I am absolutely buzzing after an incredible week of connection.

I was in Austin, Texas for the Spryng event, hosted by Wynter. It was three days of “organized fun” with ~200 marketers — and the first conference I left feeling more energized at the end of the day than the beginning.

On the plane ride home, I thought a lot about the importance of these relationships.

The Spryng event was a fun confluence of many parts of my life:

• I met my Ready for Launch partner-in-crime Andy for the first time IRL

• I got to hang out with 5 different PMM Camp community members (and a few newsletter readers too!)

• I shared meals with folks I’ve only ever chatted with on LinkedIn

And it was the ultimate reminder of the impact of a network on your career.

You’ve probably heard the phrase “your network is your net worth”. Or, as my friend Lindsay puts it, “building a career takes a village.”

Someone you meet online today could end up leading to:

• Your next job

• A new passion project

• A life-changing partnership

In today’s edition, I’m going to share the 4 strategies I’ve used to build my own personal network. My hope is that these tips lead you to the same level of life-changing connections I’ve found myself.

4 Tips to Navigate Networking

Building a real network takes time. It’s not as simple as just blasting out dozens of connection requests online. In fact, that’s probably the worst way to build your network.

I’ve been building my network for about as long as I can remember. But, it’s not just a bunch of empty connections. I’ve developed genuine friendships — both online and offline — with many folks I first connected with on LinkedIn or at events.

This network has helped me land jobs, speak at conferences around the world, and build the audience for PMM Camp.

Here’s how I approached building and nurturing my network.

Identify Your Ideal Network Profile

Building a network should be an intentional task. Start by identifying the types of people you want in your network, and why.

Do you want people who are strong at a skill you’re looking to develop? Do you want folks who work at companies you’d love to someday work for? Or maybe you want people who live local to your city?

There’s no wrong answer, it all goes back to your personal goals for developing a network.

For me, I’ve always tried to grow my network in three specific categories: folks who I can help (aka me several years ago), my peers (folks I have current shared experiences with), and my inspirations (folks several years ahead of me ).

Give, Give, Give

The connections in your professional network are like any relationship in your life — it needs to be a two-way street.

This is where so many people get it wrong. They’ll add a new connection on LinkedIn and then immediately ask for a free phone call, an introduction, or advice.

My golden rule has always been: before I ask, I give. You need to give value before you seek value.

Be generous with your time, expertise and resources. Offer to help others without expecting anything in return. Share valuable insights, introduce people to each other, and provide support whenever possible. By adding value to others' lives and careers, you'll naturally attract opportunities and good vibes in return.

Remember, networking is not just about what you can gain; it's also about what you can contribute to the collective success of your entire network.

Right-Size Your Ask

When it's time to make requests or ask for help from someone in your network, it's crucial to right-size your ask.

Before reaching out, consider what you're asking for and whether it aligns with the relationship you've built with the person. For example, if you’ve only known someone for a few weeks, it’s probably more appropriate to ask for a simple written response to a question than it is to ask for a 30-minute call.

Make your request clear, concise and relevant. Bonus points if you can explain why you’re coming to this person specifically with the ask.

Find Shared Community

Building relationships 1:1 can feel intimidating and overwhelming. That’s where community comes in.

Scale up your network quickly by looking for communities, events and programs where you can connect with like-minded product marketers. This is the number one reason I attended the Spryng conference last week — I knew I’d find high quality conversations on a topic I was interested in.

It’s also the mission behind PMM Camp.

I developed the free Camper Connection program so that PMMs around the world can meet once a month to share ideas and inspiration (and I handle all the stressful details like matching and scheduling for you!).

And, it’s the driving force behind the PMM Camp community: to build a safe space for product marketing leaders to connect with and grow alongside peers.

CAMPER ESSENTIALS

🛠️ Tools: Struggling to know what to ask when meeting new friends? I love these Scenario Cards - they include hundreds of different prompts to use to get the conversation started.

Until next week,