MBA2616 How To Meet People & Grow Your Network: An Introvert's Ultimate Guide

Do you cringe at the thought of networking? If you’re an introvert, even the idea of meeting new people can feel exhausting. If that resonates, today’s lesson is here to help you tackle the social side of business without feeling drained. In this episode, Omar breaks down a step-by-step guide designed for introverts who want to grow their network in an authentic way. His five-step system shows you how to build meaningful, lasting connections—without the awkwardness and pressure of traditional networking. From tapping into online communities to mastering asynchronous communication, these practical tips open doors to partnerships, collaborations, and support systems that truly matter. Ready to level up your networking game? Hit play at the top of the page to dive in. Whether you're just starting out or an experienced entrepreneur, this episode will transform how you connect with others and impact your journey. Watch the episodes on YouTube: https://lm.fm/GgRPPHiSUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed

• 0:00Speaker 00

  Introducing Fidelity Trader Plus, the next generation of advanced trading from Fidelity. Customize your tools and charts and access them seamlessly across desktop, web and mobile. For faster trades, anywhere you go. Try the all new Fidelity Trader Plus. Learn more about our most powerful trading platform yet at fidelity.com/traderplus. Investing involves risk, including risk of loss. Fidelity Brokerage Services, LLC. Member NYSE, SIPC.

• 0:30Speaker 01

  What do I gift my mom and nieces?

• 0:31Speaker 02

  Walmart has top brands you know, like Ninja, Disney, Lego.

• 0:38Speaker 01

  Oh, Dad loves music.

• 0:39Speaker 02

  Sonos can bring his songs to life with sound that hits just right.

• 0:46Speaker 01

  And my coffee obsessed bestie?

• 0:47Speaker 02

  Delaney Brews Coffee, right for mornings extra bright.

• 0:51Speaker 01

  All those great brands at Walmart? Who knew?

• 0:53Speaker 02

  We knew, now you do too.

• 0:56Speaker 03

  Shop gifts, no love at Walmart.

• 1:00Speaker 04

  Do you hate networking? Do you feel drained just thinking about meeting new people? If so, you're not alone. I get it. When I first started my entrepreneurial journey, networking felt like a chore. Walking into a room full of strangers, not so exciting. Forcing small talk to build connections, it was kind of like, no thanks. Selling myself, having to talk myself up, just didn't feel natural. But here's the truth, your network is your net worth. That saying is correct. Because you can lose your money, you can lose your business, but you always have the people you know. The right connections can open some really powerful doors that can fast track your success. These are doors you didn't even know existed. They can help you land partnerships,

• 1:42Speaker 04

  collaborations and new opportunities. And they can even fast track your growth by giving you access to knowledge and experience you wouldn't have on your own. And guess what? You don't have to be some sort of like Robin Williams character extrovert to build a powerful network. In today's episode, I'm going to share why networking is critical for your success, even if you're an introvert. I'm going to share with you my five step system. I used to grow my network without feeling drained and how to build authentic, long lasting relationships without forcing awkward conversations. Let's get into it.

• 2:20Speaker 04

  Welcome back to the $100 MBA Show. I'm your host Omar Zenhome, where I deliver practical business lessons three times a week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, to help you start, grow, and scale your business.

• 2:33Speaker 04

  Let's start with the obvious. Why does networking even matter? Well, simply, opportunities come through people. That's just the reality of the world. Most business deals, collaborations, partnerships, they come through relationships. We like to work with people we know and we trust. So it's more likely that you will get business, you will grow your business, and get more customers when you know more people. Also, when you grow deep relationships, you learn from other people's mistakes. Your network gives you access to people who have been there, done that, and have already gone through the journey you're going through. And they can help you avoid costly mistakes when they give you an honest piece of advice from their own experience. Also, it's not a network.

• 3:18Speaker 04

  It's a group of friends, really. Friends that support you during tough times. Building a business is really hard, okay? A strong network gives you a support system to lean on when things get rough, when things get challenging. But here's a real kicker. You don't have to network like everybody else. You don't have to be like the life of the party, like some Jim Carrey impersonator. You don't have to attend every conference or event. You don't have to be fake, to be extroverted, or to be sociable. You just need what works for you. So I want to share my five-step system specifically for introverts to build a strong network. Number one, play to your strengths.

• 4:00Speaker 04

  If you like the online world and don't like in-person confrontation, start there. Start online first. Introverts in general are better with one-on-one conversations. So you can skip the crowded networking events, and you can start where you're most comfortable: online. Here's how. You want to join niche online communities. Find Facebook groups, Slack channels, Reddit threads, where your industry, your people hang out. You want to engage With these people as consistently as possible. Comment on posts, ask thoughtful questions, provide value. And when I say consistent, I'm talking about at least three or four times a week. You may want to think about DMing strategically.

