Building A Diverse Network In Healthcare

A question I've got repeatedly lately is, "How do you recommend building a network in healthcare" and part of the follow-up to that question is usually, "what events do you recommend I attend"? It's probably easier to write it and send people this link than it is to repeat it each time. We also sell a "Must Have Guide" that outlines people to follow, networking advice, and events to attend for $9 but I've given it away so many times for free that Antwan D. Williams has given up on telling me to stop doing that 🤣 So here goes, free. The thought process: If you are a hospital administrator, going to a hospital administrator professional association event is probably a really hard place to stand out, especially if there's a lot of attendees. Chances are you all have to dress similarly, and you'll run in to all sorts of people who either have your same job or who are competing with you for the job you want. Not the ideal setup. My 2024 and 2025 advice is to: Go to an event where healthcare isn't the only thing on the agenda, but where there will be healthcare people. SXSW is on my list. It was the first event I went to outside of the true healthcare realm and truly changed the trajectory of my career. It's 100,000 people big (all across the city of Austin, TX across 100+ venues). There's probably 1,000 healthcare people. So, when you meet them, it feels like kindred spirits. They're excited to see you and excited you made the trek across town from the main stage performances to the smaller healthcare floor in one hotel. Your odds of spending quality time with people doing interesting things in healthcare are greatly increased. My 2nd recommendation is international. Upcoming events include MedTech World in Malta in November ( 👋 Dylan Attard MD, MRCSI, MEnt., HealthTech Forward in Barcelona in December (Barcelona Health Hub), London Tech Week in June 2025 (Amber Preston) and HLTH Europe (Henry Stoneley) June 2025 in Amsterdam. Planning ahead, you can spend the same amount on the experience as you would going to Tennessee but you get the added benefit of being a relatively small group within a larger group. There's incredible US leaders (if that's where you want your career to be) that go to these events (you can see on the speaker list or on the LinkedIn posts with the event hashtag) that will be overjoyed to talk to you about how good a chocolate shake from Shake Shack really is, or why Jimmy Johns can deliver food actually freaky fast. You'll stand out, your network will grow, and you'll expand your worldview (or your healthcare ecosystem view if you stay in the states). Free advice, usually around $8 not including taxes. Take that for what it's worth. And, tell me where you're going! 🛫

Meaningful partnerships are important to me. Lately, a significant portion of my work has involved connecting professionals in the healthcare innovation sector. My trip to Dallas last week started with organic introductions I made in 2024. Some may view making business introductions as a simple and quick process. The process takes time, and time has a cost. In healthcare, innovation doesn’t thrive in isolation; it takes the right connections to move ideas forward. But real impact happens when we prioritize relational partnerships over transactional exchanges. It’s about building trust, fostering mutual respect, and creating opportunities that solve real problems. Here are my thoughts on how to make meaningful introductions: ✅ Lead with Value, Not Ego. Don’t focus on what’s in it for you. Prioritize how both sides benefit from the introduction. Relationships built on genuine value last longer and go further. ✅ Know the Gaps Before You Fill Them. Understand the pain points of both parties. High-impact connections happen when you address a critical need or opportunity. ✅ Vet Ruthlessly, Introduce Thoughtfully. Not every connection is worth making. Be selective and introduce only when there’s a clear alignment of values, goals, and capabilities. Protect the integrity of your network. ✅ Do Your Homework. Before making an introduction, ensure you have a thorough understanding of both parties to effectively explain why the connection is significant. ✅ Frame the Introduction with Context. Set the stage. Provide both parties with sufficient background information to understand the relevance and potential of the relationship. Clarity upfront fosters respect and avoids wasted time. ✅ Stay in the Loop (But Don’t Hover). Follow up to see if the introduction was valuable, but don’t micromanage the outcome. Relationships that thrive are built on trust, not control. ✅ Be a Problem Solver, Not Just a Connector. Your role doesn’t end with the introduction. Be available to offer insights or guidance if needed as the relationship develops. ✅ Protect Your Network’s Trust. Introduce only when it makes sense. One mismatched connection can erode trust and weaken your credibility. Guard your network’s reputation as carefully as your own. ✅ Build for the Long Game. Relational partnerships aren’t built overnight. Consistently show up, add value, and nurture trust over time. Sustainable impact comes from authentic, long-term connections. ✅ Celebrate the Wins. When a connection you made leads to something great, acknowledge it. Recognize the impact and reinforce the power of trusted relationships. Relational partnerships move healthcare forward. When trust and respect are the foundation, introductions become catalysts for real change. If you’re serious about advancing innovation, be intentional with your connections. It’s not about quantity. It’s about quality, trust, and lasting impact. 🔥 #healthcareonlinkedin #partnerships #innovation #sme

I just helped a client find their dream developer in a place their competitors would never think to look. Last month I was doing a demo for a company trying to hire Ruby developers. They'd been posting on job boards for 3 months with zero qualified candidates. I asked them a simple question: "Do you know anyone in the Ruby community?" Turns out their CTO had been active in a LinkedIn group for Ruby developers for years, but they'd never thought to tap into it for recruiting. So we helped them reach out to the group leaders. When the group leader vouched for someone's technical abilities, that recommendation carried serious weight—way more than any resume or coding test could. Three weeks later, they had 5 qualified candidates in their pipeline. Most recruiters are sitting on goldmines and don't even realize it. We've been so focused on employee referrals that we're missing these massive professional communities where people already know and trust each other's work. Let me give you the five types of communities that have generated the best results for our clients.   • LinkedIn professional groups - Find the groups specific to your roles and get to know the leaders. They know everyone's actual capabilities because they've seen people's work in action.   • Industry specific networks - We've had healthcare clients absolutely kill it with communities like NurseDash. These professionals know each other's clinical skills and work styles in ways that go way beyond what you can see on a LinkedIn profile.   • Skill based communities on platforms like Reddit - When someone refers from a machine learning community, they're vouching for proven project experience. They've seen this person's code and watched them solve real problems.   • Geographic and local networks - Members meet face to face, collaborate on regional projects, and cultural fit comes built in because they understand the local business environment.   • Alumni networks from universities and bootcamps - These connections last forever and members understand learning styles and career paths in ways that skill assessments completely miss. Relationship strength matters way more than frequency of contact. You might not have talked to someone in 6 months, but if you worked on a meaningful project together, your recommendation still carries real weight. Most companies limit themselves to employee networks and then wonder why their referral programs fail. The companies winning right now are expanding into these broader professional communities where trust and professional credibility already exist. Bottom line is this: 60% of jobs get filled through networking anyway. Why not make it intentional and tap into communities where people actually know each other's work quality? What communities have been most valuable for your sourcing?