People often ask me how I seem to know everyone, or why my network looks so unusual. The truth is, it wasn’t luck. It was built deliberately, over years, with a few rules I live by.
Don’t hoard introductions
Some people treat their contacts like currency to be locked away. That’s a mistake. The most valuable people in any room are the ones who connect others without expectation.
I’ve introduced investors to founders who went on to raise millions, and connected creatives with brands that became long-term partnerships. None of those intros made me a cent directly. But every single one came back to me in other ways.
Have a system
Relationships fade if you don’t invest in them. I track who I meet, what we spoke about, and reasons to check in again.
When I was raising capital, it wasn’t about blasting my deck to strangers. It was years of small, consistent check-ins with people I’d met over coffee or at events. So when the time came to ask, it wasn’t a cold pitch. It was a natural continuation of a relationship already built on trust.
Go outside
You can’t build a network from behind your laptop. I’ve said yes to awkward breakfasts, late-night panels, conferences I almost skipped, and dinners where I knew no one. Every single time, I walked away with at least one conversation that mattered.
One example: I once went to an event where I didn’t know a soul, ended up chatting with someone over a glass of wine, and a few years later that person became one of my biggest business collaborators. None of that would have happened if I’d stayed home.
Play the long game
If your mindset is “what can this person do for me today,” you’ll never get far. The people who’ve backed me over the years did so because trust had been compounding long before I asked for anything.
When I was building Online Model Academy, I was able to recruit high-profile course talent without huge upfront fees. Why? Because I’d invested in those relationships years earlier. They knew me, trusted me, and wanted to be part of what I was building.
Be curious
The fastest way to cut through is to be genuinely interested in someone else. Not their title, not their follower count. Them.
Some of the best intros I’ve ever had came from conversations where I had no agenda, other than wanting to understand someone’s story. That curiosity opens doors. It also makes people remember you, because you weren’t trying to sell them anything.
Give more than you take
Share insights. Celebrate wins. Pass on opportunities that aren’t right for you but might be right for them.
I’ve raised millions, recruited executives, and exited companies because I gave before I asked. Most of my biggest breaks started with a DM, not a pitch deck. The generosity bank balance builds faster than people realise, and when you eventually make a withdrawal, it’s already covered.
Audit your network
If everyone looks, thinks, and acts like you, you’re not learning. Seek friction.
Some of the most commercially valuable ideas I’ve had came from people outside of tech and startups entirely—an athlete, a musician, even someone I met through charity work. Diversity isn’t a box-tick exercise. It’s where new perspectives come from.
Build your brand
Visibility gets you in the room. Reputation decides if you’re invited back.
My personal brand has lowered CAC, increased deal flow, and brought in talent I couldn’t have hired otherwise. At Wink, and later at theright.fit, people came to us because they already knew who I was and what I stood for. That reputation carried across companies, making every future venture easier to start.
A strong network isn’t built on hype. It’s built on trust, consistency, and generosity. It’s a long game, but when the bets start compounding, the returns are exponential.