September 19, 2024 • 12 mins
Ever wondered how you can land lucrative opportunities outside of academia without attending tedious networking events? You're about to uncover the secrets to building valuable networks that align with your professional ambitions and break free from traditional constraints. Through actionable strategies and personal stories, we'll redefine networking to mean positioning yourself for the next big opportunity so that you can get paid.
Follow Dr. Sheena Howards' socials:
@drsheenahoward | Power Your Research
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Join communities in which the actual community's
goal is something that will helpyou get to the next level.
I feel like we use the wordcommunity like we're saying like
something that's trending, likeavocado.
But community, if you do itright, is actually a thing that
can get you your next bigopportunity, so that you can get
paid.
I don't want my work to bestuck behind an academic paywall
(00:35):
.
I want to leave a legacy, Iwant to reach my potential and I
want to change lives.
This podcast, power yourResearch, is my attempt to help
the smartest people in the worlddo that very thing.
My hope is that you use thelessons I share to make more
money than what your higher edjob can ever pay you.
I've done it, my clients havedone it, and so can you.
(00:58):
My hope is that you'll applywhat you learn here and one day
join the Power your Researchprogram where you can work with
me one-on-one.
Today we're talking aboutnetworking.
That doesn't involve going tonetworking events, and I
(01:19):
actually just did a shorttraining on this earlier, so I
have notes over here on theboard and I'm going to summarize
everything for you.
This is a super important topicbecause, in order to get your
next big opportunity, you haveto engage in some networking
activities.
Now.
To start, I want to give you mydefinition of networking, so
that we're all on the same page,and then I'm going to give you
(01:40):
five strategies that you canstart doing today so that you
can start building your network,so you can get your next big
opportunity, and the one afterthat and the one after that.
So let's jump in.
So my definition of networkingis putting yourself in a
position to land your next bigopportunity so that you can get
paid.
So, again, putting yourself ina position to land your next big
(02:03):
opportunity so that you can getpaid.
So that is my definition ofnetworking.
So it's basically the actionsthat you're going to take so you
can get the next bigopportunity so that you can get
paid.
Getting paid is super important.
If you're building a brand, ifyou're building your platform,
if you're an academic trying toget free, both mentally and
financially, from just thepaycheck from your academic
(02:25):
institution, networking is key.
As academics, we tend to thinkthat going to an academic
conference is networking, andthere's a really big world
outside of our academicconferences that are going to
get you further and closer tohaving continued big
opportunities and those don'tinvolve academic conferences.
So let's go through these five.
The first thing that you can dois stand next to other brands
(02:50):
and by brands you can justreplace that word with
businesses.
Stand next to other businessesthat align with your values and
that are adjacent but havesimilar target audiences that
they focus on.
So, for example, I run thispower year research company.
It focuses on people with PhDswho want to build big platforms,
make it sustainable by makingat least six figures, and I've
(03:13):
aligned with people like theacademic designer.
The academic designer is abusiness.
Her name is Jennifer and shehelps academics build their
websites and get social mediacalendars and that kind of thing
.
So we don't do the same thing,but we focus on the same
audience and what she has canhelp my audience and what I have
can help her audience.
So when I stand next to her,like literally we've done live
(03:35):
sessions together where peoplewill pay us to teach them stuff
that makes a my networkingopportunities exponentially
higher than me just talking toyou on this live, because now I
get to do an event with somebodythat has a target audience that
I'm going after.
We get to make money doing thelive event and that audience her
audience, gets to seize me sothat I can get my next big
(03:57):
opportunity, so that I can getpaid.
Anybody can do this.
What are the services andthings that you offer or are
interested in?
What other brands or businessesthat are similar to you can you
connect with, start workingwith them, collaborating with
them?
This can be as simple asjumping on a live chat and just
going live with that person toget in front of their audience.
The name of the game is themore visibility, the more people
(04:19):
that see you, the moreopportunities will come your way
.
That's strategy number one.
Strategy number two is to joinaligned communities.
Join communities in which theactual community's goal is
something that will help you getto the next level.
I feel like we use the wordcommunity like we're saying like
something that's trending, likeavocado, but community, if you
(04:43):
do it right, is actually a thingthat can get you your next big
opportunity so that you can getpaid.
I'll give you two examples.
Right now, I am sitting in aco-working space called Rec
Philly.
