Excellence Without Exhaustion: Intentional Networking with Sarah Hubbard EP1S6

Welcome to the Discovering Your Calling podcast! Today, I am joined by my special guest, Sarah Hubbard, founder of the Intentional Network and author of The Intentional Networker. We are talking about how to make networking an enjoyable part of building a successful business.

Sarah shares her incredible story of pivoting after being rejected by 12 physical therapy schools despite having a 3.9 GPA. That unexpected redirection eventually led her to discover her true calling. 

She now teaches entrepreneurs how to build businesses through strategic relationships. She built a highly successful business where 85% of her revenue comes from referrals, proving that connection creates capital. If you want to build meaningful work and achieve excellence without exhaustion, pull up a seat and take some notes.

Key Takeaways from This Episode

• Be Clear and Specific: When sharing what you do, pretend you are talking to a 10-year-old and avoid confusing acronyms. Being highly specific helps people remember you properly.
• Structure Your Introduction: Craft a 30-second commercial that starts with a jarring fact or story, includes the core of what you do, and ends with a clear request. Record yourself on your phone to evaluate your body language.
• Master the Ask: Leave the last five to ten minutes of a conversation to ask how you can be of value to the other person, and then present your own specific request.
• Organize Your Follow-Ups: Use an A, B, and C system to categorize your new contacts. Prioritize your time and follow-ups based on how closely your businesses align.
• Use AI for Efficiency: Right after a networking event, use tools like ChatGPT or Claude to voice-record your memories of the people you met directly into your database

Resources & Links Mentioned

• Book: Get your copy of The Intentional Networker at Amazon, Walmart.com, Target.com, or Barnes and Noble.
• Website & Newsletter: Visit 

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Additional Resources:

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Matthew 5:14-16 is the inspiration for this podcast.
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Transcript

Sheri Miter 0:00

Today I'm joined by my special guest, Sarah Hubbard, founder of The Intentional Network and author of The Intentional Networker. And I want you to pull up a seat to the table today, take some notes as Sarah breaks down networking. And whether you love it or despise it, as a small business owner, leader, or brand new entrepreneur, networking is part of building a successful business. And in today's episode, you're going to learn some practical steps direct from Sarah that you can take to enhance how you network. Let's jump into this conversation. Welcome to the Discovering Your Calling podcast. I'm your host, Jerry Meiter. I'm here to help you upleast your strength and get clarity on your calling. I believe when you find your purpose in life, fulfillment, joy, and success will follow. If you're ready, pop in those earbuds, hit that follow button, and join me on this journey toward discovering your calling. All right, welcome back to the Discovering Your Calling podcast. I am your host, Sherry Miter, and I am really excited about today's guest, Sarah Hubbard, founder of the Intentional Network and the author of the new book, Intentional Networker. And what I love about Sarah's story is that it begins with something many of us have experienced at some point in our life, and that's pivoting after sometimes unexpected rejection or things that we're like devastated by. And Sarah's journey that we're going to start with started when she had a 3.9 GPA and planned to become a physical therapist until she was rejected by 12 schools. And I'm going to let her tell the rest of that story. But what I will tell you is that that unexpected pivot eventually led Sarah to discover her true calling. And she now teaches entrepreneurs how to build businesses through strategic relationships and has a has proven something she calls connection creates capital, building a 2 million plus business where 85% of her revenue comes from referrals. And I cannot wait to talk about that piece today, Sarah. Yes. But, you know, it's so relevant to the listeners in the Discover and Your Crawling podcast because we do talk a lot about building meaningful work. And I love to really talk about doing that without burning ourselves out. And a new expression that my listeners are going to start hearing a lot about is excellence without exhaustion. And I feel like what we're about to talk about is so timely for that, because for a lot of us, networking can be exhausting. So I can't wait to dive into your calling, what you teach, and all the stuff today, Sarah. So welcome to the Discovering Your Calling podcast. Sherry, thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here. Great. So take us back to that moment when you had those 12 rejections. What was going on? And what did that season of your life look like?

