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 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. 🧵

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.

Then I'd land one anchor guest. The most connected person on that list who I already know, even loosely. Because the moment they say yes to a dinner I'm hosting, everyone else says yes too. That's the whole trick.

When someone's brave enough to go first, everyone else follows. That's the vulnerability that turns total strangers into a real tribe by the end of the night. Do this once a month, and in three months you're the connector, without ever having to network.

When I got back from Davos, the messages in my inbox told me everything about who actually understands relationships. Davos is 1,000 of the most powerful people on earth in one room. Here's what came in within 48 hours:

The CEO of Deloitte didn't know who I was. Six months later, he created a role that didn't exist just for me.

I've been in rooms with billionaires, presidents, and the most influential people in the world. And I've seen most of their success comes down to one habit they all share: they build relationships everywhere they go, and it carries them for decades. Here's how they do it 🧵