There’s one thing I know to be true — your network is your secret weapon.

I’ve experienced this firsthand over the past 5 years. The personal relationships I’ve developed have allowed me to land roles that were never posted publicly (my VP role at Kajabi, for example) and leave corporate to build my own business.

But, building a strong network takes a level of thoughtfulness and effort most people aren’t willing to commit to. It’s not as simple as commenting on LinkedIn posts and attending a conference once a year.

True connection happens over time. It’s the result of compounding interactions and shared experiences.

There’s one tool that’s helped me master this — a personal CRM.

Have you ever looked at a calendar invite and wondered, What did we talk about last time? Or realized it’s been six months since you last checked in with someone, and now it’s awkward to reach out?

The personal CRM fixes this. And today, I’ll walk you through a simple process to build one for yourself.

The Personal CRM

What is a personal CRM? In a nutshell, it’s a system to track conversations, follow-ups, and reminders to check in. It’s not just about staying organized (though it helps); it’s about showing people that you care enough to remember the details.

There were three reasons I knew I needed a system:

1. Time Management: I wanted to avoid the frustration of forgetting what I’d already discussed with someone. Referencing past conversations helps me show up prepared and avoid repetition.

2. Thoughtfulness: Relationships grow when people feel valued. Remembering details about a conversation or following up on something important to someone else isn’t just good networking, it’s the right thing to do.

3. Opportunity: Over time, it’s easy to lose touch with people you care about. A CRM highlights when it’s been a while so I can prioritize reconnecting.

How My System Works

I use Notion, but you can adapt this to any tool you like (even a spreadsheet would work). The idea is simple: every person you connect with gets an entry, and every conversation gets logged.

Here’s what I track:

• The contact’s name

• Type of contact — is it a PMM Camp community member, a past colleague, LinkedIn connection, etc

• Their contact information (primarily email and LinkedIn URL)

• Total number of past conversations

• Related conversations (linked)

• Days since last contact

After each meeting, I create a new Conversation entry in Notion and copy and paste either my notes or the call transcript summary (if I used a call recording tool). This note links back to the person’s profile in my database, so I have a full history at my fingertips.

I also log any tasks and add them to my to-do list. These may be action items from the meeting or a reminder to myself to follow-up regarding a topic we discussed.

How to Build Your Own Personal CRM

Building your own system is easier than you think. Here’s how to get started:

1. Choose a Tool: Notion, Airtable or even a spreadsheet. Pick what works for you in a tool you’re already using today. You want it to be as effortless as possible.

2. Create a Template: Include fields for the details you want to track — date, notes, contact type, etc.

3. Start Small: Add a few key contacts and backfill recent conversations. It doesn’t have to be perfect, and you don’t need to backfill every conversation you’ve ever had. If you want to start from scratch for all future conversations, that works too.

4. Make It a Habit: Set a reminder to update your CRM after every meaningful conversation.

Networking can feel awkward, and it’s unfortunately all too easy for relationships to feel transactional. Taking the time to thoughtfully nurture your network will compound in ways you can’t even begin to imagine.

CAMPER ESSENTIALS

📚 Reading List: Want to take your networking offline? Check out Nick Gray’s The 2-Hour Cocktail Party: How to Build Big Relationships with Small Gatherings. One of my personal goals for 2025 is to host IRL gatherings more often.

🛠️ Tools: Need prompts for your networking conversations? I’ve used these Scenario Cards for years to guide everything from team meetings to 1:1 calls.

Until next week,