SPEAKER_02 3:16

Spiraling and out of control is the best way I can describe it. Right. You, as an athlete all the way through college, right? You think you you know what it is. I was working in the field, you know, as a physical therapy assistant. I was doing all the things that one thinks they should be doing to get to this next step. And, you know, I I remember going back to some of the colleges that I had applied to. Cause I'm like, please tell me how does one improve this? Like, that's kind of where I started with like, all right, well, this stinks. I'm gonna be getting paid, you know,$12 an hour for another year with more volunteer, but like, is there anything else I could be doing? And they were like, oh, it's a real bummer. We didn't even read your application because you don't have a 4.0. We had so many applicants, you know, the programs at that time, and I was applying to all East Coast schools, so lots of schools in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, they were taking 35 to 50 kids per class. And so for them, that credential was 4.0, cut it. We're not even giving these people a chance in reading, which kind of stinks because I had amazing references and like 120 hours of not even working full time in the field, but like with pediatrics, with geriatrics, inpatient, outpatient, you name it. I had spent the time there. I had done the work. And I just remember the woman being like, Well, you could go back and improve this A minus to an A plus. And it was like chemistry 101. And I'm like, oh gosh, no. Like, there is just no way that this is happening. And I just remember feeling really lost and spiraling and being like, well, now what am I supposed to do? You know, I'm relatively young. I'm in my early 20s at this time, and it kind of always feels like, oh gosh, I have to have it all figured out. Well, I'm 41 now, so obviously lots of changes have happened. But at the time, I was like, well, I'm just gonna take a vacation. So I came out to Colorado for my cousin's high school graduation, took a week off, and ironically enough, met my bosses. I say that in quotes because they own the company that I have happened to work for for the last 15 years, but I am pretty much an entrepreneur. And they were like, You should come work at our mortgage company. And I was like, What? Like, I don't know anything about this. I can heal your body. I cannot, I I've never owned a home. I wasn't even on the agenda. And they're like, Well, teach you. Like, you're here for a week, come interview. What do you have to lose? And I was like, Okay. So I did. And they pretty much hired me on the spot. And they were like, Can you be out here in a week? And I'm like, uh, no, I need a little bit more time to pack up my life and give proper notice to my current job that I was at. But I did it. My current job wouldn't give me benefits or increase in pay without that that doctorate degree. And so I was just like, what do I have to lose? At the time, I wasn't married, I didn't have any children. I was like, well, I'm gonna do it. So I moved across the country and just kind of went in on all things mortgages. And so I started on the back end of processing and then worked my way up into the sales side is where I stand today and have been for the last 10 years, which is where the networking piece of it really comes into play. But it's interesting because I always saw a journey of helping people and like physically helping people, because physical therapy for me was a physical healing of the body, but also there was a mental component that a lot of these physical therapists that I worked with were providing. Because not only when you're injured as an athlete, or you know, injured in general in life, like the first week or two is like, okay, yeah, this is happening. And then it's like, oh my gosh, this feels like forever. I'm never gonna get out of this. Like it can be this spiral that happens even as adults. And so they did a beautiful job for me. And that's why I was like, that's the kind of value I want to add to people. And so when I started in the mortgage side of things, I learned everything I could, became very proficient at critical thinking. And then when I went over to the sales side, my company that I work for today, they send direct mailers only as their only way of getting business. And I was like, okay, well, this is it. This you guys have taught me the spara. I'm just gonna go and do it. And sixty thousand dollars later in four months, I was miserable. Like people are calling me on the phone and going, what's your name? Or sorry, what's the rate? And I'm like, what's your name? Who are you? I I don't know what the interest rate is. I don't even know who I'm talking to, man. I don't know your address, you know, and just was very misaligned. And I was watching it work for a lot of other people, and I think this is something we struggle with today is you know, we have social media, which is a powerful tool in a lot of ways, but also can be this like, all these people are having so much more success than me. And so I should be doing what this person's doing. And that was the first kind of step into this direction of networking was well, I love people. I'm very curious about them. And I didn't even know that networking existed until I went to a conference, and everyone was like, I'm sorry, you do what for business? You mail people something in the mail. And I was like, it's a really well-worded letter. Like, I don't know, like what did I know at the time? And that's kind of what started my propelling of networking and my journey here. And it wasn't easy when I started, right? I I do residential mortgage financing and have done that for a while. That field is very crowded. That field has a stigma about it. There's people in there that have kind of given everybody a bad name where they're a little selfish, they're a little not quick to respond or do what they say they're gonna do. And so that trust factor is far harder to build and get through. And I was met with a ton of resistance when I first started. They're like, you look like you're you're 20, you know, you're this, you're that. And I was like, well, I've actually been doing this for like six years, and you know, I'm not brand new to this. And there was a lot that I was met with out there, and it was really frustrating for me. I was like, what's this don't even know me? I'm like, you know, I'm a softball player, I love food, I love cooking, I love to read. Like, there's so much more to each of us as individuals than what we happen to do professionally, but it's sometimes getting over that hurdle. So it took me a while to learn my ways to actually learn about people first, then let the business come naturally second. And that has aligned with me a hundred times more. And I am the only person in my office that does this. I know I'm not the only person in the world that does networking, right? Most of us that are entrepreneurs have some aspect of this built into our marketing plan. But there is ways to do it now that I have found that are aligned with who we are. Just because I do it one way, because I'm a very extroverted person, doesn't mean that introverted person is going to do it the same exact way. And I encourage you not to do it that way. Like I actually don't want you to do what I'm doing. But it's really hard, I think, today in our society, in our world with technology and AI and all these things, to not feel like you have to do all the things. We were kind of talking about this like, how do we do, you know, a little bit, how do we be successful without burnout, without exhaustion, without that like hustle mentality? And it takes a little bit of time. But right now, what I realized was what I was coaching my referral partners on was how to network. That was my value ad and had been my value ad for many years. My, you know, realtor partners were like, how how are you doing this? How are you going to these events and how are you, you know, you know everybody? And it was like, I'm curious. I and I I was started gently coaching them and then realized that I had a whole lot more to say about it. Hence now pivot of the my framework, you know, using AI to simplify our life and our time a little bit more so we're more intentional with our time, and still making it be you because if you are not you, you will attract the people that drain you, you will attract clients that drain you, and then you will be burnt out and exhausted faster than you know what to do with. So trying to be somebody else, it's hard. There's a lot happening out there. We've got a lot of things coming at us, and we should be doing this and we should be doing that. But I the whole point of it is that we all have magic inside of us, every single one of us, even the people that, you know, want to white knuckle a drink in the corner and they're like, oh my God, the thought of talking to five people today is terrifying, and I want to go home and crash for three days. That's a real thing. You should honor that. But if you go in with a plan and you go in with some preparation and you maybe partner up with somebody that's an extrovert, there's also many different tips and tricks that you can implement in your networking to make it slightly more enjoyable and to make it about you. Yeah.

Sheri Miter 11:31

And and I want to get into some of those tips and tricks in a minute. Yeah. And I'm kicking myself over here, Sarah, because I should have given you a code. Sometimes I do this with guests, and it it didn't really occur to me until now that why didn't I do this? But to have take this Clifton Strengths assessment, because I I'm like guessing you're high woo, which is winning others over. Um I know I asked you whether or not you had taken the strengths assessment, but there's so many pieces because a lot of what you're saying so aligns with why I'm so obsessed with people taking the Clifton Strengths assessment. Because if you're trying to do in strengths language, woo is winning others over. They love networking. They can't wait to walk into a networking event because they just want to meet people and and talk to people and they want everybody to like them. And then there's people like me. I'm a higher relater, and I like one-on-one small connections. So the to walking into a room of people I don't know is, and and I I say I am an introvert who can play an extrovert really well.

