Most people treat networking like an emergency kit.
They reach for it when they need a job, a client, a next step. And by then, as our cofounder Leslie Greenwood puts it plainly, it's too late.
Because real connection doesn't happen under pressure. When you need something, you can't afford to just have a conversation without expecting a result. You can't be curious. You can't be generous. You're internally scanning the room for what you need, not who's in it.
The women Leslie knows who've been suddenly laid off from big companies often find the same thing: they networked hard internally. They knew everyone. And when the moment came, that network largely didn't transfer. It stayed inside the walls.
What does transfer? The relationships built outside pressure. The coffee chat that went nowhere in particular. The DM you sent to someone interesting just because they were interesting. The connection you made through a shared spreadsheet about women CEOs.
(That last one turned into Wednesday Women. But that's another story.)
The reframe Leslie offers isn't "networking" at all: it's community. And community isn't something you build when you need it. It's something you show up to consistently, without keeping score, without a clear agenda.
The relationships you build and the connections you make in good times are what exist to support you when times get more challenging.
So whether you're in a great role, a hard one, or somewhere in between: now is the right time to make one connection that has no transaction attached to it.
Just see where it leads.
—
This email was inspired by a recent conversation with Leslie Greenwood on The Ripple podcast.
Recently, Leslie hosted a members-only session specifically about “How to Community Well” - with tips and tricks and her MAKE WAVES framework. Want to be a part of members-only sessions like that? Apply for Exec Membership today.
Did you see our big news? Wednesdsay Women was named ‘Community of the Year’ by Demand & Expand – a premier B2B conference.
p.s. Every issue of this newsletter is written by hand, by one of our amazing Wednesday Women team. We encourage you to forward it to a friend or colleague who might appreciate the inspiration!
