Should you spend tonight meeting new people or deepening the relationships you already have? Trick question — a healthy network needs both. Here’s how to strike the balance.
The Case for Creating
New connections bring new opportunities, fresh perspectives, and reach into circles you can’t access today. If your network is all familiar faces, it stops surprising you — and opportunity usually arrives as a surprise. Make a habit of meeting people outside your industry, not just inside it.
The Case for Growing
A stack of business cards isn’t a network. Trust is built over repeated contact — the third coffee, the referral that worked out, the favor returned. Your existing relationships are where referrals, partnerships, and real support actually come from. Neglect them and they quietly expire.
A Simple Balance Rule
At any event, split your time: spend half with people you know and half with people you don’t. Ask the friends you run into to introduce you to someone new — a warm introduction beats a cold approach every time and serves both goals at once.
Work as a Team
Attending with a colleague? Divide and conquer, then introduce each other to the best people you each met. Two people working a room together can double their reach without doubling the effort.
Audit Yourself Quarterly
Every few months, ask: am I meeting anyone new? Am I nurturing what I have? Whichever answer is weaker tells you what next month’s calendar should look like.
Do both this month — find new rooms and familiar faces on the Network Vegas calendar.
