The Introverted Networker Podcast

Networking feels like asking for favors.

That’s exactly why it feels bad.

You remember what it’s like to be on the other end of an ask.

The awkward pause. The quiet resentment. So when it’s your turn, you freeze up or avoid it altogether.

In this episode, I break down the one word that gets rid of that icky feeling for good:

GIVE.

You’ll learn why leading with giving removes the pressure from every networking conversation you have.

You’ll see how Robert Cialdini’s Principle of Reciprocity explains why people naturally want to help you back once you help them first.

You’ll get the AIR framework, Advice, Introductions, Recommendations, so you always know what to offer even when you think you have nothing.

And you’ll learn the simplest thing you can give when your mind goes blank: your full attention.

By the end, you’ll understand why the best networkers rarely ask for anything. People just start offering.

If this helped you see networking differently, subscribe for more here: https://theintrovertednetworker.substack.com/

This episode is based on Issue #4 of The Introverted Networker newsletter: https://theintrovertednetworker.substack.com/p/tin-004-how-to-make-networking-feel

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theintrovertednetworker.substack.com

Introverts dread the networking conversation. The silence. The pressure to say something smart.

Here’s the good news: Harvard research shows you barely need to talk at all.

In this episode, you’ll learn why people’s brains actually light up when they talk about themselves, and why that works in your favor.

You’ll get the exact three questions to ask in any networking conversation. You’ll learn the listening rule that makes those questions land. You’ll see how to handle a dormant tie who responds to your outreach. And you’ll walk away with a simple mindset shift that takes all the pressure off you.

The science backing this up comes from Harvard fMRI research, covered in Scientific American back in 2013. It found that the brain’s dopamine and motivation center lights up most when a person talks about themselves to someone else. People already spend 60% of normal conversations talking about themselves. On social media, it’s 80%.

That means your job in a networking conversation is simple. Ask about them. Then listen. Don’t interrupt. Don’t check your phone. Don’t wait for your turn to talk about you.

This isn’t about being clever. It’s about giving people the conversation their brain already wants to have.

Subscribe for more: https://theintrovertednetworker.substack.com/

Always Be Connecting.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theintrovertednetworker.substack.com

Sending the first message to an old contact feels small.

Like it can’t possibly matter.

But it’s the one extra degree that makes the water boil.

In this video, I break down why the first re-connection message is the hardest one to send and the most important one you’ll send all year.

You’ll learn why small efforts compound instead of disappearing.

You’ll see the exact message template to use on a dormant tie, plus the version with context if you need it.

You’ll learn the DO NOTs that kill a re-connection before it starts.

And you’ll walk away with one assignment you can finish today.

The core idea comes from Atomic Habits. James Clear describes water at 200 degrees. Nothing. At 211 degrees. Still nothing. At 212, it boils. Nothing about that last degree is special. It’s every degree before it that made it possible.

Your network works the same way.

One message doesn’t look like progress. It’s the accumulation that turns into opportunity.

Your network is bigger than you think. It’s just gone quiet.

This video shows you how to wake it back up.

This video is based on the newsletter issue that was originally published in The Introverted Networker on August 6, 2022:

TIN #002 - How To Re-Connect With The Network You Already Have.

BTW: This advice works for extroverts, too!

If this helped, subscribe to the newsletter for more networking tips!

Always Be Connecting.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theintrovertednetworker.substack.com

You think networking means walking up to strangers and making small talk. It doesn’t. The best place to start is people you already know.

In this episode, I break down why your existing contacts are your real network, even if you’ve never thought of them that way. You’ll learn what a dormant tie is and why it beats your current coworkers for real advice. You’ll see the research behind it. And you’ll get two simple ways to build your own list of people worth reaching back out to.

Here’s the core idea: dormant ties are people you’ve worked with before but lost touch with. They already trust you. They already know your name. And because they’ve been off living a different professional life, they bring perspectives your daily coworkers can’t. An MIT Sloan study, cited in Adam Grant’s Give and Take, found that executives got more innovative and diverse advice from old contacts than from the people they talk to every single day. Distance creates fresh eyes.

I’ll walk you through two ways to build your dormant ties list: thinking back through your resume, and using LinkedIn’s Experience section to spot old connections. No cold outreach. No awkward stranger small talk. Just people who already know you.

This video is based on the newsletter issue that was originally published in The Introverted Networker on July 30, 2022:

TIN #001 - How To Network If You Don’t Know Anyone.

BTW: This advice works for extroverts, too!

If this helped, subscribe to the newsletter for more networking tips!

Always Be Connecting.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theintrovertednetworker.substack.com

Most consultants think being broad creates more opportunities.

In reality, it usually makes you forgettable.

In this conversation with Jamie Jacobs, CEO and founder of Gig Talent (https://gigtalentagency.com), we talk about the rise of fractional work, the future of consulting, and why the best consultants know exactly what problem they solve.

We also discuss:

* Why so many experienced professionals are leaving corporate roles

* The loneliness that can come with consulting

* How fractional talent helps companies get high-level expertise without full-time overhead

* Why networking matters even more for consultants

* The biggest mistake independent consultants make when describing what they do

* How specificity makes you easier to refer and easier to remember

If you’ve ever thought about consulting, fractional leadership, or building your own practice, this episode will help you think differently about how to position yourself and grow through relationships instead of constant selling.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theintrovertednetworker.substack.com

Most people think they’re bad at networking.

But after this conversation, you might realize the real problem is how networking events are designed.

In this discussion with Shaena Harrison, founder of Wingpeople.io, we talk about:

* Why networking events feel awkward

* How to make networking easier

* Better ways to start conversations

* How contextual introductions change everything

* Why relationship-building beats pitching

If networking has ever felt forced, performative, or exhausting, this conversation will completely reframe it.

👇 Let me know in the comments:

What’s the most awkward networking event you’ve ever attended?

Bonus points is you can beat the “armpit-sniffing” event we discussed!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theintrovertednetworker.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theintrovertednetworker.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theintrovertednetworker.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theintrovertednetworker.substack.com

Get more networking strategies and tactics at The Introverted Networker newsletter: https://theintrovertednetworker.substack.com/

In this first episode of a seven-part series, Greg relaunches the original issues of his newsletter to share the foundation of his networking system for introverts.

He tackles one of the biggest questions people have: Who should I connect with?

The answer is simpler than you think — start with the people you already know, especially your “dormant ties.”

These are past colleagues and connections who remember you, trust you, and often bring fresh perspectives.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theintrovertednetworker.substack.com