As an entrepreneur, there are a few things that get reverberated throughout the business world that tend to hold true. No saying, perhaps, holds truer than “your network is your net worth”. While this commonly repeated phrase may sound like an empty platitude, it has shown to be a truly wise piece of advice. Often times, entrepreneurs focus excessively on revenue, their business, infrastructure, and all of the components that contribute to building a successful company. While this can be tremendously valuable, there is an argument to be made that a substantial amount of time should be allocated to relationship building.
A prime example of an entrepreneur who has taken the importance of networking to heart is 19-year-old Alex McCurry. McCurry, an entrepreneur focused on digital brand-building for startups, companies, and individuals has built a network that many of us could only dream to develop. Alex’s connections include leaders in business, music, professional sports, politics, media, entertainment, hospitality, and tech. Through all of his efforts he’s even built a substantial personal following on Instagram of over 26,000 followers. (@alexmccurryo)
McCurry’s journey in building his network and repertoire is a lesson in leveraging what you have. Oftentimes, individuals find themselves in a situation where they feel that a particular relationship could vastly improve their stance in the business world. This, however, tends to result in an overwhelming amount of young professionals seeking to reap the benefits of such a relationship without necessarily earning them. As Gary Vaynerchuk likes to say, relationships in business are all about “providing value first”, a skill that does not come easy to many. In a world of mass communication and easy accessibility, those that operate in the upper-echelon of the business world are bombarded by requests. This, Alex says, is where providing value can help you get your foot in the door.
“The majority of my most impressive relationships have all been predicated upon me providing tremendous value in the short-term in order to get a chance to build a relationship that could be beneficial in the long-term. People don’t like being asked for things, especially by strangers, however, a thoughtful offer to help someone with something they see as beneficial can be an incredible way to make yourself seem like an asset,” Alex stated.
As communication technologies continue to progress, the barrier to entry present in the worlds’ current networking environment seems to be rapidly diminishing. In response to this, entrepreneurs and industry leaders should be capitalizing on this prime opportunity to build meaningful and powerful relationships. While only few can hope to have the same successes that Alex McCurry has had in developing his network, it is clear that the future is upon us and with determination, hard work, and persistence, many of us could see wild success in the development of our networks through these new technological channels.