Welcome to June: Tiffany Ball's Service-First Approach to Networking

In this introductory episode for June's "Pass the Mic" takeover, Tiffany Ball welcomes listeners into her world of authentic, relationship-based networking. Drawing from her 20-year career managing Hilton and Marriott hotels across the United States, Tiffany shares how she learned to "people for a living" and discovered her gift for networking while working for someone else's business. Frustrated by the transactional nature of most networking groups where people felt like numbers rather than humans, she founded Grow Networking to create a space where connections are intentional, opportunities are meaningful, and everyone's presence matters. Tiffany sets expectations for her month of hosting, promising vulnerability, honesty, and yes, some F-bombs, while introducing her core philosophy that the journey from A to B should feel good, even if the destination (making money) is the same for everyone.

Tiffany Ball is an entrepreneur and founder of Grow Networking, bringing two decades of hospitality management experience to the world of authentic business relationships. Having managed Hilton and Marriott hotels across the United States, she developed expertise in "peopling for a living" - understanding how to make relationships, manage teams, and lead through service. Her transition into networking began when working for someone else's business, where she discovered her natural talent for connection-building. Frustrated by transactional networking environments that made people feel like numbers or industries rather than humans, Tiffany created Grow Networking as a community focused on vulnerability, humility, honesty, and kindness as the foundations of business relationships. She proudly embraces being "a mess" and believes in sharing authenticity over perfection, using service-minded approaches to make the business journey feel good while still achieving financial success.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Hospitality Career Foundation: How 20 years of managing hotels taught essential people skills and relationship management
• Discovery of Networking Talent: Realizing her gift for networking while working for someone else's business
• Problems with Traditional Networking: Why most networking groups feel transactional and competitive rather than collaborative
• Service-First Philosophy: Leading with "How can I show up for you?" before making any business asks
• The Journey vs. Destination Concept: Why the path from A to B should feel good, even if everyone's end goal is making money
• Authenticity Over Perfection: Embracing messiness and vulnerability as strengths in business relationships
• Grow Networking Community: Creating intentional connections where opportunities are meaningful and presence matters
• Vulnerability, Humility, Honesty, and Kindness: The four foundational pillars of relationship-based business
• Making Business Feel Good: The importance of waking up wanting to do what you do
• Setting Expectations: Warning about F-bombs while promising heartfelt, caring, and kind messages

Powerful Quotes from the Episode

"I people for a living I was people and I know how to people. I know how to make relationships. I know how to manage. I know how to lead. I've done it mostly because I failed a lot."

"It's one of those things that you don't recognize you're really good at until you realize how bad other people are at it."

"I found that there was a lot of transactional things happening within these networking groups, where it was you felt more like a number, you felt like an industry, you felt constantly in competition."

"I am always trying to focus my life on