Networking is like a garden.

Nothing beats the smell of working with the earth. A deep breath of freshly dug clay has a nice calming effect. This is why I became interested in gardening. I still consider myself a beginner even though I'm in my third season. Gardening has made me realize something though. It's a lot like building a network.

Gardening is a process that requires time and effort to get results. The ratios of those components vary, but some level of both is required. Some plants require constant attention, like a high maintenance girlfriend for example. Other plants do just fine on their own. These could resemble the aspects of a best friend. At the end of the day, both kinds of plants require effort to succeed.

This is how I've started to few my networking. I'm trying to sow as many seeds as I can. This helps me make more contacts. Then I try to develop each relationship. I'll make it a point to reach out to my contacts every month, sometimes just to say "hi". I've come to realize that if I don't tend to my contacts, I don't get the desired results.

So far my efforts seem to being doing well. Only time will tell what fruit will bear.