SPEAKER_02 12:38

Yes. Because I to learn too. Most entrepreneurs are just yeah, you know. They absolutely are. I have learned how to do this. And there's some that are like, I don't care to learn how to do this. I'm just an introvert through and through. Because when I originally wrote this book, I wrote it from my perspective, which is like you said, I'm a ha woo, I'm an extrovert, I I love people. And then I interviewed about 50 people that were willing to talk with me that identified exactly as you are. Like, I am an introvert. I it takes so much energy and time. And it's interesting, a lot of the stories that they had in their head about why it was so difficult was something that had happened like years ago in school. Like somebody told them they were bad at this, so it's a story that they told themselves on repeat over and over and over. And I'm like, I have never thought that about it. And I knew all of these people, these are all people that I knew personally. But it and there's far more to that, and I'm not the scientific expert. I could be, but I'm not. But it was very interesting to see that line come through with people that feel that way, where you know, it's it's tough. It's it's not something that they're super excited about, but they know they have to do it.

SPEAKER_01 13:46

Right.

SPEAKER_02 13:46

So, you know, finding ways to make it enjoyable for yourself and to make it worth your time is what is most important out of networking.

SPEAKER_01 13:54

Right, right.

Sheri Miter 13:54

And I just look at my notes here too. There was one thing I wanted to grab into before we transition into the tangible how-tos of networking. But prior to the call, you know, you'd filled out my guest form for me. Thank you so much. And one of the things you said in there that really caught my attention is you said, but my true calling showed up when I stopped chasing what I thought I should be doing and started leaning into what I was naturally great at. Yeah, seeing people and building systems. Tell me a little more about what you meant when you wrote that and you said that.

SPEAKER_02 14:32

I think that when I first started networking and I was doing a lot of watching, right? People that I thought were successful because they played that really successful role, I made them into like pseudo-mentors, right? I would take them out and be like, pick their brains. Tell me what you did. What does your follow-up system look like? How often are you doing this? You know, how often are you touching base if you're seeing somebody? And a lot of them had some pretty outdated things that they did with a lot of judgment that I got in the beginning. And I would listen and I'd be like, nope, that doesn't ever sound like something I would say, or oh, that is something that I would exactly say. And so I just tried to try to extricate what I was getting from people because nobody has this like magic wand that does it perfectly. And so that's what I started doing is I just started kind of listening and listening to myself, right? When I was out having conversations over coffee or drinks or talking to somebody one-on-one on the side, I was asking meaningful questions that I would want to know whether we were in a professional setting or a personal setting. That's how I started to be like, okay, I felt very energized when I left this event because everything that I asked was aligned with who I am as my values as a person. And I got some really great information about that person that, like, I'm glad they're in my pocket now, right? Or that's a no for me. That person is somebody that I would not have any interest in doing it because our styles of communication, our styles of selling are very different. But there's stuff, there's still stuff to be had and learned from that. So it's unfortunately the worst answer that I have to say, which is time. But honestly, I just took little bits and just started to compile it all and try certain things in that conversation. Or I would listen to a podcast and I'd hear somebody say something and I'd be like, oh, that's great. Let me pop it into my phone real quick, and and then I'd it I enter it into my kind of workflow that I do when I was going through these things to just first see, am I even interested in having this person in my circle? Because I think that that's the first thing that people are like, oh, we're immediate business, we line business-wise, so we should be doing business together. That is something that is important, but it's also if you're out with this person, right? Do their values align with who you guys are? That is super important because you're going to be attracting those people and that will be a very seamless flow through and through. I remember, you know, in the beginning, people were like, oh, you need to get real estate agents with very high producing numbers. Well, turns out those people are getting hounded weekly from random people like myself at the time that are trying to stand out and trying to add value, and it's just it's exhausting for them. But if I got an introduction to them and just got to know them a little bit personally, are they a mom? Are they divorced? You know, did they play sports? What did they have a previous career prior to getting into what they're doing today? People have some relief about sharing a little bit about themselves. And also people love to talk about themselves. Right. Side note. So if you can pull questions that get that person to talk about it, and you're kind of going in your head like, Yep, I totally agree. Or you're going like, no, that's not quite okay. That's okay too. I tell people this all the time. You're not everybody's cup of tea, but now you just know that that person maybe just doesn't get so much of your time. That person is still, you're gonna see them in your community. That's okay. But the people that align with you, those are the people that you want to love on. Those are the people that you want to continue to to touch to you know grow that relationship with. And it starts with get, I find it starts with getting to know people personally and professionally. When you're out networking, all of us have one goal. We are there for business. We're all there for closing revenue, and we're there for expanding our relationships. So going in a little salesy is not a bad thing, but you also, there's a personal aspect, there's a vulnerability aspect that you have to learn about people, and that takes time and it takes curiosity in order to get those certain pieces. And it's hard, right, Jerry? I can't imagine you're like, oh yeah, I just want to go open up my whole story to people while we're out networking. No, you're probably like, that sounds terrifying. I have no desire to do that.

unknown 18:47

Yeah.

Sheri Miter 18:48

But so I do because because I am I have high learner also. So I'm very curious about people and I have high individualization. So for me, that's my my secret sauce for networking, is like I have to go into the event as much as I don't want to be there. And I used to, not as much today in this new role, but in, you know, I came from a direct sales background. I was a Mary Kay sales director. And if I wanted to achieve big things, I had to go network. So that was my life. And that's where I, like I said, learned to do it, never loved it, but I love to meet people for coffee. That's you know, to me, it was like, how who can I meet that I can then book a coffee with?

