Many of the world’s most successful women prioritize cultivating a powerful network. Forbes highlights that networking is more than establishing a mutually beneficial trade. Actively extending your value across multiple networks can impact and encourage the success of others. Although requiring time and effort, the outcome of building thoughtful, meaningful, and rewarding relationships can support you to achieve goals in your personal and professional life.
The intrinsic drive to grow your network can come from seeking motivation, support, or a greater sense of community. The types of people you surround yourself with are key to providing an effective social environment that allows you to grow and thrive.
Whether reconnecting with former colleagues or meeting new people, here is some advice from 7 Power Women about how to cultivate your own effective network and the individuals they have chosen to surround themselves with.
Michele Ghee, Co-Founder And CEO of Expectant Media
With a resume that consists of big media names from CNN, The History Channel, Ebony, and BET, Michele Ghee’s advice on cultivating your network is to ensure you surround yourself with positive individuals who positively lift you up, rather than focusing on themselves.
“If you’re hanging around people that have to be the center of attention, if you’re hanging around people that are quietly preying [on] you because they’re always putting down your ideas or not encouraging you, or not holding you accountable or being honest, I can tell you 100%, you’re not going to be successful.”
Janice Bryant Howroyd, Founder and CEO of The ActOne Group
Janice Bryant Howroyd, the first Black woman to own a billion-dollar company, cultivates her professional network by ensuring her business consists of talented individuals offering different perspectives while equally ensuring they feel listened to, respected, and valued within this environment. This offers a mutually beneficial exchange of ideas while encouraging employee confidence and company success.
“Keeping my organization full of innovative thinkers who are coming from different experiences all aligned around one common goal, that is highly helpful when as a leader, you stop to listen to them in making the decision about what’s next.”
Joy Ofodu, Professional Voice Actor, Creator
Joy Ofodu, who started her career at Instagram and transitioned into self-producing her own content, sees the importance in cultivating a network of individuals who understand what you bring to the table
“Don’t argue with people who you are not attracted to, or do not seem to be in community with [you]. Do not spend that time trying to convince anybody of your worth or your value. If you find yourself pitching yourself to somebody, auditioning for somebody, and he’s not a paying client, then it’s time to get out.”
Mary Rogers:Managing Director of Montage Laguna Beach & Area General Manager of Montage Healdsburg and Pendry San Diego
Though many people look to colleagues or mentors for motivation and support, Mary Rogers’ advice centers around how the key relationships within your personal life can make as much of an impact as those inside your professional network.
“A huge, important decision is who you’re spending your life with. Whether it’s a spouse, a husband, wife, or whatever that is, make that selection and know the value of that selection because it is that person in life that will really support you, and really make sure that the person that you select to spend your life with, that they support your goals as much as you support them.”
Sadé Muhammad, CMO of TIME
CMO of Time since 2018, Sadé Muhammad prioritizes cultivating her network with individuals to enhance her relationships on both a personal and professional level. Sadè networks with those she enjoys spending time with, but aims to identify unity between value systems to create the opportunity for honest and transparent interactions.
“I think a good career and a career that you enjoy are about having people that you enjoy working with. It’s important to enjoy what you’re doing and not only to enjoy it but also to be around like-minded thought partners who share your values, work ethic, and vision. I think it’s just a matter of shared values and really being able to have honest conversations, to be transparent. I think that’s a basis for any good relationship in general, and especially in your career.”
Melissa Dawn Simkins, President and CEO of Velvet Suite and Founder of The She-Suite
Melissa Dawn Simkins, has built The She-Suite, a platform for global leadership and lifestyle. Empowering women to find their purpose and communicate this in their personal and professional lives, Simkins believes that trust is the most important factor in cultivating a strong relationship and platform for communication, whether between individuals or embedded across company culture.
“Everything in a relationship is trust. You build trust by consistency, authenticity, empathy, and time. A crisis most companies and institutions have is a trust crisis. It requires some foundation of trust to be in place for a conversation like this to happen. I think now more than ever, leadership is realizing they have to build these trusting relationships to really understand their team members and who they are wholeheartedly.”
Yunice Emir, Head of Corporate Communications & Experiential Partnerships Moët Hennessy USA
Identifying mutual connections and supporting others to find their own community, can be equally helpful throughout the process of establishing your own. Yunice Emir has worked with corporate teams at Coca-Cola and Moët Hennessy that foster community and communication. Yunice replicates this role in her personal life by leaning into her contacts and acting on their shared interests, to help others.
“Community and collaboration are ingrained in my being. I have an innate ability to make valuable connections with people in person and to connect with individuals I meet when I hear they have shared interests. My instinct wants to introduce people, as I feel magic can happen through connection.”
