How to Grow Your Circle
I just got off the phone with someone I mentor. She was in tears. “How can I grow my circle? I feel like I’m hitting my head against a wall. It is so overwhelming.”
We talked about how frustrating the process can feel but I reminded her that she was in a transition and transitions can feel scary, new, unsettling, and uncomfortable. But these are all signs of growth. And growth gets us to a better place.
As she dried her tears, I became “Practical Polly” and we went through an exercise together laying our seven ways that she can expand her circle. Maybe some of these ways will work for you too.
Find someone to collaborate with. Who can you connect with where your skills can help them with a project? How could they help you? Collaboration is the place where 2+2 really can equal 14.
Find a mentor or mentee. Is there someone who might be willing to meet with you on a regular basis? Who needs your advice? Or whose advice do you need?
Find your flock. Create a small network of 3-10 people who can become trusted confidants. These are people who you can share details with, who will problem-solve with you, and who you are confident will hold your confidences.
Attend events. Networking events, retreats, conferences, festivals, and lectures are happening around you regularly. Zero in on events where you can meet others, connect with people who don’t look like you, and rub shoulders with people who have different lived experiences than you.
Reach out. Sometimes a simple email, text, phone call or message is all you need to make the initial connection. Do this without an agenda in mind. Sometimes these small connections put us on a path to big impacts.
Ask for advice. Send an email or make a call and ask for advice on a project or problem. Others love feeling needed and want to be helpful. Asking for advice is a great way to open the door to a longer relationship.
Ask for help. Reaching out to others with a hard ask can also help establish a relationship. There is always a chance you’ll get a “no” but there is not a lot to lose in most cases.
Growing your circle to include new, interesting, helpful people who don’t have the same lived experiences can feel difficult and daunting. But by taking a small step or two you can begin to grow that circle to include the best kind of people. Your business, you family and your life will be improved by doing so.