We can learn something from gardening.
Purposeful networking is rooted in community. It's about cultivating relationships that support your growth, reflect your values, and open up new possibilities.
Networking doesn’t need to be transactional or extractive—it should be a practice of staying connected in ways that feel natural and mutually beneficial.
This guide will help you think intentionally about how, why, and with whom you're building relationships. Through every season of your career, your network should evolve with you.
Networking gets a bad rap, usually because it conjures an image of endless mixers and elevator pitches. Let’s reframe it a bit.
Your network is a living ecosystem. Some connections are just beginning. Some are ready to grow deeper. Others may already be ripe with opportunity. When you treat networking like gardening, you focus less on immediate returns and more on building something lasting.
Treat your network as a garden to cultivate. Let's explore how this looks in practice, starting with new connections.
<aside> <img src="/icons/thought-dialogue_green.svg" alt="/icons/thought-dialogue_green.svg" width="40px" />
Who do you want to meet?
</aside>
Planting is about curiosity. These are the connections you don’t have yet but want to grow. Maybe you admire someone’s work, want to explore a new field, or need a fresh perspective. You're putting energy into discovery, not pitching.
Join a niche or emerging community. Think Slack groups, virtual cohorts, or meetups that aren’t saturated.
Why it works: Smaller, purpose-driven spaces create easier entry points and more organic connections.
Engage with people whose work you admire. Comment on a post, send a note of appreciation, or amplify their message.
Why it works: Thoughtful engagement builds familiarity and makes future outreach more natural.
Ask a mutual connection for an introduction. Be clear about your “why” so the introduction feels purposeful for everyone.
Why it works: Warm intros reduce friction and build shared trust from the start.