When networking feels icky
When I first started my business, I knew networking would be a big part of how I met my ideal clients. So I made it my mission to show up.
I attended every technology event I could find in Atlanta — breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Most weeks, I was at 3–5 events, hoping to build relationships with the right people.
But I quickly realized something: most of these events were terrible.
The rooms were packed with salespeople offering the same services I did — swarming the handful of decision-makers in attendance. You’d see them waiting in line, 4–5 deep, just to pitch a prospect in a hallway after a panel.
It felt gross.
Even worse, the events were so low-value that just being there felt like it was hurting my personal brand, not helping it.
I had shown up. But I wasn’t standing out. And I certainly wasn’t getting clients.
When I finally found my people
Then came the game-changer… my first Women in Technology (WIT) meeting.
From the moment I walked into the room, I knew it was different.
This wasn’t just another networking event — it was a community. And not just any community — it was filled with the exact kind of powerhouse women I wanted to be surrounded by.
I had recently become friends with the publisher of a major tech magazine, and that morning, she invited me to sit with her at my first event. She quietly pointed out the women I needed to meet — the decision-makers, the connectors, the leaders who made things happen.
Then something crazy happened that was a total God wink. I went to the restroom and while washing my hands, I looked over and saw the President of WIT.
I practically proposed to her on the spot. I told her, “I’ve spent the last year looking for my people… and this is it. I want to be involved. I want to support this mission.”
That moment changed everything.
Not only did I start attending every event but I started looking forward to them!
From outsider to president
Roll the clock forward five years… I had gone from showing up once a month as an attendee, to volunteering behind the scenes, to leading a team of volunteers, to hosting the organization’s biggest annual event, to managing key programs… until one day, I was tapped to join the board.
And just three years after that? I became the President of Women in Technology.
I still remember the day it hit me. There were now women coming to their first event — just like I had been — asking me to meet for coffee, wanting to learn, looking for direction, hoping I could open a door, offer a connection, or point them toward their people.
And I always did. Because I knew exactly how it felt to be on the outside, looking in.
This is the perfect example of power networking
It wasn’t luck. It wasn’t magic. It wasn’t showing up at 100 random events, hoping to meet the right person.
It was Power Networking.
Power Networking is about building depth, not just reach. It’s about being intentional with who you connect with, how you serve, and where you show up.
How do consultants find clients through networking?
1. Be strategic about where you show up
Stop wasting time in rooms full of your competitors. Instead, choose communities and events where your ideal clients, strategic partners, or referral sources spend time.
Ask yourself: Will I leave this room with insight, inspiration, or income potential? If it’s not a Hell Yes, it’s a No.
2. Lead with value, not your pitch
The fastest way to build trust is to be helpful before you’re hired as a consultant. Make a connection. Offer a resource. Nominate someone for an award.
Power networking isn’t about small talk — it’s about service.
Every conversation should leave the other person better than you found them.
3. Play the long game
The best relationships aren’t transactional — they’re transformational.
Follow up. Check in. Celebrate wins. Be someone people want to collaborate with now and later.
Your network becomes powerful when people see you as a consistent, generous presence — not a one-time pitch.
And when you show up with that mindset — consistently, generously, and in the right rooms? You earn a seat at the table.
For me, Power Networking didn’t just expand my network. It put me in the small rooms where it all happens — with the top decision-makers in my market, several of whom would go on to become significant clients of mine.
Can you find consulting clients while still employed?
Look at your calendar for the next 30 days. Then ask yourself: Where will I be intentional about showing up? Are my people in the room? Am I there to serve — or to sell?
If nothing lights you up, it might be time to find your own version of WIT — that one room where you can stop hustling and start connecting.
Pick one organization in your niche now. Don’t wait until you leave your job. Start meeting people now. Volunteer. Speak on panels. Join a committee. Go all in.
I’ve found it’s so much easier — and more impactful — to go deep instead of spreading yourself thin.
When you commit fully to one community, you prevent burnout and give yourself the space to truly invest.
Networking is not transactional — it’s transformational. It takes time. It takes consistency. And it starts by being of service to others first.
That is Power Networking.
And remember — you were made to thrive.
Ready to stop guessing and start signing?
The 90-minute masterclass is where this gets built — your niche, your offer, your pricing, and the outreach that lands the first paying client. Live with Tricia.
