Without a Map

💡 How to craft outreach that gets noticed, not ignored. Let's Talk About The 'Hey, My Long Lost Friend' Networkers

💡 Networking Reminder: OPERATION! Improve Your Connections