Way back in January 2017, when my full-time business leader overloaded brain needed a pressure outlet valve, I started blogging. It was a small “hello-may-I-just-say…” which in 4 years (when covid kicked me out of the habit), racked up over 230 posts, nearly 50 industry magazine articles, a lot of Twitter time, numerous conference presentations, and more positivity than I could ever have imagined.
Well, the habit is coming back to me. If I haven’t offloaded my thinking into a word document for more than a week or so, I start to really feel the pressure again. For me, my blogging is about how I’m feeling, or what has bugged me, or caught my eye. It’s rarely high-brow or technical; a concern I once voiced to a colleague who very kindly reassured me that it was, nonetheless, entertaining; but it does always say something about my working world.
Take this blog, for example, I’ll tell you now, wrapped up in personal experience and a human story, it’s going to reinforce what you already know. The more effort you put into building and maintaining a network, the more you will get out of it.
1st Pillar Limited started operating less than three months ago and I have been truly humbled by the generosity and support of my established network, as well as new friends I have made since. It has reminded me, (as if a reminder were needed) that having a network is the real key to success and that, without mine, I wouldn’t be where I am now.
The fact is, without the confidence that using my voice has brought over the years, I don’t believe I would have had the self-belief to start a business supporting school operations. I wouldn’t have known where to start building a website, or who to ask for advice on how to sell my skills. I wouldn’t have a vision of what 1st Pillar is going to be, because I wouldn’t have been influenced by so many amazing business leaders showing me the way.
I’m not going to tell you how to build your own network, but my advice would be this;
- Don’t limit yourself to one business, one locality, or one platform. The wider you throw your network, the bigger variety of skills and experience you will be able to share in. Also, if things really hit the fan, a bit of objective advice can be a game changer.
- Give as much as you get, be available to support others, share your experience and trust your voice.
- Make time.
If there comes a time when you need support, don’t be shy in asking for it. Life is ups and downs, and we all go through challenging times for both personal and work-related reasons. There is absolutely no need to go through anything on your own.
Back in the day, I used to sign off my blog posts in a way that seems relevant now…
You’ve got this.
Emma
