The Power of Your Social Circle

Who do you associate with? And are you leveraging your social circle?

These are important questions because your social circle can be a powerful asset for advancing your career and life.

When I started my personal growth business ten years ago, I attended an in-person business building training in Toronto in November 2014 with Bob Proctor and about thirty other personal growth consultants / coaches "in training" like myself.   

What I learned transformed me. Three months after this event, I had a business with payng clients. This launched my business. Here are two things I did:

1) Identified 100 people in my social circle

I pushed myself to think widely. This list included:

• colleagues and clients from my prior work, including at two Fortune 500 companies;
• classmates from school, college and university;
• friends and family friends;
• contacts from professional associations and networks;
• other contacts including doctors, dentists, parents of my children's friends and contacts from church, health club, yoga center and other personal connections.  

Next, I found myself mentally rebelling for two months in November and December 2014. I didn't want people in my social circle to think I was using them. I came up with excuses like "It's Thanksgiving," "It's the holiday season," "People dont want to be bothered in December."

I forced myself out of my comfort zone. Initially, this felt quite threatening. The years that I worked in the corporate world, I mostly worked on the implementation side supporting "relationship managers."  Now I was the relationship manager.

2) Leveraged my social circle by contacting, calling and creating reciprocity

Finally, in January 2015, I realized I'd be out of business fast if I didn't start contacting my social circle. I took very imperfect action, contacting and calling the 100 people I identified. Not everyone responded. But many did!

My approach was strategic while grounded in sincerity and reciprocity. I was thoughtful and intentional contacting my social circle. These are key attributes of leverage. And my contacts, in turn, opened doors to their social circles.

By the end of January, I had contacted 140 people and enrolled my first paying clients.

Understanding the power of leverage in relationships

The reason this works is because life is about people and relationships. Any time you are in a transition, you can help yourself greatly by reaching out to your social circle. This happens when you contact, call, offer to help them and ask them to help you. Whether you are looking to advance your career at an organization; looking for a new position with a new company; or growing your business, identify the people in your social circle and leverage your relationships.

Leveraging the power of your social circle is a vital career and life skill. You're at risk of tarnishing your relationships if your contacts feel taken advantage of.  Thereforce, being thoughtul, intentional and reciprocal are basic components to bring to your relationships and, in turn, you will be supported!

By the way, have you accessed my Career Elevation Checklist - 7 Mindset Shifts to Elevate Your Career and Life for Business Leaders? Go to StephanieHessler.com and download your free guide.