We asked industry experts to share one strategy they’ve found effective for building strong networks of contacts as an entrepreneur — and the specific benefits it brought to their business. From sharing valuable content to fostering authentic relationships, learn how to expand and strengthen your professional connections.
- Share Valuable Content to Grow Your Network
- Consistently Engage on LinkedIn for Results
- Show Up Regularly to Build Connections
- Give Value First to Foster Relationships
- Collaborate on Small Projects for Big Gains
- Offer Expertise to Earn Trust
- Volunteer Tech Skills for Community Causes
- Provide Consistent, Targeted LinkedIn Content
- Engage Authentically in Industry Conversations
- Leverage Alumni Events for Meaningful Connections
- Host Dinners to Connect Interesting People
- Boost Your Network Through Public Speaking
- Create Free Sessions to Build Trust
- Participate in Nonprofit Events for Connections
- Initiate No-Pitch Conversations with Entrepreneurs
- Focus on Helping Others First
- Become an Ambassador for Others’ Businesses
- Lead with Value in Every Interaction
Share Valuable Content to Grow Your Network
One of the most effective strategies I’ve used to build a strong network as an entrepreneur is consistently sharing valuable, actionable content on LinkedIn and Instagram. I don’t use social media to promote myself. Instead, I use it to teach what I’ve learned about hiring, early-career talent, and building strong teams. This mindset has helped me grow my audience to over 140,000 followers on LinkedIn and 70,000 on Instagram in under a year.
For my business, which helps companies hire vetted early-career talent who can hit the ground running, this visibility has been a game-changer. It’s brought in new customers, podcast invitations, partnerships, and conversations with decision-makers I never would have met otherwise. The key has been simple: give more than you ask. If you create content that helps people, your network will grow naturally around the value you provide.
Ford Coleman
Founder, Runway
Consistently Engage on LinkedIn for Results
Ready for a super boring but super effective (for me) strategy?
I simply blocked out, in my diary, 15 minutes every single morning and every single afternoon for networking on LinkedIn. I could see that my target business owners were all getting active on LinkedIn, and I only had myself at the time as my “marketing department,” so I had to pick one platform that I thought had potential.
The magic trick for me came down to two things: 1) consistent action for one full year and 2) commenting on people’s posts in genuine and helpful ways.
I’ve found this often in my business career — a simple task, done consistently, can move mountains given time. Using this LinkedIn strategy, the first six months were not huge in terms of results, but in the second six months, we started having real conversations and we generated many real leads for our business. It certainly took time and effort though.
J Daks
Founder, Hexagon IT Solutions
Show Up Regularly to Build Connections
Honestly? Just showing up is key. LinkedIn, Business Chicks events, founder events — all of it. It’s tiring, sometimes awkward, and half the time I’d rather be at home with my family. But it works.
In Australia, the scene’s small, so people remember who turns up. I’ve had hires, introductions, and investors come through just from being in the room, just conversations over coffee or after a panel.
Tip? Don’t overthink it. Go even when you’re tired. The magic’s in the showing up, not the strategy.
Alexandra Jakob
Founder/CEO, Globe Wealth
Give Value First to Foster Relationships
I established a rule to give before I ask. It sounds simple, but most entrepreneurs overlook it; they network with an agenda. I flipped that approach by showing up in people’s inboxes or DMs just to offer value: “Saw your post on XYZ,” or, “Here’s a strategy we used that might help.”
No pitch. No angle. Just real value.
That one shift changed everything. It led to podcast invites, client referrals, and partner deals, all from people who remembered how I made them feel before I ever needed anything. It also made me top-of-mind when opportunities arose.
One of our biggest deals came from someone I had helped for free a year earlier. No follow-up, no strings attached. Just value up front. That’s how real networks are built, not through networking events or cold introductions, but through trust you earn over time.
And the best part? You build a reputation that markets for you while you sleep.
Michael Ripia
Founder & Director, Halo Marketing
Collaborate on Small Projects for Big Gains
Investing time in micro-collaborations with other agency owners was a game-changer for me.
Instead of surface-level networking, I’d bring a small idea to the table — something they could co-launch or benefit from directly — and we would build something fast together.
One of those early collaborations led to a long-term referral pipeline and recurring white-label work that’s still running years later.
In digital marketing, speed and trust build reputations. Proving value before asking for anything opens more doors than any cold pitch ever will.
Callum Gracie
Founder, Otto Media
Offer Expertise to Earn Trust
One effective strategy I used to build a strong network was adding value first within our niche. I focused on connecting with barbershop owners, distributors, and grooming influencers by offering helpful advice, product samples, and market insights.
This value-first approach helped us gain trust and access to new markets quickly. In return, we received referrals, local knowledge, and long-term distribution partnerships.
My advice to entrepreneurs: Don’t
ask to be let in — earn your way in. Offer something useful, listen more than you speak, and build relationships before asking for anything in return.
