I wrote Never Eat Alone, a #1 New York Times bestseller on networking, and people still ask me: "How do you build a network when you know 0 people?" Here's my answer:

I wrote Never Eat Alone and built one of the strongest networks in my industry. If I lost all of my network today and had to start over, I won't go to networking events or fire off connections on LinkedIn. Here's what I would do 🧵

If you reach out to people and they keep ignoring you, it’s usually because they don’t see the value you bring. In Never Eat Alone, I wrote 4 rules for this, and they still work for any cold outreach today, a DM or a cold call. Here they are 🧵

I wrote Never Eat Alone, a #1 New York Times bestseller on networking, and people still ask me: “How do I build a network when I’ve just moved to a new city?” My answer starts at a restaurant. Here’s how to do it in 3 steps 🧵

Start with the people who already know you: - Your family - Your friends - Your colleagues - Even your doctor Each of them knows people you've never met.

So ask them to introduce you to someone doing the kind of work you want to do. And when you meet that person, don't ask for anything. Find out what they're working on and what problem they're trying to solve. Then help with that, expecting nothing back.

If you reached out to someone and never heard back, don’t give up yet. In Never Eat Alone, I wrote about how to handle it when people don’t reply. Here’s what to do next, and what to say when they finally answer 🧵

That shows them you care before you've asked for a single thing. So when you need something later, you're asking someone you've already helped. And people remember who helped them first.

If there's someone you've lost touch with and it's been years, here's how to reach out without it feeling awkward. My method is what I call 5 packets of generosity 🧵

Build the relationship before you need it. Then it's there when you do need something.

If you want to get to know the people who can actually help you, do this before you ever reach out. It has never failed me, and it works everywhere on LinkedIn or at a conference, because the basics are the same. Here's how it works. 🧵

I wrote Never Eat Alone, a #1 New York Times bestseller on networking, and I’ve seen 2 types of networkers. People avoid the first. They go out of their way for the second. Here’s the difference, so you know which one to be 🧵

If you want to get promoted faster than everyone around you, give before you ask. That's exactly how I became one of the youngest CMOs at Deloitte. Here's what it looks like day to day 🧵

I'd throw the dinner myself. 6 to 10 people, casual, at my place. What matters is the format: everyone shares one thing they're struggling with, personally and professionally. I go first.

First, I'd sit down and write out 25 names. The 25 people who could actually change my trajectory this year, the ones three steps ahead of where I want to go. That list becomes my whole job.