Stop Networking More — Start Networking Smarter
What if the secret to growing your business wasn’t more connections — but *fewer*?
This week on *A New Direction with Coach Jay Izso*, I sit down with David Ackert, Co-Founder and CEO of PipelinePlus and one of the most respected business development minds in the professional services world. Over the past two decades, Ackert has pioneered revenue acceleration programs for hundreds of professional services firms worldwide, and he’s bringing all of that hard-won wisdom to the show.
When it comes to business development, professionals often struggle — not from a lack of opportunities, but from not knowing where to focus their attention. And it all starts with their networking. David’s Amazon bestselling book, *The Short List*, tackles that exact problem head-on. With countless LinkedIn connections and cluttered CRM databases, the real question becomes: “What is the best use of my time?” David’s answer is elegant, powerful, and completely counterintuitive to how most people think about networking.
*The Short List* delivers a clear, actionable networking guide to identifying the people you need to prioritize and the techniques you can use to nurture those relationships into career catalysts — with a step-by-step plan and easy-to-use exercises for both newcomers and seasoned rainmakers alike. At the heart of the method is a very specific, curated list of people you want to stay in contact with — grouped into deliberate buckets and rated by factors like chemistry and potential for genuine collaboration.
This isn’t just networking theory — it’s a proven networking system. *The Short List* is a Gold Winner of the 2025 Nonfiction Book Award, and David has lectured at USC’s Marshall School of Business, Carnegie Mellon, and UCLA School of Law. But beyond the accolades, this is a man whose life’s work is about the power of investing deeply in the right people — professionally *and* personally. Don’t miss this conversation. Learn how and who exactly deserves a spot on *your* short list.
David Ackert’s book, “The Short List: How to Drive Business Development by Focusing on the People Who Matter Most” is the most practical applicable networking book I have ever read!
The Short List is filled with great research, and diamonds of how to network. It is not just a networking book, it is a book that will help you network with the right people that you can collaborate with that will ultimately become a win-win for both of you.
The exercises in this book are fantastic. Each exercise, will help you reevaluate your networking, build a better network, a more efficient network, maintain the network, and sets you up for success at any level.
A word of CAUTION. This book requires you to truly rethink not only how you are networking, but who you are networking with. It’s going to definitely require not only a change of your mindset, but your behavior and actions.
If you believe that networking should be strictly transactional think again. As David Ackert explains it is about developing real relationships with the right people. Then truly investing in those relationships not to simply help you, but that you can help each other.
Fantastic book! Highly recommend. Get your copy of The Short List by clicking here.
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The Missing Piece to Your Success
As a business leader or founder, you often carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. You have the vision, the drive, and the strategy, yet sometimes it feels like you are hitting an invisible ceiling. The truth is, the biggest barrier to your company’s growth isn’t usually the market or the economy—it is human behavior. As a Behavioral Strategist, I help you decode the psychological patterns that are silently sabotaging your culture, your execution, and your personal leadership. I don’t just tell you what to change; I help you understand why those behaviors exist so you can finally break through the noise and lead with absolute clarity and confidence.
Your potential is limitless, but only if you are willing to look at the human element of your business through a new lens. Stop letting behavioral blind spots dictate your future and start making decisions that align your people with your purpose. If you are ready to stop spinning your wheels and start moving in a new, more profitable direction, let’s have a conversation that will change the way you lead forever. Visit me today at www.jayizso.com or reach out directly to start your transformation at [email protected].
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