• 4:40Speaker 04

  When someone resonates with you, send a personal thoughtful message to connect deeper. So say, for example, they responded to something that you said in the group and you really appreciated that comment. DM them and say, hey, thanks for that comment. I really appreciated it. Made me see things differently. Hope you're having a great day. A pro tip that worked for me is to start with platforms that are DM friendly, like LinkedIn or X or Twitter, or whatever you want to call it. Those platforms are really good with DMing. Most of the times on those types of platforms, it's just easier to DM people. You can get into their DMs easier than something like Instagram. Share insights and stories that invite a conversation.

• 5:22Speaker 04

  So when you're posting in these threads, in these groups, in these platforms, like say, for example, you're posting something on X, share a story that invites conversation, that gets people thinking, that gets them relating to you. The goal here is to build connections before you ever meet in person.

• 5:40Speaker 05

  Hey, Fidelity, can I get a second opinion on stocks in the Fidelity app?

• 5:44Speaker 06

  With Fidelity, it's easy to get an outside opinion from independent experts in a single score.

• 5:50Speaker 05

  And then?

• 5:51Speaker 06

  When you're ready, trade US stocks and ETFs with no commissions.

• 5:55Speaker 05

  That's right.

• 5:56Speaker 06

  I am always right. Investing involves risk, including risk of loss. $0 commission does not apply to customers designated by Fidelity as a professional equity trader.

• 6:03Speaker 01

  A limited number of ETFs are subject to a service fee of $100. See details at fidelity.com/commissions. Fidelity Brokerage Services, LLC, member NYSE, SIPC. What do I gift my mom and nieces?

• 6:11Speaker 02

  Walmart has top brands you know, like Ninja, Disney, Lego.

• 6:18Speaker 01

  Oh, Dad loves music.

• 6:19Speaker 02

  Sonos can bring his songs to life with sound that hits just right.

• 6:26Speaker 01

  And my coffee-obsessed bestie?

• 6:27Speaker 02

  Delonge Brews Coffee, right for mornings extra bright.

• 6:31Speaker 01

  All those great brands at Walmart? Who knew?

• 6:33Speaker 02

  We knew, now you do too.

• 6:36Speaker 03

  Shop gifts, no love at Walmart.

• 6:41Speaker 04

  Let's move on to step two. And you want to master the art of asynchronous communication. Asynchronous communication is the secret weapon for introverts. Examples of asynchronous communication are emails, DMs, voice messages, anything that doesn't require live back and forth conversation. This allows you to think through your responses, allows you to avoid the pressure of real-time conversations, and allows you to communicate at your own pace. So you don't need to reply immediately. I recommend sending voice notes on things like LinkedIn or WhatsApp, because people remember voices. It deepens the relationship and the connection faster. When you start the relationship asynchronously, then transition to real-time conversation, it feels a little bit easier.

• 7:26Speaker 04

  So maybe you're going back and forth talking to somebody via DMs, but then eventually you say, hey, let's jump on a call for 20 minutes to discuss an opportunity or a collaboration, or just to get to know each other. It's not going in cold. You've already spoken to this person before. You've gotten to know them a little bit. You have a little bit more confidence. Step three, focus on giving, not taking. This is actually the golden rule of networking. Give before you ask. The biggest mistake people make is they try to get something from a connection too soon. We all know that person. We all have that person that we can go into our phone right now, and we can find them on our phone. And we're like, hey, this is the person that's always asking me for something. He's always asking me for advice.

• 8:10Speaker 04

  They're always asking me for help with this, or uploading my thing on Product Hunt, or whatever it is. And they never actually give. Don't be that person. Instead, flip the script. Offer value first. Share insights. Offer introductions. Introduce them to other people. Help them with something small that maybe they need help with. And the key here is help them without asking them, can I help? Just help them. So if you see that they're launching a new product, or they've got something new going on, share on social media without telling them. And they'll see, oh, wow, this person's helpful without me even noticing, without me asking for a favor. Be genuinely interested. In their success, like actually want them to win. And this will come naturally. Understand that in business, this is not a zero sum game.

• 8:54Speaker 04

  Other people can win while you win. Okay, the pie is huge. And ask yourself, how can I help this person before asking for anything? Or you could do what I do. I just always assume I will never ask them for anything. I will just never ask anybody for anything unless they ask me, "Hey, can I help you in any way?" At that point, then maybe I will offer them, "Hey, do you mind sharing this or helping out with this launch?" Or whatever it might be. But I always go into a relationship trying to help first and never think about, "Hey, how could this person help me?" When you lead with value, people naturally want you to stay connected. Right? They naturally will trust you more because they feel like, "Okay, this person is not a taker.

• 9:37Speaker 04

  This person is a net positive in my life." Step four, go deep, not wide. Here's where most people go wrong. They try to build some huge network with thousands of people and they collect business cards like they're trophies, but they never build meaningful, deep relationships. They don't actually have real friends. Don't do that. Go deep, not wide. Focus on fewer, higher quality connections. So if I'm going to a conference, for example, my goal is not to try to collect 100 business cards or meet 100 people. It's going to be hard for you to memorize 100 names, let alone get to know them. If I happen to meet 100, great.