This co-working space is notjust any co-working space.
I picked it on purpose for thecommunity, because this
co-working space has the goal ofhelping people turn their
passions into profit, and soit's not just a place where I
(05:05):
come to do work, but they alsohave a community of thousands of
people here that all have thesame goal.
So now I have a community of atleast a thousand people that I
can connect with, that I cangrow with, and joining a
community is just like going tocollege so if you're watching
this, you're an academic oreducator most likely, and what
happens in college?
The more you put into it, themore you get out of it.
(05:26):
So sit down and think about twocommunities that you might have
to pay for, but it will pay off, that you can join, that you
can pour into so that you canbuild your community of people
that are going to mention yourname behind closed doors.
In here I get to meet a lot ofdifferent people.
I get to connect with theowners.
I get to get coaching from theowners so that I can build those
(05:46):
relationships that will lead meto my next big opportunity, so
that I can get paid.
The other community I belong tois my speakers bureau.
It's like 12 plus of us thatare all speakers.
We meet every year.
We have a conference.
People come in and speak to uson all different types of topics
.
All of the speakers help eachother throughout the year, stay
(06:07):
in contact.
We like each other's contentand posts and we all have the
same goal to get booked for morespeaking engagements and get
paid.
And so that community ishelping me in so many ways,
because the very foundation ofthat community is to help me
grow.
Can you think of two communities, or research two communities?
And these can be communitiesonline.
They don't have to be placesthat are in your geographical
(06:30):
location that you can pour into?
That will help you get thatnext big opportunity so that you
can get paid.
Hey, everyone, real quick.
I don't run any ads on thispodcast, so I have to rely on
word of mouth.
If this podcast has helped youin any way, please share it with
a friend and follow me, drSheena Howard, on LinkedIn,
(06:50):
where I give more free contenton building your brand as an
academic.
If you tell me you came to myLinkedIn from the podcast, I'll
make sure I accept your request.
Number three the third way youcan network without going to
networking events.
Because I don't know about you.
I can't think of one bigopportunity that I ever got from
actually going to a networkingevent where I just stood there
(07:12):
looking awkwardly and tried tofigure out who the next person
was for me to talk to.
So number three is to sendemails.
Sending emails is underrated.
Okay, a lot of my biggestopportunities I'm talking about
the ability to write for DMC,from Run DMC.
I'm talking about writing forMarvel Comics and DC Comics
those three specific bigopportunities that I got came
(07:34):
because I sent the email topeople that could book me for
those opportunities, people thatcould hire me for those
opportunities.
Now, I'm not going to use thisto talk in detail about what you
need to be saying in that email, because I've done that a ton,
particularly on LinkedIn and onmy Instagram account.
So I'm not going to use this totalk in detail about what you
need to be saying in that email,because I've done that a ton,
particularly on LinkedIn and onmy Instagram account.
So I'm not going to use this togo in depth on that.
Certainly, if you havequestions about it, drop your
(07:55):
question in the comments andI'll send you links to some of
this content.
But there's a lot to that.
But don't be afraid to sendemails to people that you want
to work with, but there's astrategy behind it.
Number four your best clientsare not the client that you're
going after.
It's the clients that youalready have.
Look back at the people thatyou've worked with over the last
(08:17):
year.
Did you do a speakingengagement?
Did you do consulting forsomeone?
Did somebody spend $5 on your$5 template?
The best customer is the personthat has already paid you,
because if you did a good job,they already trust you and
they're more likely to spendmore money on you.
If you do a really good job offollowing up with current and
past clients and asking them howyou can help and reminding them
(08:39):
that you can help them with aspecific aspect of what they're
doing, they're more likely tospend more money on you.
That's how you turn a $100customer into a $500 customer.
I have it in my calendar.
Every three months I reach outto past clients.
Simple email takes me 10minutes hey, how's it going?
How are you doing with thatlast project that I worked on?
Just want to let you know I'mhere to help if you need me.
(09:02):
Better, if you can findsomething specific that you can
help them with.
A lot of times when you'reworking with clients, you see
areas that you can help themwith, just say it.
Hey, I see that you need helpwith this.
I actually can do that.
You need to get in the habit ofdoing that.
That's how you get your nextbig opportunity so that you can
get paid.
Number five.
The last thing do check-inswith your plugs.