SPEAKER_02 19:35

And that's kind of the the premise, I think, when you're at a conference or you're at a networking event, wherever you are trying to take the relationship a step further. The end goal is a one-on-one connection because that's where you're gonna spend the time going deeper, figure figuring out do those values align with who you are as a professional, me as a professional, you as a personal person, me as a personal person. And I think people sometimes get defeated and frustrated when they're like, I had like 20 coffees and like none of these people are ideal for me. That's still okay. I hate to use this analogy because my dating life here in Denver was pretty terrible for many years until I met my husband. But it is kind of like you're dating and interviewing a little bit. But you have with going in with the right mindset, going in with some prepared questions, and going in with the goal. You have to have a goal for yourself. What is my goal here? Because if you a lot of people just are like, oh, walking into the coffee, we met at this chamber networking event, and here we go. We're just gonna let it see where the conversation takes us in an hour. You will have eventually have success, but you will have like five more meetings until you decide whether that person is a person or not, right? Or like a person you want in your in your circle. If you can go in with some questions and you can go in with some intentionality in the last five minutes, I'm gonna make sure I get my ask in, right? Regardless of how that conversation went, I'm gonna make sure I get my ask in so they're very clear about what I do, what I'm looking for, maybe tap into their network outside of it if they're not the right fit for you. But you have to go in. A lot of people don't go in prepared. And so then the time goes by and they're like, oh, sorry, I've got to go, I've got to call. And then you're like, still don't quite know what they do, or they I'm not sure that they know what I do because they've talked the whole time. And then did I get my ask in? Nope, I did it. And then it's like drumming up another hour conversation is it's a lot of work. You're not excited about it. You're not like, yes, let's go do this.

Sheri Miter 21:24

Right, right. And just to clarify, when you say I didn't get my ask in, what would what is what do you mean by your ask? What should that be? What should somebody when we're going to have that coffee, what should we be going in there with and what should we make sure that we try to fit in if at all possible? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:44

So this this is a question I use first and foremost, and then I'll answer that. This is like kind of a two part answer. The question I use, I usually try to leave myself about five to ten minutes at the last, like if I'm watching the time uh in the conversation, and I ask that person if I were to be a value to You, what would that look like? That question right there pulls what I hope is top of mind for that person. It could be what you were just talking for the past 40 minutes. It could be something completely irrelevant, like, honestly, my kid is sick and I have no idea how I'm getting from A to B. Like, I need a new IT person, I need a new bookkeeper, whatever it is. But now you've learned about how you can help them and you've got a tangible thing that you can write down about adding value to them in the future. 98% of the time, they're gonna ask you, what can I do for you? And then this is your opportunity to figure out what you want at that time. There's been times where I need, you know, I just need some more referrals. So if you have a friend or a family member interested in refinancing their home, or you think they're they're going to buy because they're going through a divorce. They are, I'm getting just getting specific about mortgages per se. They're self-employed and they got told they couldn't do something and they're super frustrated and they don't think they can ever buy. Oh, great, that's a great client for me, right? That's a great introduction for me. Or this is something that I've used a lot when even you're not comfortable saying something about directly getting a sale from them. Who's the person that you go to in your network when you have a struggle? Who is that go-to person? I want an introduction to them. So we're talking that higher caliber person that is operating at a higher level than maybe you and I are. They are doing the work, they're doing the things, and we're just looking to up-level our connections. That's a great ask for people as well. Because they're like, oh, the person I call is Sherry, or the person I call is Brittany. I'd be happy to make that introduction for you, whether the businesses fully align or not. I've gone in and asked for, do you own your home? I already know that question ahead of time. Did you like your real estate agent? A lot of times that answer is no. And so I'm like, I definitely don't want an introduction to your real estate agent, right? Do you have a financial advisor? Do you have an attorney uh attorney that you have heard does great things in intellectual property, in general business law, whatever it is, all of these things, if you're kind of looking to fill out your sphere of people, just really great go-to people, that's also a tremendous ass that people are like, yep, I've got somebody and they'll make that connection for you. But you have to be able to go in a little bit ahead of time to go, well, I think I want to say this because it feels like it aligns. It may change, but you have to be dialed in and not be afraid to ask it. There's a lot of times, and I'm gonna pick on women for a hot minute, we struggle with this. We're like, oh, we just want to be kind and you know, want to know about that person, and I don't want to sound too salesy. And I'm like, people want to help, but people also have to know how to help you. And if you're not clear and specific on what that is at that time, no other follow-up steps are gonna happen, and it's gonna take more work from you to get to that next step from that person.

Sheri Miter 25:47

Right. And I love how in your examples, and you just said it again, clear and specific. And that is one of the things I used to belong to the B and I years ago again. Oh, yeah. And they teach you how to refer and they drill that in your head, be be very specific. But it is one of those things that, you know, if I said, you know, I want an elephant that's purple with pink dots, everybody immediately knows what type of elephant I want. Yeah. Versus like, oh, I want to go on a safari and I hope to see a wild animal. Now we all imagine, mmm, you might be thinking tigers or giraffes or you know, who knows? And they're thinking elephants and or something else over here.

SPEAKER_02 26:32

It's too broad. Um, it's funny. I had I'm gonna, because you you said you mentioned that you are a former Mary Kay director. There was a woman in my network that was a Mary Kay consultant, and she would come in and say, I want to work a great referral for me is anybody that has skin.

SPEAKER_01 26:49

Mm-hmm. Fair, right?

