I was 16 and was looking for a summer job. A family friend hooked me up with a gardening shop. Unbeknownst to me, he also fixed up my salary. The owner was willing to pay $x, and so our friend added another $x on top of it which the shop owner was paying me. I only learned about it a few years later. 

When I started my business in 2016, I was relying on my network, and for 2 years I've just been cruising with that. And then the network was exhausted. 

All of these stories just show what a bad idea it is to rely on your network to be successful in business. You're in a cocoon of inflated demand while you're offering sub-par products or services. 

The message: Use your network as a launch pad for a month or two, but then go right out there into the fierce choppy waters of the open market and prove your worth there. 

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The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) is an Ask-Me-Anything style podcast that covers all aspects of client acquisition for coaches, consultants and small B2B. We focus on LinkedIn organic and on YOU, the listener. Submit a question on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com.

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