Connection as a Currency

Why purposefully nurtured relationships add to your bottom line.

When was the last time you thought about how to grow your business revenue? Or the last time you considered how to do more of the work that matters to your creative heart? I'm guessing it was pretty recent.

When was the last time you thought about the people part? The clients and colleagues, current and former. The prospective client who has followed you forever but hasn't booked yet. The neighbor down the street who always excitedly asks what you're headed to photograph when you load your camera gear into the car. That friend from college who you haven't talked to in a while but you think might be in the arts too... maybe?

These people make up a kind of abundance that we don't often talk about in business. 

Admittedly, I am just introverted enough to tend to shy away from networking in the traditional sense. I love deep, connected conversations, but I struggle hard with chit-chat! I want to get to know you and what you're walking through, and I've always told myself that this was harder to do in those networking-ish kind of settings. So much so that I have convinced myself that I'm terrible at networking — for a long time.

You know what a sucker I am for language, and networking is a word that just puts me in an early 2000’s windowless hotel conference room with crappy coffee and a lot of people who have something to sell, right when I'm not in the mood to buy. I know it's not always that way in real life (maybe?), but when people say networking, I say no thanks.

But there's always a reframe that might be more useful to me, both as a small business owner and a human in a world with other humans. And the one I've stumbled upon lately is Connection.

If networking feels salesy and gross, focusing on connection can be a pathway back into a more neutral way of experiencing others, and allowing them to experience you.

Connection is intentional work. Connection is attentive and curious. Connection is open and joyful. Connection is what ultimately drives growth — the growth of our business as well as our growth as business owners.

And why, you might be thinking, does this matter for your business? Because connection is a currency, too.

When we connect with someone — through curiosity and attentiveness — we make it more possible to see their journey and their challenges as ones we relate to. When we can relate, or at the very least listen well, we are able to make mental connections more quickly and more empathetically.

We create more opportunities to share referrals or recommendations.

We make it possible to pass work around that might not be a great fit for one person but a perfect fit for another person.

And when we connect in this intentional and open way, we also make it possible for our true selves to be seen and valued for the work we do and for who we are.

When I send referrals, I think about WHO I am referring someone to, not just the work they'll make for the client.