Moritz Neugebauer
Founder, My-Blades
Volunteer Tech Skills for Community Causes
One strategy that has been incredibly effective for me is getting involved in community causes here in Miami, specifically using my tech skills to help local nonprofits and schools. Instead of going to traditional networking events that can feel forced or transactional, I started offering to build free websites, create donation platforms, or
develop simple apps for organizations I care about.
For example, I’ve built signup forms for local schools and helped nonprofits streamline their data collection processes. When you’re working alongside people who are passionate about making a difference, the conversations flow naturally and you get to see how others think and operate in a completely different context than a business setting.
The real magic happens at events like local galas or fundraisers where you’re all there supporting the same cause. These environments are so much more relaxed and authentic than typical networking mixers. I’ve
connected with successful business leaders, other entrepreneurs, and community influencers whom I never would have met otherwise. Since we’re all focused on the cause rather than what we can get from each other, relationships develop organically.
The specific benefits have been substantial — I’ve gotten client referrals, found potential business partners, and even discovered investment opportunities through these connections. But beyond the business side, these relationships tend to be more genuine and long-lasting because they’re built on shared values rather than just mutual business interests.
What I love most is that it doesn’t feel like work. You’re contributing to your community while naturally building relationships with high-quality people who are already demonstrating their character through their involvement in meaningful causes.
Oscar Diaz
Co-Founder and CTO, Sobefy eCommerce
Provide Consistent, Targeted LinkedIn Content
One of the most effective strategies I’ve used to build a strong network as an entrepreneur is showing up consistently on LinkedIn with content that’s laser-focused on our ICP’s actual problems. We’re not just broadcasting what we do, but proving we understand what they’re dealing with.
We post three to five times a week, not fluff, not “thought leadership theater,” but real insights pulled from client work, campaign breakdowns, and behind-the-scenes wins and failures. Every post is filtered through one question: Would our ideal customer send this to their team?
We don’t try to go viral. We try to be useful.
What happened?
We started attracting qualified leads without sending cold DMs.
Other agencies and operators started referring work because they saw us as legitimate.
Prospects came into sales calls already trusting us, because they’d seen us solve problems they actually have.
Over time, this built a network of founders, marketers, and sales leaders who wanted to engage. Not because we were loud, but because we were consistently helpful.
The real win?
We stopped chasing people. They started showing up already knowing who we are, what we’re about, and how we think. That’s the kind of network that compounds.
Rocky Pedden
CEO, RevenueZen
Engage Authentically in Industry Conversations
One of the most effective strategies I have used to build a strong network is simply showing up consistently on LinkedIn and Twitter, engaging with people in the same domain, not just promoting our work. That has meant joining conversations around media, satire, and digital storytelling to learn, share ideas, and be part of the ecosystem we are trying to shape. It has helped us connect with writers, growth marketers, and even founders.
The biggest benefit? We stopped networking for opportunities and started building actual relationships. The opportunities followed.
Akshat Jain
Founder, The Peak View
Stories
Leverage Alumni Events for Meaningful Connections
One strategy that helped me build a strong network was actively participating in alumni events and open houses during my data analytics fellowship. Beyond being just meet-and-greets, they were real opportunities to connect with people in tech, marketing, and data who genuinely wanted to collaborate and share insights.
I showed up prepared, followed up afterward, and stayed in touch through LinkedIn and shared projects. This approach led to partnerships, referrals, and even consulting opportunities that helped me grow my business and strengthen the analytics behind it.
Doreen Nunez
Founder & Creative Director, Mommy Rheum
Host Dinners to Connect Interesting People
The best thing I’ve done is what I call the “3 Hour Dinner.” I send an email to 8-12 folks, invite them to a great place, and introduce them to each other.
At the start of the meal, I’ll tell them why I specifically chose them, and the next day I’ll send an email connecting everybody. You can optionally ask each person to bring a guest that they think will be similarly interesting as well.
What’s important is there’s no sales pitch, no immediate or obvious upside for me. It’s just a great way to bring interesting people together and give them something of value.
Sean Johnson
CEO, Madison
Boost Your Network Through Public Speaking
Public speaking has been one of the best and most fruitful strategies when it comes to building your network and establishing your authority in your niche. When you speak, you are automatically perceived as the expert, which supercharges your personal brand. Public speaking specifically has led to more speaking opportunities, clients, podcast guest bookings, and so much more! I’d highly encourage you to do it! Yes, it’s scary at first, but it is a game-changer!
Caroline Pennington
Podcast Host & Founder, The Feminine Founder
Create Free Sessions to Build Trust
One of the best
ways I’ve built a real network around my business hasn’t been through networking events or cold outreach. It came from showing up for people, consistently, with no agenda. I host free monthly sessions for business owners who are just…tired. Tired of constantly posting, tired of guessing at what’s working, tired of feeling like their marketing is this endless, messy to-do list. I call it building a marketing machine.
