Debbie Landa told me that years ago when we were advising startups. Debbie, one of Silicon Valley’s best-connected individuals, shared this wisdom, but I didn’t fully grasp it at the time. How do relationships translate to monetary value? Even writing that seems gross.
I should have known better. Before working with Debbie, I had sourced intriguing projects solely through my network — strategy and process improvements for top Fortune 100 retail executives. As an ex-Kurt Salmon consultant, executives realized they could obtain high-quality consulting at a fraction of the price by engaging recent firm alumni. All my projects came through people I knew, yet I considered it a one-time network miracle. ✨
A Career Journey = A People Journey
My career journey led me to IDEO, Gap Inc., and Narvar. Along the way, I met a diverse group of brilliant people I genuinely wanted to stay connected with, even after our paths diverged. I cherished hearing their stories and valued how we supported each other through life’s twists — from new job offers to baby births . We acted as references for one another, exchanged Christmas cards , and always made introductions to new cool people. Whether someone was a past colleague or client, I deemed them a friend, not merely a “cash-converting network extension.” Yet… as my network grew, so…