So if you've been following me,your plugs, so if you've been
(09:28):
following me, if you're in myPatreon community, I talk about
a digital brand strategy guideand in that digital brand
strategy guide is a strategy toactivate your current existing
audience, and one part of yourcurrent existing audience is
what we call plugs.
A plug are just like six to 10people that you already know,
that like you and that arewilling to mention your name
behind closed doors.
Right, and if you sit and thinklong enough, you have a list of
(09:49):
these people that have referredyou before that maybe you do
lunch with once a year.
They really want to help youbuild.
You want to do quarterlycheck-ins with those plugs to
stay top of mind.
Sometimes people don't refer youto other opportunities because
you're just not top of mind atthat time, and the best way to
stay top of mind is to send textmessages.
(10:10):
Give you an example I write forfrom Run DMC.
He's really big into doingstuff with foster care, youth
and adoption and all that goodstuff, because he found out he
was adopted at the age of 35.
And so every once in a whileI'll see an article about foster
care or some new thing thatcomes out around that topic and
I'll text them like hey, daryl,I saw this article, thought
(10:31):
about you and that's it.
Realistically, it takes you twominutes, and so do those types
of check-ins.
Schedule that in, becausesometimes people are not just
referring you or mentioning youbehind closed doors because
you're just not top of mind.
That's the point of postingcontent consistently, to be
quite honest.
So people don't forget that Irun an academic branding company
and I'm a writer that writesfor celebrities, ceos and social
(10:52):
impact companies.
Right, you see me constantly,you're reminded, you remember.
So those are five things youcan do to network without
actually having to go tonetworking events.
Because, again, if you're likeme, networking events don't do
much for you and it's justpeople talking to people that
they already know and nottalking to you, because they
don't recognize who you are, andthat doesn't feel like the best
(11:12):
use of our time, so I hope thishelps somebody out there.
Drop your questions and commentsbelow if you have them.
If you like this, follow,subscribe, jump into my Patreon
community.
There's a lot more in-depthcontent, one-on-one
conversations with me and all ofthat good stuff in my community
.
If you're an academic oreducator, let's jump on a free
(11:34):
call to talk about building yourplatform, leaving your legacy
and blowing out of the confinesof academe so you can protect
your future Again.
My name is Dr Sheena Howard.
I'm the founder of Power, yourResearch.
I'm here to help academics andeducators build big brands and
make a lot of money.
You.
Join communities in which the actual community's
goal is something that will helpyou get to the next level.
I feel like we use the wordcommunity like we're saying like
something that's trending, likeavocado.
But community, if you do itright, is actually a thing that
can get you your next bigopportunity, so that you can get
paid.
I don't want my work to bestuck behind an academic paywall
(00:35):
.
I want to leave a legacy, Iwant to reach my potential and I
want to change lives.
This podcast, power yourResearch, is my attempt to help
the smartest people in the worlddo that very thing.
My hope is that you use thelessons I share to make more
money than what your higher edjob can ever pay you.
I've done it, my clients havedone it, and so can you.
(00:58):
My hope is that you'll applywhat you learn here and one day
join the Power your Researchprogram where you can work with
me one-on-one.
Today we're talking aboutnetworking.
That doesn't involve going tonetworking events, and I
(01:19):
actually just did a shorttraining on this earlier, so I
have notes over here on theboard and I'm going to summarize
everything for you.
This is a super important topicbecause, in order to get your
next big opportunity, you haveto engage in some networking
activities.
Now.
To start, I want to give you mydefinition of networking, so
that we're all on the same page,and then I'm going to give you
(01:40):
five strategies that you canstart doing today so that you
can start building your network,so you can get your next big
opportunity, and the one afterthat and the one after that.
So let's jump in.
So my definition of networkingis putting yourself in a
position to land your next bigopportunity so that you can get
paid.
So, again, putting yourself ina position to land your next big
(02:03):
opportunity so that you can getpaid.
So that is my definition ofnetworking.
So it's basically the actionsthat you're going to take so you
can get the next bigopportunity so that you can get
paid.
Getting paid is super important.
If you're building a brand, ifyou're building your platform,
if you're an academic trying toget free, both mentally and
financially, from just thepaycheck from your academic
(02:25):
institution, networking is key.
