Loom Intro Messages

Send a 60-second Loom to a new connection: who you are, why you’re reaching out, and one specific way you can help. It’s warmer than text, faster than a meeting, and builds trust way quicker than messages alone.

When I first started teaching networking to college students, I’ll admit something:

I didn’t really know how to do it myself.

I was a first-generation, low-income student who had stumbled into my career through a lot of hard work and a little luck. Nobody ever talked to me about networking. I thought opportunities came from applications, not conversations.

It wasn’t until I started working in a career center that I realized how big that gap was. We were teaching students to build professional networks,  and I remember thinking, Wait a second, I don’t actually do this either.

That realization hit hard.

I had been preaching something I hadn’t truly practiced. And I started to wonder how many of us as career coaches do the same thing — encouraging our clients to network, connect, and reach out, while our own networks quietly collect dust.

So I started small. I reached out to one person I admired and asked a question. That led to another conversation, which led to another opportunity. 

Before long, I began to see a pattern: every major turning point in my career came from a connection. I started to create my own luck.

I’m an introvert. Networking didn’t come naturally to me. 

It was awkward at first. I probably sounded like someone who’d read too many “how to network” articles. But over time, I learned that good networking doesn’t mean handing out hundreds of business cards or hours over golf (thank goodness, I suck at golf).

All you need is the curiosity to reach out to someone with the intent of offering value to them.

Fast forward twenty years, and nearly every opportunity I’ve had, like collaborations, book deals, speaking invitations, even lifelong friendships, came from those first few uncomfortable steps.

Networking isn’t a one-and-done skill. It’s something that evolves with us.

Early in our careers, we network to learn.

In mid-career, we network to grow.

Later, we network to give back.

But if we stop doing it, we stop expanding,  and that’s true for us as much as it is for our clients.

Next week marks my one-year anniversary of posting every day on LinkedIn. 

I joined with no plan, no strategy, and very little idea of what I was doing. Honestly, I wasn’t sure anyone would care what I had to say.

A year later, I’ve met more brilliant, generous, and curious people through that platform than I could’ve imagined. 

Coaches, researchers, thought leaders, and even former students who’ve reconnected to tell me how their careers unfolded.

The conversations there have shaped my work and opened doors I didn’t even know existed. 

Most of that didn’t come from polished posts — it came from comments, DMs, and small exchanges that turned into something meaningful.

It’s a reminder that digital networking counts too — maybe even more than ever. It’s where we share and find each other. 

It’s where the next collaboration might start, where a single comment could lead to a friendship, or where a message could turn into a book idea.

Networking is lifelong. 

It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been coaching or how confident you feel in your role — if you’re not still reaching out, listening, and connecting, you’re missing out on the very thing you tell your clients to do.

To celebrate my one-year milestone of posting every day on LinkedIn, I’m giving away my newly created Networking Playbook.

You can use this tool for yourself, or as a resource for your career coaching clients to help them network more effectively.

Download it here

Heather

The Coach for Career Coaches

To learn more about me and what I do, visit my website 

Sign up for my free masterclass for career coaches here

Looking to become a credentialed career services professional?  Enrol in my FCD course