How to Network Authentically with Joe Gilgoff of AG1
Do your hands get clammy at the thought of “networking”? Us too. We’ve never been great at putting on our blazer and nametag and heading to a “networking event”. But our very impressive friend, Joe Gilgoff, is a pro at networking and doing it in a way that feels a lot less scary and a lot more similar to how we build relationships in our personal lives.
In this episode, we talk to Joe about how he’s built up his very impressive network which has led to him landing his dream job (multiple times), attend A-list weddings and opportunities to be chauffeured in a PJ (private jet). He teaches us that building an impressive network like his really boils down to building strong relationships, recognizing and acknowledging people for the work they’re doing, and being a great connector of people - all things we generally value and recommend applying in your personal life as well!
Actionable Tips and Takeaways:
It starts with building a pipeline and you can start anywhere.
It sounds obvious, but you just have to start. Don’t think about it as “networking” but as connecting with someone new. You can do this anywhere - out with friends, at the airport bar, at a workout class…
But conferences are a great place to start.
A lot of times, employees just focus on their immediate responsibilities like staffing a booth or attending client dinners and do not thoughtfully consider how to deepen their network white attending a conference. Follow this simple playbook below the next time you’re at a conference to start exponentially building your network!
Get the most out of sessions. attend sessions led by people or brands who you want to connect with and stick around after to introduce yourself. During the session, think about a question you want to ask. But even if you can’t think of a great question, just say hello and offer a kind compliment that shows you were paying attention to their session!
Follow up thoughtfully and strategically. Take the list after the conference and in addition to following up with people who you spoke to, identify 20 - 50 people you would like to connect with based on their title and / or brand. Create a short outreach template, ask them to connect on LinkedIn and introduce yourself saying something like “sad to have missed you at the conference”, plug in something you admire or relevant to the person, and ask to connect for 15 minutes. (Joe tells a great story on the podcast about how this strategy has resulted in incredible connections!)
When you connect, be curious and kind: Don’t feel like you have to have profound insights to share when you first connect. Just lead with kindness and gratitude and have a couple of questions prepared about their role or company, even very general ones are ok. Remember: they agreed to talk to you and you’re giving them a chance to tell their story. You’ll be surprised at how the conversation flows once the door is opened.
Don’t get discouraged: Not everyone will respond, but even if 5-10% respond, it’s a big win and those connections can often lead to additional connections!
Don’t overlook your current workplace:
We can sometimes think about cross functional collaboration as purely operational and a necessary requirement for our job. But it’s also a great way to build connections that can last beyond your current role. Here are some ways to intentionally leverage your current role to build personal relationships:
Unabashedly lead with kindness and generosity: Do you have context to share that would help someone do their job faster or more easily? Share it! Do you notice someone struggling in a meeting or with a specific relationship? Offer to help! These small acts of kindness will not only bring you joy but establish strong, long lasting relationships with your colleagues. When we do this, we often default to focusing on people who are more senior than us. However, push yourself to do this for your peers and people more junior than you.
Navigate conflict like a pro: Conflict is inevitable and how you deal with it can either deepen existing relationships or close the door. Fight the instinct to want to “win” an argument and focus on resolving conflict in a healthy way (we have lots of strategies for how to do this at The Glass Advisory!)
Share specific pieces of praise: Lack of recognition is one of the primary reasons employees report being disengaged at work. People are hungry to be recognized for the work they’re doing. Look out for opportunities to share a specific piece of praise as that can be very meaningful and lead to developing long lasting relationships.
Once you’ve made a connection, nurture it.
Very importantly, don’t just reach out when you need something. Instead:
Keep track of your contacts: After you’ve made a connection, document the conversation so that you can pick up the conversation in the future, no matter how far in the future it might be. You can put them in a document or spreadsheet and include a few notes about the conversation and personal details (spouse, kid, pet, etc.).
When you think of them, reach out: If you come across a person, conversation or even just have a fun thought that you think your connection would enjoy or get value from, tell them! Fight feelings of “do they even remember me?” or “is this too corny?” and just send a friendly note. And if you do succumb to those feelings initially and you do not strike while the iron is hot - that’s ok - it’s never too late.
When you see them post on LinkedIn or learn news about them, reach out: Say congratulations or acknowledge something they’re working on if you stumble upon it. And importantly - be specific. Don’t just say “Congrats!” - include a specific piece of praise or a reason you are specifically happy to see the news. This type of kindness and praise can really stick with people.
Now that you’ve put in the work, lean on the network you’ve built.
Importantly, when you need a favor, just say it! Don’t act like you want to catch up and then ask a favor. Just say please and be appreciative. Here are some common ways you can leverage your network:
Job reference: Starting with the obvious one - if you have a contact who works at a company you want to work at, start with them, get info about the role and any advice on how to navigate the hiring process.
Interview feedback: We say this a lot, but you should tell your career story many times before you are actually in an interview. We can help with this at the Glass Advisory, but your network is another great place to test out telling your story and get feedback. Seek out people in similar roles you’re interviewing for and ask for their candid feedback. Joe tells a great story about this on the pod!
Tips for managers
Talk about the value of networking with your team members and share your experience: We sometimes just think about doing this for ourselves, but incorporate conversations about networking into your career conversations with employees, sharing your own personal experience and strategizing with them on how to deepen their network.
Encourage conference attendance and find the budget for it: Even if conferences aren’t a strategic priority for achieving your business goals, encourage your team members to find conferences that will help bring back new ideas to your team and build a business case to find the budget for it. Oftentimes, companies have professional development budgets that can be used for this.
Don’t worry, just because your team networks doesn’t mean they’re going to leave: It can be natural to think “if I lean too hard into supporting my team members to network, they may find a better job and leave!” While sure, this could happen - it’s your job to ensure they are happy and thriving in their current role. Ultimately, you investing in their career development and being a strong leader for them will be a much bigger indicator of how long they stay at the company. You also benefit from them having a great network when looking for new hires and vendors.
Treat internal references as just that, a reference call: This may seem out of place in an episode focused on the value of networking, but beware of leaning too much on an employee’s referral when making a new hire. It can be tempting to heavily weight their recommendation, especially if they’re a strong performer. However, they are not going to be as close to the specific needs of the business and the team that your role is intended to fill, and leaning too heavily on a referral can also lead to making biased decisions and screening out better, more qualified candidates. Be sure to always follow a standardized hiring process, checking your own biases throughout and treating referrals as you would a reference call.
Don’t forget to network yourself! Managers are increasingly asked to do more with less and it’s easy to default to operational mode 100% of the time. But remember, building a healthy network can enrich your life, make you feel more engaged professionally and help you grow your career.
