5 Steps to Finding Your People (and Actually Enjoying Networking)

You don’t need a bigger network — you need a better one.

Forget the name tags and small talk. The best networking doesn’t happen at events with stale coffee and forced smiles — it happens in conversations that feel real.

Finding your people is about connection, not schmoozing. It’s about building relationships that make you feel seen, supported, and inspired — the kind that remind you you’re not crazy for dreaming this big. You're looking for people, not business.

If networking has ever felt fake, forced, or flat-out draining, this one’s for you. Here are five cozy, no-pressure ways to find (and keep) your kind of people.

✏️ Step 1: Know What You’re Looking For

Before you start filling your calendar with events, pause and ask: why am I seeking connection right now?

Are you craving collaboration? Accountability? Encouragement? A creative sounding board?Different seasons call for different circles — and that’s okay. But you have to know where you want to go before you ask people to help you get there.

🧠 Try this: Write down three types of relationships you want more of right now.

• A creative peer to bounce ideas with, someone to have coffee with during the week

• A mentor who challenges me, someone to learn from and be inspired by

• A friend who understands the highs and lows of small biz life, someone to text in a pinch

Clarity attracts compatibility. When you know what kind of connection you’re after, you stop chasing what doesn’t fit.

💬 Step 2: Show Up Where the Real Conversations Happen

You don’t have to be everywhere — just somewhere on purpose.

Pick one or two spaces (online or IRL) where you can actually connect — a co-working pop-up, a community event, or even a cozy Facebook group that aligns with your values.

When you show up, show curiosity first. Ask genuine questions. Listen. People remember how you made them feel, not what what you do for a living.

🤍 Coach’s note: The person asking questions is the one in charge — not because they’re controlling, but because they’re engaged.

🌿 Step 3: Lead With What You Have, Not What You Lack

You already have value — right now. You don’t need anything more than what you have right now to be worth someone’s time.

Start conversations from a place of generosity, not scarcity. Share a tip, connect two people, offer encouragement. When you lead with giving, you attract people who give back.

✨ Prompt: Next time you meet someone new, ask yourself:

“How can I add value to this person's life.”

It might be a resource, a contact, or even a little validation — and that’s enough. The important take away is that networking isn't about you at all.

🔦 Step 4: Follow the Energy, Not the Ego

You’ll meet plenty of people who don’t fit — and that’s perfectly fine. Pay attention to how a connection feels.

If you walk away drained, that’s research. If you walk away energized, that’s direction.

You’re not meant to click with everyone, but you are meant to honor yourself.

Protect your bandwidth like it’s billable time — because in business, it is.

🤝 Step 5: Nurture What You Find

Relationships don’t grow by accident — they grow because someone keeps tending them.

Send the text. Share their post. Celebrate their wins. Connection compounds when it’s consistent and you always get back what you put in, at minimum.

📆 Try this: Every Friday, reach out to one person who’s made an impact on you. Doesn’t have to be deep — just a little “hey, thought of you and hope you're well.” Connection doesn't have to be complicated.

In Summary...

Finding your people isn’t luck — it’s intentional.

When you start showing up as your whole, honest self, the right people can finally recognize you and know that you're safe to connect with.

Here’s to connection that feels like home — and balance that feels like choice. Now, get to class! You don't want to be tardy!

xoxo

Coach Angela Hoppe

Cozy Business Coach for Women Building Connection

www.collabwithangela.com