• 10:19Speaker 04

  But my goal really is, hey, I want to really connect deeply with four or five people. If you're new to this, two, three people is fine. Nurture those relationships over time. Check in regularly, be consistent and not transactional. I also want to say it's okay for you to think about who can have a massive impact on your journey as an entrepreneur? Who at this conference can really help me or give me advice? Or can just share their journey and I can learn through their stories? It's okay to identify those people and go out there and be like, "Hey, I want to help you in any way, get to know them." And you don't need to be like this kind of needy person. Or it's like, "Hey, can I help you? What are you working on? I'm happy to help you." No, you can just be helpful by being a friend,

• 11:04Speaker 04

  by being a listener, by sharing a meal, by just being normal, right? And being a person that's just curious about what they're doing. Invest deeply in those relationships because those relationships are going to be natural, they're going to be comfortable, and they're going to be mutual. The feeling will be mutual between each other. A strong, tight-knit network beats a shallow, "one and every five years I seek to this person" network. And step five, attend selective, purposeful in-person events. Yes, even introverts need to show up in person sometimes, and it doesn't have to be a pain. Go to conferences that pique your interest. Maybe the topics of the talks are interesting, or maybe the vibe or the people that are going to show up seem to be fun.

• 11:50Speaker 04

  Don't waste time on random events that are like meh. Go to the ones that are like, "Hell yeah, I want to go to this event." And you don't need to go to an event a week. You can go to some meaningful events, two to three or four events a year. One of the things I like to do is pre-connect with attendees online before the event. Usually, these events have a Facebook group or some sort of forum where you can chat and get to know each other, a Slack group. And it's good to kind of get to know people and learn about them and connect with them so that when you meet in person, it's like, "Oh yeah, I remember you. You're the person that has this type of business. Great to meet you. I'm Omar." This is a great way for you to just have something to talk about when you first meet somebody in person. Now you have warm connections rather than cold ones, right?

• 12:34Speaker 04

  One quality conversation at an event like this is more valuable than 10 shallow introductions. So you really want to see yourself as a person that's trying to make friends in the industry. So be friendly and try your best to just be yourself. That's all you can do. Building a strong network isn't about collecting contacts. It's about building real, long-lasting relationships. And here's how to nurture those relationships over time. And these are key because this is what transforms an acquaintance, somebody that you met at a conference, to an actual friend. Number one, follow up regularly. Send quick check-ins, hellos, what's going on? You know, congratulate them if you see they did something interesting on social media

• 13:17Speaker 04

  or they're celebrating an anniversary, or they went to a ballgame, whatever it might be. Be a friend and check in regularly and say hello. That could be a WhatsApp message, that could be a DM, that could be a comment on Facebook, whatever it might be. Number two, celebrate their wins. Acknowledge any kind of milestone or achievement that they make in their life or in their business. Don't just like it, comment on that post, right? Or send them a message and say, "Really proud of you. Really, that was amazing what you did." Three, be a connector. Introduce them to other people you think that could help them grow. And most importantly, be consistent. Try to message people that you met at least once a month. And if you need to use a spreadsheet, go ahead, use a spreadsheet. There's nothing wrong with that.

• 14:01Speaker 04

  It allows you to know that you have connected with that person at least once a month. It's not about making a big impression when you first meet them. It's about staying in touch over time that shows that you value the relationship and value them. Before I go, I want to leave you with this. You don't have to change who you are in order for you to build a powerful network. You don't have to do that. You just need a system that works for you. You need to play to your strengths. You need to focus on building real relationships, not just contacts. Your network is your net worth, but you've got to put in the effort. And the right connections can really change everything for you. Start today, one connection at a time. And before you know it, you'll be well-connected and that network is going to be something that

• 14:46Speaker 04

  you will value more than anything else. If you're serious about growing your network and want to build an authentic relationship, join my Three Things newsletter. Every week, I send you three things. One, something to think about, something to change your mindset. Two, something to do so you are moving forward. And three, something to learn. It's my way to coach you from afar and give you the tools to succeed. Go to 100mba.net and sign up for any of our free guides and you'll be added to our newsletter automatically, absolutely free. I'm Omar Zenhome and I'll check you in the next episode.

• 15:25Speaker 05

  Hey Fidelity, how can I remember to invest every month?

• 15:31Speaker 06

  With the Fidelity app, you can choose a schedule and set up recurring investments in stocks and ETFs.

• 15:37Speaker 05

  Oh, that sounds easier than I thought.

• 15:39Speaker 06

  You got this.

• 15:41Speaker 05

  Yeah, I do. Now, where did I put my keys?

• 15:45Speaker 06

  You will find them where you left them.

• 15:49Speaker 06

  Investing involves risk, including risk of loss. Fidelity Brokerage Services, LLC, member NYSE, SIPC.