How to Make Virtual Networking Feel Authentic

As an ambivert leaning toward introversion, the biggest challenge I’ve faced while preparing to transition from the military to the civilian sector is… 👉🏾 𝘙𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦’𝘴 𝘋𝘔𝘴. It’s not that I can’t sell myself—I’ve run multiple businesses over the years, so I’m familiar with pitching. But even in business, I’ve always disliked cold calls. Why? Because I value authenticity. Reaching out to someone purely for what feels like self-serving reasons just doesn’t sit right with me. Yet, every career and transition guru emphasizes the importance of: 🔹 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 🔹 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 🔹 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 And they’re not wrong—it is part of the process. But instead of blindly following a script or spamming inboxes, I’ve discovered a few tips that feel more authentic and aligned with who I am: 𝟭. 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 Before sending that connection request, I spend time engaging with someone’s posts. ✔️ Leave meaningful comments. ✔️ Share their insights with my network. This creates a genuine interaction before any direct outreach. 𝟮. 𝗕𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 When I do send a message, I’m upfront about my intentions: ✔️ To learn from their experiences. ✔️ To understand their industry. ✔️ To connect because we share common ground. Transparency goes a long way. 𝟯. 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 Networking isn’t just about asking for help; it’s also about giving back. ✔️ Share insights or resources. ✔️ Offer a different perspective based on your experience. 𝟰. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 Approach conversations with curiosity, focusing on: ✔️ Building relationships. ✔️ Understanding their story ✔️ Being genuinely interested, not just “checking a box.” As I navigate this transition, I’m still learning and refining how I show up authentically on LinkedIn. But I know one thing: 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗲-𝗰𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments! #MilitaryTransition #LinkedInTips #AuthenticityInNetworking

Let’s be real—I get a lot of DMs. And I genuinely love connecting with people! But if I’m being honest, most messages I receive feel… well, random. A generic “Hey” or “I’d love to connect” doesn’t tell me why you’re reaching out or how I can help. If you really want to make an impact, your outreach needs to be intentional and clear—especially if you’re networking for a job, collaboration, or mentorship. So, how do you stand out in a sea of messages? ✅ Be clear on your “why.” Are you looking for advice? A partnership? An introduction? Say it upfront! Something like: “Hey [Name], I admire your work in retail leadership and marketing. I’m looking to transition into a similar space and would love to hear your thoughts on XYZ.” ✅ Show you’ve done your research. Did we work in the same industry? Did a recent post resonate with you? Mention it! A little context goes a long way in making the message feel authentic. ✅ Make it easy to say yes. Instead of “Can I pick your brain?” (which can feel vague and time-consuming), try: “Would you be open to a 15-minute chat? I promise to keep it brief!” or “Could I email you a few quick questions?” ✅ Include links to your work. If you’re reaching out about a job, project, or collaboration, don’t make the recipient search for your experience—send them the links upfront! Whether it’s your website, portfolio, resume, or LinkedIn profile, make it easy to get a snapshot of who you are and what you bring to the table. 👀 Want an example of how I present myself? Here’s my portfolio: https://lnkd.in/eZHdfQqZ 💼 Looking for my experience? Here’s my LinkedIn: Check out my LinkedIn work experience section. 📢 Curious about my work in retail, marketing, and partnerships? Check out https://lnkd.in/g2wpvk9B Networking isn’t about transactional asks—it’s about building relationships. The more thoughtful and specific your outreach, the more likely you are to get a response (and make a lasting impression).

Networking as an introvert feels scary AF. But it doesn’t have to be. Here are 3 tips that helped me build relationships with CEOs, influencers, and high-profile entrepreneurs (without leaving my couch): Context: For Introverts, By An Introvert I’m an introvert through and through. Networking, speaking, etc. Those were all SCARY uncomfortable for me early on. But, like any skill, I got better with practice. Here are 3 strategies that helped the most: 1. Quality > Quantity Instead of: - Going to meetups - Blasting out random connections - Attending conferences I focused on a handful of specific people. They met two criteria: - They had already done what I wanted to do - I was genuinely excited to engage with them 1a. Why Those Criteria? The first is easy. You should only take advice from people who already have what you want. For the second, forcing connections creates so much anxiety. Life is a lot easier when you're genuinely pumped to engage with the people on your contact list. 1b. Why A Handful? Great relationships require depth. By selecting a small set of people you're super excited about, you can invest more energy into each relationship. That energy is going to shine through and lead to a better, stronger, more authentic relationship. 2. Engage On Your Terms The idea of meeting a stranger for a 30-minute coffee terrified me. So I engaged where I was comfortable: virtually. - I commented on their posts. - I left reviews for their podcasts. - I proactively offered feedback on ideas. - I made introductions. 2a. Engage On Your Terms You are your best self when you show up where it's comfortable for you. I love starting in a virtual space because: It's easier to connect. You ease into things. When you meet for coffee down the road? You already have a history! Way less scary. 3. Monitor Your Energy Connecting was a roller coaster for me. I got anxiety beforehand, was super energized during, and exhausted after. Due to that, I limited myself to a certain number of networking convos each week. Then I scheduled non-negotiable "me" time to recharge.