The advice I’d give my younger self: build your network before you need it
If I could sit down with my younger self - the one racing through deadlines, back to back meetings and campaign reviews, I’d give her one piece of advice:
Start networking. And start early.
For most of my corporate career, I didn’t. Not intentionally, anyway.
Like many marketers working inside organisations, my world was defined by the four walls of my employer. My circle was my team. My stakeholders. My CEO. The agencies we already worked with. I was surrounded by familiar faces, talking about familiar problems, in a familiar environment.
It felt productive but in hindsight, it kept my perspective small.
The wake up call: becoming a business owner
When I stepped into running my own consultancy, everything shifted.
Suddenly, networking wasn’t a “nice to have.” It was oxygen.
Over the last three months, I’ve met more inspiring people such as founders, operators, specialists, connectors, innovators than I met in years of corporate life. Each coffee, each breakfast event, each chance at conversation has opened my eyes to new ideas, opportunities, models and ways of thinking.
And the learning? I’ve grown more in 90 days than I did in the last three years.
Not because I wasn’t learning on the job before but because my environment was limited. When you work for one employer, your world becomes their world. It’s natural. It’s human. But it doesn’t stretch you beyond that ecosystem unless you make a conscious effort.
Why marketers need networking more than most
Sales teams get this by default. Their role puts them in front of new people constantly.
Marketers? Not so much.
Unless you intentionally step outside your organisation, you can easily spend years polishing skills within a single environment and never really expanding your network or your perspective.
But marketing needs fresh perspective. It thrives on understanding people, industries, behaviours, and trends.
You can’t get that by sitting in the same boardroom with the same voices every day.
The power of face to face
If you’re early in your career or even mid-career and feeling stuck here’s what I’d recommend to you (and to my younger self):
Don’t just network online.
Don’t rely on Teams calls.
Get out there.
Those face to face coffee catch ups? They are gold.
People open up more. They share more honestly.
The conversation flows in ways no virtual meeting ever can.
And you build real connection the kind that leads to unexpected collaborations, new business, new friendships and new thinking.
What networking has given me so far
Since leaning into networking, I’ve gained:
Fresh strategic perspective that fuels the work I do with clients.
A clearer sense of direction for Growth Lane Marketing.
Connections that challenge me, support me, and expand my thinking.
Opportunities I would never have encountered inside one organisation.
More confidence in the unique value I bring as a fractional marketing leader.
It’s reminded me exactly why I do what I do:
Helping businesses grow through clear direction, profitability focused strategy and leadership that sees beyond the day to day.
If you’re reading this take this as your sign
Whether you’re in corporate, freelancing, running a business, or figuring out your next step - invest in your network.
Show up. Shake hands.
Have the coffee. Ask questions.
Listen. Learn.
Because the people you haven’t met yet will shape your career in ways you can’t imagine today.
And I say that from experience.
Ready to expand your own network? Reach out and I’d love to grab a coffee and share what I’ve learned while hearing about your journey too.