As academics, we tend to thinkthat going to an academic
conference is networking, andthere's a really big world
outside of our academicconferences that are going to
get you further and closer tohaving continued big
opportunities and those don'tinvolve academic conferences.
So let's go through these five.
The first thing that you can dois stand next to other brands
(02:50):
and by brands you can justreplace that word with
businesses.
Stand next to other businessesthat align with your values and
that are adjacent but havesimilar target audiences that
they focus on.
So, for example, I run thispower year research company.
It focuses on people with PhDswho want to build big platforms,
make it sustainable by makingat least six figures, and I've
(03:13):
aligned with people like theacademic designer.
The academic designer is abusiness.
Her name is Jennifer and shehelps academics build their
websites and get social mediacalendars and that kind of thing
.
So we don't do the same thing,but we focus on the same
audience and what she has canhelp my audience and what I have
can help her audience.
So when I stand next to her,like literally we've done live
(03:35):
sessions together where peoplewill pay us to teach them stuff
that makes a my networkingopportunities exponentially
higher than me just talking toyou on this live, because now I
get to do an event with somebodythat has a target audience that
I'm going after.
We get to make money doing thelive event and that audience her
audience, gets to seize me sothat I can get my next big
(03:57):
opportunity, so that I can getpaid.
Anybody can do this.
What are the services andthings that you offer or are
interested in?
What other brands or businessesthat are similar to you can you
connect with, start workingwith them, collaborating with
them?
This can be as simple asjumping on a live chat and just
going live with that person toget in front of their audience.
The name of the game is themore visibility, the more people
(04:19):
that see you, the moreopportunities will come your way
.
That's strategy number one.
Strategy number two is to joinaligned communities.
Join communities in which theactual community's goal is
something that will help you getto the next level.
I feel like we use the wordcommunity like we're saying like
something that's trending, likeavocado, but community, if you
(04:43):
do it right, is actually a thingthat can get you your next big
opportunity so that you can getpaid.
I'll give you two examples.
Right now, I am sitting in aco-working space called Rec
Philly.
This co-working space is notjust any co-working space.
I picked it on purpose for thecommunity, because this
co-working space has the goal ofhelping people turn their
passions into profit, and soit's not just a place where I
(05:05):
come to do work, but they alsohave a community of thousands of
people here that all have thesame goal.
So now I have a community of atleast a thousand people that I
can connect with, that I cangrow with, and joining a
community is just like going tocollege so if you're watching
this, you're an academic oreducator most likely, and what
happens in college?
The more you put into it, themore you get out of it.
(05:26):
So sit down and think about twocommunities that you might have
to pay for, but it will pay off, that you can join, that you
can pour into so that you canbuild your community of people
that are going to mention yourname behind closed doors.
In here I get to meet a lot ofdifferent people.
I get to connect with theowners.
I get to get coaching from theowners so that I can build those
(05:46):
relationships that will lead meto my next big opportunity, so
that I can get paid.
The other community I belong tois my speakers bureau.
It's like 12 plus of us thatare all speakers.
We meet every year.
We have a conference.
People come in and speak to uson all different types of topics
.
All of the speakers help eachother throughout the year, stay
(06:07):
in contact.
We like each other's contentand posts and we all have the
same goal to get booked for morespeaking engagements and get
paid.
And so that community ishelping me in so many ways,
because the very foundation ofthat community is to help me
grow.
Can you think of two communities, or research two communities?
And these can be communitiesonline.
They don't have to be placesthat are in your geographical
(06:30):
location that you can pour into?
That will help you get thatnext big opportunity so that you
can get paid.
Hey, everyone, real quick.
I don't run any ads on thispodcast, so I have to rely on
word of mouth.
If this podcast has helped youin any way, please share it with
a friend and follow me, drSheena Howard, on LinkedIn,
(06:50):
where I give more free contenton building your brand as an
academic.
If you tell me you came to myLinkedIn from the podcast, I'll
make sure I accept your request.
Number three the third way youcan network without going to
networking events.
Because I don't know about you.
I can't think of one bigopportunity that I ever got from
actually going to a networkingevent where I just stood there
(07:12):
looking awkwardly and tried tofigure out who the next person
was for me to talk to.
So number three is to sendemails.
Sending emails is underrated.
Okay, a lot of my biggestopportunities I'm talking about
the ability to write for DMC,from Run DMC.