SPEAKER_02 26:51

I mean, this this is true. All humans, most of us, all have skin. That's a little too broad, and it doesn't give anybody somebody go, like, oh, hmm, I got that. I gotta send that that introduction over to you. So I helped her refine her ask of like, do you want teens? Do you want, you know, perimenopausal women? Do you want moms? Do you want this? Do you want and you can have all of those things, but just kind of work the ask in for, you know, the next four asks and then move on to the next one or the next one. And so she started doing that and then started to get far more traction in regards to the people that were being introduced because somebody went, ah, I have somebody that exactly needs to know Sherry. I, you know, know somebody that their teen is struggling with acne or they're struggling with they're wanting to kind of put on makeup, but you know, they're watching a bunch of YouTube videos kind of coming out looking like a zebra, right? Like what I'm just using that as an example, but like that is clear, concise, simple. And I tell people in my book, um, in my AI prompt set, we'll hand out after this episode, pretend you're talking to a 10-year-old because I will tell you, acronyms, there's I think there was a point in time in networking, and this was maybe a little bit before I started coming in about 10 years ago, that like acronyms and higher words that people use was almost like a badge of honor, like, oh yeah, that person definitely knows what they're talking about because they're almost talking a little bit over my head. So I that must mean they're very good at what they do. That is the complete opposite of what I have found. When people are using acronyms or daily language that they use in their everyday world, that's okay to use to your team or to your company or whatever it is. But when you're out and about, the average human doesn't know what a DTI is in my mortgage world, that to income ratio. So I would never drop that into a casual conversation. But I will, you know, get really specific and intentional about, you know, if you have a family member that is a veteran, they have a benefit that's beautiful and unused, that's really clear, really specific. And now they're out listening. If somebody has mentioned that they're having a military career, oh, Sarah might want to know this person. This is kind of flags it in their head. So it gives people when they're filing you away in their head, because they will. This is the way our brains work. They're getting filed in with the exact way that you want to be remembered when they are out and about in their world.

SPEAKER_01 29:14

Right, right.

Sheri Miter 29:15

I love that. And and yes, and this is something I've always been guilty of, which we're I want to ask you this question in a minute, too, but is that clever tagline, you know, versus like you're saying, the clarity, you know, and that's we I we hear that all the time now. It's clarity over, you know, clever. So people do know exactly what do you mean? And who should I be looking for type of thing, which does bring me to, I know one of the things you teach, you mentioned this in your book, is how to craft a clear, compliant, memorable 30-second introduction. Can you share some tips on that? Because I know this is an area that so many of us struggle with. The, you know, and sometimes the formulas we get just don't they they don't feel natural. They feel very awkward. So help us, Sarah.

SPEAKER_02 30:09

First and foremost, all of us have a cell phone. Okay. Every single one of us have some sort of device that we can record on today. My first thing that I tell people is record yourself doing your 30-second commercial. It sounds really simple. You don't need to share it with the world. You could share it with me, you could share it with, you know, some of your inner circle to be like, what are you here? But the first and foremost thing that it does is give you feedback about what you look like when you are delivering your 30-second commercial. If you are hunched over, you know, kind of not feeling confident, saying um and like, and you know, um and like are natural things. We say them, I say them. Like they're not even when I have said my commercial hundreds of times, I don't that's not meant to like pick it apart, but it's meant to be like, oh, that's what I look like. That's not even close to what I was going for, or that is exactly what I was going for. That that look, that you know, confidence. Am I using my hands too much? Am I, you know, are they in my pockets? Are they by my side? It just gives you data about what you want to do and first ways to change that that feel good for you, right? Not because it's the right thing to do, but I'm a hands talker, I'm an East Coaster, this is how I talk, this is what I do, this is, I will always do that, whether you get me in person or you get me on the on the video. So I do that. I incorporate that. But seeing yourself, people hate it. They're like, oh, I sound terrible, I look terrible. I'm like, this isn't about critiquing how you look or how you sound right now. This is about the body language, and then hearing what you're saying, and you're like, in my head, I think I'm saying one thing. What's actually coming out of my mouth is completely different. I encourage people to use AI. There's a prompt that will that will go out after all of this that is like, act as my, you know, public speaking coach and networking strategic mentor. Craft me a 30-second introduction that it talks to a 10-year-old and addresses this. Now you have to tell it what you want to say. AI is not perfect. AI will give you really crappy answers to begin with if it doesn't know you and you're not paying for it. So it will take some back and forth with it. Take that and start reading it and be like, that's something I would never say. Like I've done it where I've like my hobbies are I like some craft beer or I like to cook or I like to read, and it'll say that in there. And I'm like, no, it's not even close to what I'm going for here. That's not the right group for this, right? But that's kind of the learning process, and it's also injecting your personality into it. Um, I think there's some people that you're like, they have this tagline and it's funny, and this is how they are in real life. So it works for them when they're commercial, and that's kind of how they get remembered. But the way I kind of break it down is like try to have a really good like quote, something that jars something. Instead of hi, my name is and this is what I do. Did you hear that the Fed dropped interest rates last week? Do you think that interest rates have come down? No, it turns out we've had the complete opposite happen. Why is that? Right? Without going into too much, but giving something that is like a stat, a quote, a story that you had recently with a client that was like, wow, do other people think this? Pull a little bit of out of that start with something jarring, going into the meat and bones of, you know, I do coaching with Cliff, you know, it's it's Clifton, is that what it is? Clifton strengths, yes. Clifton strengths. I'm like, I've done all the other ones, but not Clifton. You know, and and kind of layering it in a little bit of what you want to say. And then your ask has to be at the end. So that's kind of how I break it up into the three, something disturbing and jarring that kind of goes, oh, everybody's checked out because they're going, hi, my name is. This is my company. We're disrupting it a little bit, we're giving some meat and bones about what I do on a really simple basis, and I have my ask at the end. The other thing I have asked people to do when following that, and you know, don't be afraid to read it for a few times. You don't have to memorize it the first time. You will get better at it the more you say it, and it'll kind of start sounding in your tone. But I do, and some networking groups that I run here in the area, I've done commercial swap days where we've been with each other for a year, most of us, right? I want you to stand up and say Sarah's commercial, I want you to stand up and say Sherry's commercial, and you would be very surprised what people hear about what you have to say. And then we'll take that and craft it to say that's not even close to it. I'm a therapist that works with couples going through a divorce, and this person's talking about a therapist that, you know, is uh, you know, not doing that. And it's like, so it helps to hear what people are saying. So don't be afraid to ask people that are close to you and say, Do you mind next time on my 30-second commercial just making notes about what you hear that I say? You'd be very surprised to people are like, This is what I I heard, and you're like, that's exactly what I'm going for. And they'll say something and you'll be like, that wasn't even close to what I was going for. I had a friend that was in HR, uh, but she was more on the attorney side. But what I was hearing her say was that she sells HR, fractional HR services. She wasn't that's not even close to what she does. She wanted like the HR litigation side of it. And I'm like, sweetie, that's you haven't I've known you for a year and not once have I heard you say that. And she was like, that's probably why I'm not getting any question by her working here. Right. And so it's just lean on some other people, ask them what they hear. It's not a judgment, but it's of curiosity to see are people hearing what I'm saying properly? And if they're not, then it's a tweak here, it's a tweak there. It's a constant, you know, kind of change in process. AI is a great tool for this. I'm happy to help with this, but you have to be able to know what you're working with to fix it first and let your personality into it a little bit as well. Yeah.

