FIVE GOLDEN NETWORKING RULES I've deduced from my experience this past year (and using my favorite networking analogy of a fruit tree too):
❶ You must build your network at least as quickly as you use it. (If you eat all of your seeds without replanting some, you will run out of fruit quickly.)
❷ The BEST time to network is when you don't need anything. (You'll plant seeds / grow your trees better if you're well-fed, than if you're starving.)
❸ Networking is about GIVING, not receiving. (Having an orchard is about planting, pruning, and growing, not just about eating fruit.)
❹ Organizing events is a fantastic way to network. (If you build relationships with other orchard owners, you will have access to their fruits during your drought years too.)
❺ Networking is NOTworking! Have fun with it, it's meeting people and learning about their experiences! (If you admire your fruit, and the trees, and the sunshine, and the breeze -- you will have more fun running an orchard, than if you approach it as a job.)
❶ ❷ ❸ ❹ ❺ Keep it up!
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