Networking has been around for a long time in business. Some of the names you may recognize (Benjamin Franklin, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, and John D. Rockefeller) were prolific advocates of networking.

As we know it today, networking started taking hold in the 1970s. More formal groups like BNI (Business Networking International) started in 1984.

Tradeshows, associations, and even chambers of commerce are all forms of networking.

One of the best philosophies I have ever learned about networking is that business is not B2B (business to business); it’s H2h (human to human).

Humans are complex beings. They have emotions, biases, experiences, expectations, fears, hopes, and random acts of kindness or stupidity (depending on the planet’s alignment and inspiration from higher powers). In face-to-face networking, we get a tiny glimpse into the complexity of a person’s overall being.

Think of networking as a relationship bank! You have to make deposits to create interest. Every quality network you can tap into creates a foundational asset that can and will help grow your sphere of influence.