How to Meet the People You Need to Know
“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”
I always hated this cliche growing up.
In my experience, the people who drop this cliche never explain HOW to get to know the people you need to know to get what you want.
Like, the WHAT I want to know is HOW to meet the right people, but no one ever addresses that part.
Most of what I’ve seen is people using this line as an excuse. They didn’t make it as far as they wanted to go, because they just didn’t know the right people. These people are INVESTED in never addressing the how because it gives them the opportunity to blame their failure on someone else, or on something outside of themselves.
They can’t take responsibility for not knowing the right people, because then their whole foundation for accepting failure and mediocrity comes crumbling down.
But someone like myself, I have never accepted that. People have said to me, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” as a way to make ME feel better, and it’s never worked.
If it’s about knowing the right people, then I want to know them! I want their help! I want their support.
Telling me I just didn’t have the right people on my team doesn’t make me feel better, it makes me want to go out and get a better team.
But for years, I struggled on this…
HOW?
(Especially when you’re super introverted, like me!)
How do you meet the incredible people who will help elevate you and share your genius? When everyone around you is stuck in low-thinking mentalities, how do you branch out to find someone who has already expanded beyond your current space and is willing to help pull you up?
You cannot let the fear of rejection hold you back.
Because the sad truth of the matter is this: not everyone you ask for help will be willing to help you.
Some will try to tear you down, and you HAVE to remember that this is more a reflection of THEIR current state of mind rather than your actual potential. (EVERYONE has the potential to do amazing things!)
There are all kinds of people in this world and there will be people who love you for you, but for some those people are easier to find than for others.
The first step is to think, where are the people who you want to meet? Where do they hang out? What websites do they visit? What kind of events do they go to? Start by physically or virtually putting yourself in the places that your kind of support team peruses.
Physically being there is not enough. You have to participate!
There has to be a quick conversation about humility here. First of all, no one wants to work with someone who’s arrogant. You may be the best in the world at whatever you do, but if you’re an asshole people are gonna treat you like one.
On the flip-side, crippling self-doubt is not a pretty look either. If you are seeking advice from someone, you can’t be so self-deprecating that you negatively influence their thoughts about your work and working with you. When people see you doubt your own abilities, they can’t trust that you’ll have any confidence in theirs either. No one wants to work with someone who is second-guessing things along the way.
So you need to be confident, but humble, stick a hand out and meet some people!
Surrounding yourself with the right people is important, because the people you surround yourself with have a direct effect on your energies. You want to live a happy, healthy life fully of energy, so you cannot continue to choose to put yourself around people who drain you.
It’s not always easy, but it’s important.
That’s why I’m writing a book called, “Protect Your Energy.”
Learn to control energetic and emotional outbursts, to channel your energy towards the things which will best serve you, and more!
Click here to learn more!
