Add value to your interactions:

Add value to your interactions.

Was speaking to a mentee today and she ended the chat by saying, ‘thanks for the conversation. Always feel like I learn something every time I speak to you.’

That’s my goal.

Add something interesting to all your conversations.

Make people feel like they learned something and had a positive interaction.

Do your best to help them out expecting nothing in return.

On a long enough time scale, you’ll get rewarded.

Read a Complex profile today about Zack Bia 

He’s basically a connector in LA’s culture scene who ran a bunch of parties and has a massive network across music, entertainment, art and culture.

Side note - Reminds me of a young Clarence Avant. Watch the ‘Black Godfather’ on Netflix. Fantastic documentary

He also talked about his relationship with Drake and how he tries to connect on a personal level.

He embodies a lot. Be present with someone. Add value to people expecting nothing in return. Put people together that are working on similar things. Be interested in someone else. Ask good questions. Invest in the next generation. Teach people what you know. 

Hope I get to meet the guy one day, but it was a reminder that those people win.

Give them a long enough time scale and they’ll be successful.

Help without any expectation of getting something back.

You’ll get burned sometimes but if you keep doing that, people will pay you back in more ways than you can imagine.

When people think of networking, they often think it’s transactional.

They approach an interaction thinking ‘what can I get from this person?’

That’s wrong.

Think ‘what can I give to this person? How can I help them?’

Always assume relationships are going to be long-term, even if they’re not.

My dad used to say something to me as a kid that didn’t click until I was older.

‘You never know when someone can change your life so always be nice to people and help them when you can.’

It’s good advice.

It’s amazing how far being a good person, working hard and staying true to your word can get you in life.

Simple things are often overlooked.

Add value to your interactions and the world will repay you in more ways than you think.