Sheri Miter 35:33

So basically you're saying have something attention-grabbing question, fact, statement, something that just gonna kind of disrupt what everybody else instead of getting up, I help, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Yes. And then a little bit about what you do or who you help, like, or that would oh, you said a story, like a story.

SPEAKER_02 35:55

Like Yeah, a story or like the meat and bones of kind of what you want to be remembered by. I am a mortgage broker, which means I work with 50 different lenders licensed in 18 states across the country. This week I am looking for people that have owned a business for a year and think they cannot buy a house. That's a great introduction for me. I it's easy for me to use the mortgage stuff because it's something I've been saying for the last 10 years. But you know, something quote jarring story, something quick. You don't want it to be more than, you know, 10 seconds, 10, 15 seconds, because you're you've got a short time frame on that side, right? Right. But something that just disrupts the high my name is and this is what I do. Right. What you start seeing, especially like in a B and I setting, you know, I've been to BI meetings, and you know, there's 50 people in the room and they're saying that. Well, it turns out you have a slide in front of you that has your picture, your name, and the name of your business, and a worksheet that has all of that on there. You don't need to repeat that. You don't need to say that. It's already on two places, so don't waste a second saying that. Use the time to stand out in your own way. So disruption, however that is, humor, fat, quote, story that you experienced that was like, wow, this was something I never thought a client would say to me. Meat and bones about what you'd want to be remembered by for the business, ask at the end of it. And again, very clear ask at the end. Clear and simple ask that somebody can go, oh, I've got this. Or when they leave that room and they're talking to their neighbor, and their neighbor says that they need their house painted, oh, I've got that person for you because I know somebody that says they do exterior house painting for neighborhoods, right? Not just residential, but for neighborhoods in Highlands Ranch, for neighborhoods in Troy, New York, for neighborhoods here, for neighborhoods there. They're getting really specific. I love that. Great.

Sheri Miter 37:48

What else would you say that we need to know about networking that or mistakes that maybe you see a lot of entrepreneurs, small business owners, leaders making when it comes to networking? The biggest mistake, two things.

SPEAKER_02 38:03

Going in with a prejudgment about what somebody does before they actually get to know them, because they're making an assumption on their career versus knowing the person first. And the second piece, which is the magic to how you get networking to work, is the follow-up and follow-through piece. This takes some strategy. A lot of people ask me, what's your favorite CRM? I need to invest in it. Your CRM is only as good as what you do put into it and how organized you are, is the first and foremost. So I don't care if you're using an Excel spreadsheet and an air table. It does not have to be this extensive, very expensive investment. It could be very simple, but much like when you're trying to make money in your business, you have follow-up with prospects. You don't just talk to somebody and then never talk to them again if you know that they're an active client that you could close in the next six months to a year. So you still touch base with them. The same thing happens with networking. I tell this a lot, I open up my talk a lot with this. The word networking has the word working in it. You have to do the work. So what I do with this, it's really simple. I label people that I meet into my network as an A, B, C, or nothing. And nothing designation means it's not an A, B, or C. A's are right now, my first interaction, this person could, we could definitely send business back and forth very regularly to each other. Our values seem to align really well. So they're gonna get attention from me. That's not an automatic email on your email list every two weeks, every three weeks. And this this reach out is, hey, I saw you posted this on LinkedIn. I loved what you had to say on this article, or hey, I heard this podcast made me think of you. Let's grab a drink next week. Whatever that is, the value add, I think people get really hung up on, like, well, how do I add value to someone? It's simple. If there was a quote that you heard, or even a voice text message, hey, woke up this morning, you were on my mind, want to make sure everything's okay, love to grab lunch with you in the next in the next few weeks, send me over some dates and times at work. I use the voice memo a lot because I think that that stands out than a text message. The other thing that I'll insert here that I think is really, really important. I get this question a lot about business cards and how do we what type of communication works for people? I try to find that out in my meeting with them. Are they taking out their phone and scanning my contact information? They're probably a text person. They probably are not a pick up the phone kind of person. Am I getting a paper business card from them? Are we exchanging phone numbers? They're probably a phone call person, not email or text message. So they're just gonna get a little on that like follow-up piece or that connection piece that it's just gonna differ a little bit of I'm gonna call them, I'm gonna shoot them a voice memo, I'm gonna text, or I'm gonna email them. It's not a perfect science. You can figure that out over time, but what your preferred form of communication is not always somebody else's preferred form of communication. So try to be perceptive on that. But A's for me get they get a lot more attention. I'm trying to build that relationship a lot quicker. I know that our business opportunity to do business together is high, so that can fuel more potential referrals for both of us. So they're gonna get a little bit more of my time. These are great businesses that may have some overlap here and there, but maybe maybe I can get one or two opportunities of business back and forth from from us. So for me, you're gonna go on my my monthly email list for whatever that may be, and now I'm probably following up with you quarterly, right? So I'm not spending so much of my time on somebody that's not gonna give me actual revenue to my business. But there's still a person you're gonna see, there's still a person you like, there's still opportunities, and you just never know when you're like, hey, you know, you were on my mind this morning, and they're like, hey, I was at softball last night, and I was talking to a teammate and they're thinking about wanting to buy a home, you were on my mind, I'm gonna introduce you. You have to stay relevant and top of mind with that. C's are you're great, but our businesses are just like I I'm not sure we're ever gonna really like ever be able to cross paths. So now, you know, maybe you're getting personal touch from me every six months. I know I'm gonna see you out and about in my networking events or anything like that. So they just there's still people that you wanna like give attention to. They just don't want need more of your attention so that you're just using that time to be really intentional. You're not getting exhausted, you're not burning out. And I do this a lot on Fridays. I usually block an hour on my Friday schedule because I do like follow-ups to any things that I have in the pipeline to my real estate agents, I send personalized messages, then I jump into my networking piece of it, then I jump into my uh client like prospects piece of it. That's how I do it on my calendar. There is no right or wrong, but you do need to allot 30 minutes, an hour, whatever it is, and you have to do that follow-up and follow-through work. Without it, you're gonna get lost in the sea of professionals that do what you do, and there's hundreds of us doing coaching, mortgage, real estate, attorneys, you name it. So we have to stay relevant. That's the piece where people are like, oh, I had this great meeting, I love them. You know, we we did the connections, and then nothing has happened. The business has gone back and forth, and that's where people are like, this doesn't work. It hasn't worked yet because the relationship just hasn't been nurtured farther. It hasn't been nurtured enough to get that next step and ball rolling.