I'm talking about writing forMarvel Comics and DC Comics
those three specific bigopportunities that I got came
(07:34):
because I sent the email topeople that could book me for
those opportunities, people thatcould hire me for those
opportunities.
Now, I'm not going to use thisto talk in detail about what you
need to be saying in that email, because I've done that a ton,
particularly on LinkedIn and onmy Instagram account.
So I'm not going to use this totalk in detail about what you
need to be saying in that email,because I've done that a ton,
particularly on LinkedIn and onmy Instagram account.
So I'm not going to use this togo in depth on that.
Certainly, if you havequestions about it, drop your
(07:55):
question in the comments andI'll send you links to some of
this content.
But there's a lot to that.
But don't be afraid to sendemails to people that you want
to work with, but there's astrategy behind it.
Number four your best clientsare not the client that you're
going after.
It's the clients that youalready have.
Look back at the people thatyou've worked with over the last
(08:17):
year.
Did you do a speakingengagement?
Did you do consulting forsomeone?
Did somebody spend $5 on your$5 template?
The best customer is the personthat has already paid you,
because if you did a good job,they already trust you and
they're more likely to spendmore money on you.
If you do a really good job offollowing up with current and
past clients and asking them howyou can help and reminding them
(08:39):
that you can help them with aspecific aspect of what they're
doing, they're more likely tospend more money on you.
That's how you turn a $100customer into a $500 customer.
I have it in my calendar.
Every three months I reach outto past clients.
Simple email takes me 10minutes hey, how's it going?
How are you doing with thatlast project that I worked on?
Just want to let you know I'mhere to help if you need me.
(09:02):
Better, if you can findsomething specific that you can
help them with.
A lot of times when you'reworking with clients, you see
areas that you can help themwith, just say it.
Hey, I see that you need helpwith this.
I actually can do that.
You need to get in the habit ofdoing that.
That's how you get your nextbig opportunity so that you can
get paid.
Number five.
The last thing do check-inswith your plugs.
So if you've been following me,your plugs, so if you've been
(09:28):
following me, if you're in myPatreon community, I talk about
a digital brand strategy guideand in that digital brand
strategy guide is a strategy toactivate your current existing
audience, and one part of yourcurrent existing audience is
what we call plugs.
A plug are just like six to 10people that you already know,
that like you and that arewilling to mention your name
behind closed doors.
Right, and if you sit and thinklong enough, you have a list of
(09:49):
these people that have referredyou before that maybe you do
lunch with once a year.
They really want to help youbuild.
You want to do quarterlycheck-ins with those plugs to
stay top of mind.
Sometimes people don't refer youto other opportunities because
you're just not top of mind atthat time, and the best way to
stay top of mind is to send textmessages.
(10:10):
Give you an example I write forfrom Run DMC.
He's really big into doingstuff with foster care, youth
and adoption and all that goodstuff, because he found out he
was adopted at the age of 35.
And so every once in a whileI'll see an article about foster
care or some new thing thatcomes out around that topic and
I'll text them like hey, daryl,I saw this article, thought
(10:31):
about you and that's it.
Realistically, it takes you twominutes, and so do those types
of check-ins.
Schedule that in, becausesometimes people are not just
referring you or mentioning youbehind closed doors because
you're just not top of mind.
That's the point of postingcontent consistently, to be
quite honest.
So people don't forget that Irun an academic branding company
and I'm a writer that writesfor celebrities, ceos and social
(10:52):
impact companies.
Right, you see me constantly,you're reminded, you remember.
So those are five things youcan do to network without
actually having to go tonetworking events.
Because, again, if you're likeme, networking events don't do
much for you and it's justpeople talking to people that
they already know and nottalking to you, because they
don't recognize who you are, andthat doesn't feel like the best
(11:12):
use of our time, so I hope thishelps somebody out there.
Drop your questions and commentsbelow if you have them.
If you like this, follow,subscribe, jump into my Patreon
community.
There's a lot more in-depthcontent, one-on-one
conversations with me and all ofthat good stuff in my community
.
If you're an academic oreducator, let's jump on a free
(11:34):
call to talk about building yourplatform, leaving your legacy
and blowing out of the confinesof academe so you can protect
your future Again.
My name is Dr Sheena Howard.
I'm the founder of Power, yourResearch.
I'm here to help academics andeducators build big brands and
make a lot of money.
You.
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