Good People,
We have been taught to network.
Attend the event.
Exchange the card.
Connect on LinkedIn.
Grow the list.
But what happens after the connection?
That is where this week's conversation on Lena Speaks: The Podcast went deeper.
I sat down with Amy Curtis, Co-Founder and Senior Principal of Curtis Concepts, and she said something that immediately made me stop:
Your LinkedIn contacts may represent your network. Your text messages are often a better reflection of your relationships.
That distinction matters.
A network gives you access.
A relationship creates trust.
And trust is what often leads to the next introduction, partnership, client, donor, collaboration, or opportunity.
Networking gets you into the room. Relationship building changes what happens once you're there.
Amy and I have known each other for more than a decade. Our friendship actually began as a workplace relationship.
And that is part of what made this conversation important.
We didn't just talk about networking.
We talked about what it means to actually see people.
To understand what matters to them.
To make an introduction without immediately asking, What's in this for me?
To build relationships before you desperately need something from them.
That matters in leadership.
It matters in fundraising.
It matters in business development.
And it absolutely matters when you are building an organization.
Amy explained that one of the worst times to begin developing donor, investor, or strategic relationships is when the organization is already in trouble and suddenly needs resources.
Relationships work differently.
You build them before the crisis.
You invest before the ask.
You create value before you need a favor.
And then we got into visibility.
This is one I have had to learn for myself.
“If they don't see you, they cannot choose you.”
I don't mean posting just to post.
I don't mean living online.
And I definitely don't mean confusing visibility with vanity.
I mean becoming intentional about making your expertise, story, perspective, and value visible to the people who may actually need it.
I shared during this week's episode that my podcast has directly contributed to business opportunities, including a multiyear relationship with an organization outside of Indiana.
Amy shared a similar story.
After reconnecting with the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and being featured in an alumni profile, a potential client reached out after seeing her online.
That is what strategic visibility can do.
It becomes another access point.
Another encounter.
Another opportunity for someone to understand who you are, what you know, and how you can help.
The question isn't only, "Who is in my network?"
A better question may be:
Who have I actually built a relationship with?
And another:
Can the people who need what I do actually find me?
Those are two very different questions.
And heading into 2027, leaders and organizations should be asking both.
Because growth is rarely just about doing more.
Sometimes it is about strengthening the relationships already around you.
Sometimes it is about telling your story more clearly.
Sometimes it is about becoming visible enough for the right people to recognize the value that was already there.
This week's episode:
In Lena Speaks: The Podcast, Amy and I talk about:
Networking versus authentic relationship building
Why relationships should not be transactional
Building relationships before you need resources
Fundraising and donor strategy
Storytelling and communicating organizational value
Nonprofit sustainability and collaboration
Entrepreneurship and creating your own path
Strategic visibility
How relationships create opportunities years after the first introduction
Watch or listen to this week's conversation:
Networking Isn't Enough: Building Relationships That Create Opportunity with Amy Curtis
WATCH / LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE
Are you already planning for 2027?
Good People, fourth quarter isn't only about finishing 2026.
It is also when organizations begin deciding what needs to change next.
If your 2027 priorities include stronger leadership, better communication, executive alignment, increased accountability, healthier culture, or developing leaders differently than you have before, now is the time to begin the conversation.
Authentic Encounters helps organizations move from training to transformation.
If you are building your 2027 leadership and culture strategy, contact Authentic Encounters to schedule a conversation about what transformation needs to look like inside your organization.
Plan your 2027 transformation → Schedule a Leadership Clarity Call
Until next time, Good People:
Build the network.
Invest in the relationship.
Tell the story.
And make sure the people who need you can actually find you.
Lena Morris
Founder & CEO, Authentic Encounters
From Training to Transformation.
Human First. Employee Second.
