August 30, 2025
Most entrepreneurs walk into networking events like they're carrying a billboard. They meet someone new and immediately launch into their pitch: "Hi, I'm looking for investors. Are you interested?"
The response is predictable: a polite excuse and a quick exit.
After securing two angel investors, I've learned that successful fundraising has nothing to do with perfecting your pitch deck. It's about mastering two fundamental principles that work whether you're seeking investment, advancing your career, or even making genuine friendships.
Here's what you'll learn: how to build relationships that naturally lead to opportunities, and why your authentic communication style might be the secret weapon you've been overlooking in creating connections that actually convert to business outcomes.
The biggest mistake I see entrepreneurs make is treating every interaction like a transaction. They meet someone and immediately launch into what they need, what they're looking for, who they want to connect with.
When you lead with a request, you're essentially saying, "I don't know you, but I want something from you." The response is predictable: "No, I don't know who you are."
Instead of opening with your needs, flip the script entirely. Walk into conversations with genuine curiosity about the other person. Ask about their career, what's exciting them right now, what projects they're passionate about. Lose the formality and the mental calculator of what you might get out of the interaction.
Relationship building isn't a sprint - it's what everyone calls "the long game." But here's what most people get wrong about the long game: they think it means waiting to ask for anything. That's not it.
The real long game is consistently providing value to people in your network. Every interaction should leave the other person better off somehow. Maybe you share an article they'd find interesting, make an introduction that helps their business, or simply remember details about their life that matter to them.
When you focus on how you can help others instead of what they can do for you, you build relationships so strong that when opportunities do arise, the conversations happen naturally. That's exactly how I ended up securing an angel investor through a casual text message - because the relationship foundation was already rock-solid.
Your communication style is either building bridges or creating barriers. I've learned that being authentically yourself, even when it feels unconventional, creates deeper connections than any polished networking approach.
I'm a rapid texter. When I have a thought, I text it immediately instead of crafting the perfect message. When I send emails, they're paragraphs of everything in my head - not concise bullet points.
My husband might hate my texting style, but it works in business because it's genuine. People can sense when you're being real versus when you're performing. Authentic communication, even when it's messy, builds trust faster than perfectly crafted messages.
Once I have a real relationship with someone, I'll call them out of the blue. Middle of the day, no warning, because something reminded me of them or I want their take on news I just read.
This might sound presumptuous, but here's the key: I only do this with people I've invested in as genuine friends. When you treat business relationships like friendships - with the same care, consistency, and authenticity - people start thinking of you as a friend too. And friends help friends succeed.
The magic happens when you combine relationship-first thinking with authentic communication. You're not networking - you're making friends who happen to be in business. You're not pitching - you're having real conversations with people who know and trust you.
This approach takes longer than traditional networking, but the results are exponentially better. When I reached out to my angel investor, it wasn't a cold pitch. It was a friend reaching out to another friend about an opportunity that made sense for both of us.
Building relationships that convert to real opportunities isn't about manipulation or strategy - it's about being genuinely interested in other people and consistently showing up as yourself.
The entrepreneurs who succeed aren't necessarily the ones with the best ideas or the most polished pitches. They're the ones who've built networks of people who genuinely want to see them win.
Start today: reach out to three people in your network, not with an ask, but with genuine interest in what they're working on. See how the conversation evolves when you lead with curiosity instead of requests.
Your next angel investor, business partner, or career opportunity might just be one authentic conversation away.
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