I show up, teach something useful, answer questions, and help people start putting the pieces together and I charge $10 to reserve a spot just to make sure people actually show up. If they do, I give the $10 back. It’s a simple way to protect my time and make sure the room is full of people who actually want to be there.
Look, I teach and build funnels for a living. I love a good automated system. Funnels are the reason I’m not glued to my phone all day. They help me grow consistently, bring in leads, and make sure I’m not reinventing the wheel every week. They give me time back.
But here’s the thing no one talks about: funnels are great, but they’re not a substitute for real connection.
My Experience
That’s what these sessions give me. Over time, they’ve turned into more than just a free workshop. The people who come back regularly have become friends, collaborators, referral partners… even clients. We pass projects to each other, cheer each other on, and genuinely care about helping each other grow. That kind of trust? You can’t automate that.
So yes, build the funnel. Make your marketing more efficient. Get your systems in place. But don’t forget that you still need humans. You still need relationships. That’s the part that makes this whole business thing sustainable. That’s what gets you through the slow months and the big decisions and the stuff that’s too heavy to carry alone.
You can build a system to bring in leads.
But the right people come from showing up, helping without an agenda, and creating space for others to do the same.
That’s what’s worked for me. Just real people helping each other figure it out.
Michelle Merz
Marketing Consultant, Silience and Sonder
Participate in Nonprofit Events for Connections
The best strategy I have found as a CEO is to actively spend time at not-for-profit events where your ideal “contacts” will attend. A great example of this is my brand participating in the RSPCA Million Paws Walk. This opened up numerous interactions with other pet companies and their executive teams in a non-salesy environment, with the main focus being to support the not-for-profit and promote healthy pet ownership.
Joshua Fidrmuc
Founder, Dial A Vet
Initiate No-Pitch Conversations with Entrepreneurs
The most effective networking strategy I’ve used is to initiate “informal” conversations with other entrepreneurs without a pitch. I simply write: “Hey, I see you’re also building a business in ___ — it would be interesting to exchange experiences, without sales.” I do this on LinkedIn, Clubhouse, and in private Slack channels.
For 2025, I have planned 50 such calls, without the goal of selling. The intention is just to listen, learn, and share what I know.
The results have been remarkable:
- Two of these contacts became clients themselves.
- One invited me to speak at an event, after which I gained 50+ new followers.
- And most importantly, I developed real partnerships, not just “contacts in CRM.”
The best networking occurs not when you’re trying to sell something, but when you’re open to dialogue without expectations. Sincerity and curiosity are underrated tools in the world of cold pitches.
Kristina Liskova
CMO, Zero Anxiety
Focus on Helping Others First
A strategy that has consistently worked well for me is being genuinely helpful to others in my industry. Whenever I meet someone new, I try to understand the challenges they are facing and see if I can offer advice, share a useful contact, or provide a resource, even if there is no immediate benefit to me. This approach has helped me build trust and long-term relationships.
By focusing on helping others first, I have found that people are more willing to support me when I need it. For example, I have received referrals for new clients, invitations to industry events, and even
partnerships that have helped my business grow. It also makes networking feel more natural and less transactional, which leads to stronger connections over time.
Ryan O’Connor
Head of Operations, ForexForecast
Become an Ambassador for Others’ Businesses
Learning about their business — first. I genuinely focus on what they offer, who they serve, and what a good referral looks like for them. This has become my own referral-sharing network. We don’t pass around business cards; we serve as ambassadors. It provides warmer leads and relationships far broader than I could build via cold outreach alone.
Darrion Phelps, Sr.
CMO, Roxford Digital
Lead with Value in Every Interaction
One strategy that has consistently worked for me is leading with value before seeking connection. I learned early on that people don’t respond to pitches as much as they respond to presence. So I made a decision: I would not show up in rooms to impress, but rather to contribute.
This approach has manifested in offering strategic insights before being asked, sending resources without expecting anything in return, or connecting two people in my network simply because I knew they could help each other grow. It is a quiet but powerful way to build trust, and trust is the real currency in business.
I didn’t stop there. I also began curating spaces, not just entering them. Whether it was hosting roundtables, leading webinars, or initiating private conversations with changemakers, I chose to build ecosystems instead of waiting to be invited into one. That shift changed everything.
These strategies have led to speaking opportunities, multi-sector partnerships, and client referrals that came without me ever needing to chase them. This success wasn’t because I was everywhere, but because I was intentional about how I showed up and what I left behind in every interaction.
I believe networking should be less about visibility and more about alignment. People remember clarity. They remember usefulness. They remember how you made them feel. And when your name comes up in rooms you have never entered, that is when you know your network is working for you.
Florence Idowu
Chief Talent Strategist, Bavarde Consulting & Management
