To me, adventure has always been to me the connections and bounds you create with people when you’re there. And you can have that anywhere.
– Bear Grylls, British Explorer

Tobi Oluwole, CEO of The Founder’s Blueprint, shared the following on LinkedIn. Thanks to Ngozi Ugoji, diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility consultant, for bringing it to our attention!

I showed up at my ex-manager’s house with donuts one random evening. He left what he was doing, came outside and we talked for 2 hours.

A few months later, my wife and I were visiting Rome, Italy, and I thought of this same manager again. I remembered that he was Italian and I jokingly said to my wife: “Wouldn’t it be funny if we ran into my ex-boss in Italy?” 10 minutes later we ran into him and his family on a side street in ROME! It was one of the most miraculous things I’ve ever experienced.

People talk about “networking” like a to-do list but it’s not. If you want to have a great network of people all you need to do is this:

1. Reach out to people just because they crossed your mind. Send an email, Facetime them, send a text or drop off some donuts. They might not respond but they will always remember.

2. Give back once a month. Find someone who’s one or two steps behind where you are and just have a conversation with them. Help them move a little faster by sharing your wisdom.

3. Connect 2 people in your network to each other once a quarter. If you think of two people who might get along or help each other, just make the introduction. Both parties will appreciate you making the connection.

Relationships are what make life so worth living.