SPEAKER_01 43:45

Right, right.

Sheri Miter 43:45

And I love in all the examples of the ABCs that you shared, not once did you connect with them to say, hey, I'm over here. Do you have business for me yet? You know, it's always a connection, a giving, keeping them in mind, you know, making sure they remember that you're there for them, not just asking for their business all the time. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 44:14

One of the things that I do a lot, because now I'm I'm a mom of a toddler. So my time out networking before momhood was like, I could go out and be out for two or three hours, and it was no big deal if we went out to dinner after. And, you know, now I'm like, I had to pick up my kid by 5 30, so I've got an hour here. And then what I do is I use Claude and Chat GPT as my two AI preferred platforms. For me, they're the ones that know me best, and I just I like them each for different reasons. But I'll open up ChatGPT while I'm driving home from a networking event. If I have the business card, I'll Take a picture and I'll be like, hey, this needs to get added to my Excel spreadsheet. And I will word dump everything that I remember from our conversation at that time. And I will say, you know, Sherry lives in Troy, she's got three boys, you know, just anything that I had memorable that I had gained in our hour, five minutes, 15 minutes, whatever it is. So that if you are like, I don't know, I haven't listened to any good podcasts, I don't have any quotes, I haven't seen any LinkedIn or social media posts, you can go in and say, maybe I'll ask about our kids. You know, I uh one was moving from, you know, Toledo to Baltimore. So, you know, I'll ask her about that. Or you can just make it about them and they'll respond back. So the more you learn about people, all of those little little details matter. Dump it into your, I dump it into my AI, transcribe it, and then I'll tell it, put it into my Excel spreadsheet that I have saved in there, right? And so now I can, it's there, it's easy, right? There's a lot of CRMs that integrate with IAI right now. But for me, instead of sitting there and typing it, I'm doing it while I'm driving. It's out of my brain, out of my thoughts, not another thing for me to remember to do the next day. And now those notes live in one spot and I can reference them at any time.

Sheri Miter 46:00

Brilliant, brilliant. Well, I love that you gave so many like practical things to do because again, this is something that so many of us in if you run a small business, if you run, you're an entrepreneur for sure, if you're a leader, chances are you're asked to do this. So many people are asked to go out and network. And I find, and I am not a systems person. That is not one of my strengths at all. But I do know when I can systemize something, especially a task I may or may not enjoy, it makes it easier because it takes decision fatigue out of the picture and again, lets us do something with excellence, not exhaustion. So I love that you gave so many just tangible things that we can start doing right away and run with and make this easier for us and maybe actually start enjoying the process of it.

SPEAKER_02 46:59

I and I think that that's that's the key is there's has to be some sort of enjoyment. You don't need to do 800 groups. You find one that elevates your energy, that challenges you, that has some people in the room that are higher farther along in their career. There's always gonna be people that are not as far, like just starting. That's part of networking. This is part of the deal. But the energy in that room has to feel like you're excited. And a lot of times you go one time and you're like, yeah, I felt great. Um I'll make the commitment. No, go at least twice if they allow it. Make sure that energy feels aligned before you make that commitment and be consistent with it. If being a part of one networking group is the capacity that you have because you feel introverted and time commitment, that's okay. Work it, work it all the way through and then reevaluate it six months, reevaluate at a year, whatever it is that your commitment is with it. That's the way that I say to do it. I don't, and I say your max, don't be a part of more than three groups. You cannot be consistent at anything if your commitment is more than to three groups. You just can't. It's really difficult.

Sheri Miter 48:06

As a somebody to give referrals because chances are that's the same industries you see over and over and over again.

SPEAKER_02 48:13

Yes.

Sheri Miter 48:13

So totally agree. One one last question for you, Sarah, and then we'll wrap things up here. But some of the listeners I know are just stepping into the entrepreneurial world. They've been in a nine to five career, they haven't had to venture into networking. If somebody's brand new to this, what would be the first place you would suggest they start? Do you you suggest Chamber of Commerce? You suggest finding other networking? And if so, how do you find them? Yes. Where would you send somebody brand new to networking to start?

SPEAKER_02 48:51

So I started in chambers. I had very little budget, but I had a lot of time. That's usually where most uh beginning entrepreneurs live. So for me, my chamber was$400 a year, and I could attend all the events, I could be in a leads group, I could maximize that. Chambers are great, but I will tell you, each community has a different energy. So make sure that that community, I I like it to be if you're gonna do the chamber route, somewhere where you either live or your business is close to, because that's where you'll be going back and forth. Don't go to something that's an hour away, you'll never attend, never worth it. B I groups, business networking international. I know they can have a bad vibe for a lot of things, but again, right group, seasoned entrepreneurs. You have a lot of responsibility in a BI group. It's an industry-specific group. You're required to bring one referral a week. Intimidates people sometimes when they're just beginning. But I will tell you there's a lot of grace sometimes in some of those groups, and you can learn a tremendous amount. Uh, there's groups called the Tip, which is like a BI group. So those kind of industry-specific groups are a good starting point. But honestly, event bright meetup. If you have on social media, we have some like word-of-mouth groups for different cities here in the Denver metro area. If you post in there and say, Hey, does anybody have any networking groups coming up? You will get bombarded with all of these things. And it's it's trial and error, right? So for me, right now, I run my own networking group called the Intentional Network that meets once a month. Um it's in Denver, but we do have a Zoom component to it. So I have had people all over. My girlfriend in Wisconsin joins, another girlfriend of mine in New York joins. Is it as beautiful when we're not in person? Not as like fill my cup up, but you still get some good, some good stuff from it with it. But I've done BI and I'm part of another networking group called Provisors. So for me, those are the three commitments. For me, chambers right now, as a new mom, as a not a new mom, but as a mom of a toddler, it's just I can't do a four to six commitment multiple times a week. So all of those components of your availability, the timing of events, the energy and the and the investment piece, chambers are a great start. Meet up, eventbrite, lean into the social aspect and some of those word of mouth groups to get it. And if you know other entrepreneurs that you come in contact with, a great question for them when you're out with them having coffee, where else do you spend your time networking? Let them tell and let them share it because they're always like, come check it out, come check it out, come over here. And it's just a beautiful way to kind of naturally get what they're doing if you're really liking that person and just to kind of see what else is out there.

Sheri Miter 51:36

Right, right. I love all those examples. And you're right, the energy does matter. I'm still one of the very first networking groups I was in, and I don't even know if it was four, I don't think it was a B and I. I honestly don't remember. I think it was something somebody was trying to get off the ground, but it was such a wonderful group. And I'm still connected to those people. We don't exchange business, but we follow each other's lives. And it's like we've grown up in business or out of business for some of us, you know, with each other. And they are people that like, even though I don't communicate with them often, like they are people that I I want to follow, I want to celebrate, and they're in my hip pocket. And I think they feel the same way back. So it was just a really great group. And if you can find that, it's so powerful. Because then you want to go see, they're like with your friends, you know, really good friends and family. You know, and then I have also been in others that were like, mm-mm, you know, and definitely you want to you want to go experience a couple of times to get the vibe because that if you're committing to something, you want to know that it's it is the right vibe for you.

SPEAKER_02 52:51

The one last thing I'll say about this, because I know we're we're coming close on time, is how you enter and choose a networking group and how you leave a networking group is just as important. Networking, it's ebbs and flows on a natural cycle. You're gonna have groups that fill it up and then they start vibing down. This is a very natural thing of networking. If you make the commitment, be there, do that. And if you have to part ways, for whatever reason, it's no longer the right fit, a life circumstance change. Be have a lot of integrity and be honest about what it is, and don't just start ghosting. Let me tell you, this is the first way to have your reputation be slammed out there in the world, which is the last thing we want as entrepreneurs, whether you're just shopping or just starting and or and you're see or you're seasoned. How you enter and how you exit a networking group matters. So just do it with grace and be aware. I I don't have the capacity for this. I'm so sorry. I thought I could make the commitment. I cannot. Thank you so much for the opportunity. I need to step away. It can be simple, it doesn't need to be this huge heartfelt thing, but that reputation follows you because those connections, like you just said, still connect with you and follow you as you go out and onto the next thing of whatever that looks like. So entering and exiting are both really, really important decisions.

SPEAKER_01 54:08

Right.

Sheri Miter 54:09

Right. So, Sarah, if they want to hear more from you, where should people follow you? Andor, I know you've mentioned a handout or something for you have for us. And of course, tell us your book name and a little bit where they can find your book too.

SPEAKER_02 54:26

Sure. So the book just got published last month called The Intentional Networker. It lives on Amazon, Walmart.com, Target.com, Barnes and Noble, all the places where you could potentially go to get your book that are big name, it is there. Hard copy, Kindle, kind of ebook copy or paperback. Audible will be coming, but I want to read my own book. So we just launched the actual physical thing. Where I spend some time on my my social fronts is on LinkedIn at Sarah Ann Hubbard. I prefer Instagram to Facebook, but I like they go to both. So I'm at Sarah Ann Flan F-L-A-N-N, my maiden name, at least part of it, because I don't want to part ways with it. I also have a monthly networking newsletter that just goes out to give tips, tricks, and value of things that you can do in your networking world and things from a podcast that I heard that I was like, ooh, that's that's a great one. Let me push that out to my network. And that's usually a monthly newsletter that goes out, and that could be found on my website, which is Sarah-hubbard.com. You can sign up through there, and that's great. And then the freebie that we're gonna put into the show notes here is a link to get five four different prompts for AI that goes through my framework. And you can take those prompts, fill in your goodness, and use that to help elevate and be intentional with your time when you're out networking.

Sheri Miter 55:50

Awesome, wonderful. We appreciate that. And thank you again so much, Sarah, for really just sharing actual nuggets of information that we can take and implement. And I'm excited to try that. I love ChatGBT, and Gallup now has an AI too that's even oh, I've heard you know, in there. And so yeah, that'll be fun to play with. So thank you again for being a great guest. And thank you for everybody for being here and listening to our conversation today. Thank you for spending this time with me. My hope is something you heard today inspires you to take action toward discovering your calling. I just have two favors to ask of you before you go. One, if you found value and enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and you might hear your review read on a future episode. And two, can you share this episode with three friends who will also enjoy it as much as you did? By doing these things, you will help us grow the podcast to make a bigger impact on the world. And until next week, remember, you have been created to live a life of fulfillment, freedom, purpose, success, and joy.