Hi Reader!
I’ve been thinking a lot about the difference between being “well-networked” and being genuinely useful to the people in your network.
Because those are not the same thing.
You can know a lot of people, attend plenty of events, collect business cards, send LinkedIn requests, and still not have much actual relationship momentum.
The real value shows up when you become the person who remembers what someone is working on, shares the right resource at the right time, makes the thoughtful introduction, or says, “You know who you should talk to?”
It also takes a lot more intention than simply showing up.
For financial professionals, this matters because so much of your business is based on the trust you build through relationships. Referrals, centers of influence, client introductions, podcast guests, event invitations, speaking opportunities, and strategic partnerships all tend to come from the same place:
People remember you because you were useful, generous, and easy to trust before you ever needed anything.
Take Action
This week, look at your network through a more strategic lens. Not salesy, useful.
Ask yourself:
1️⃣ Who in my network is working on something I could support, share, or introduce?
2️⃣ Who do I know who should know each other?
3️⃣ Who consistently makes me think bigger after we talk?
4️⃣ Which relationships have I been “meaning to follow up on” for far too long?
5️⃣ What podcast episode, blog post, resource, or introduction could I send this week with no immediate ask attached?
This is where your podcast (or any content you're creating) can become incredibly valuable.
A podcast episode (even if it's your interview on someone else's podcast!) gives you something useful to send. It gives you a way to continue the conversation after a meeting, event, or coffee chat without sending the world’s most boring “great to connect” message.
Instead of saying, “Let me know if you ever need anything,” you get to say:
“I thought of you because this episode connects directly to what we discussed.”
That is a much better follow-up! 🙌
This is just a sliver of the pie when it comes to using podcasting not just as a marketing channel. When used well, it becomes relationship infrastructure.
BTS of a Business Owner's Schedule
My team handles the production of our clients’ episodes, which allows me to stay focused on podcast strategy instead of living inside every production detail. I still check in, approve pieces, coordinate with clients, and answer questions, but the day-to-day production rhythm is not mine to carry alone.
I also recently hired help with lead generation and messaging.
That has been eye-opening in the best way.
He is primarily finding business owners and shows we may be able to help, but he is also becoming an accountability partner for my own communication. Sometimes he needs me to step into a DM so he can learn how I think. Sometimes he hands a conversation to me so I can decide whether to book a call, categorize the lead, connect them with someone else, or stop pursuing.
The surprise benefit is that I am having better conversations.
I am sending more thoughtful replies. I am connecting more people to resources. I am paying closer attention to who is in my orbit and what they may need next.
This is not effortless, by the way.
My introvert self is usually fully spent by Wednesday at noon. Yesterday, I even missed a call because Tuesday-me was a little too ambitious with the calendar. 😵💫
So yes, this is a work in progress.
Mondays and Fridays are protected for a reason. Those are my home days. Metrics, my own show, ads, webinars, planning, and no makeup unless I feel like it. Those days help me recharge so I can actually show up well on the connector days.
🎙️ Ep 107: Danette Lowe, CFP® on Podcasting, Retirement, and Long-Term Visibility
Danette Lowe, CFP®, founder of TruNorth Wealth Management and host of Ready to Retire! and Shine First Today was one of our earliest Podcast Abundance clients, and her shows are a strong example of what happens when a financial advisor treats podcasting as a long-term visibility and relationship-building asset.
Her episodes do not sit by themselves. They can support newsletters, social posts, client conversations, referral follow-ups, book visibility, and the broader trust ecosystem around her firm.
If you are an advisor wondering whether a podcast can become more than one more content task, start here.
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If you are an advisor wondering whether a podcast can become more than one more content task, start here.
🎧 Listen to the episode with Danette Lowe
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🎙️ New Episode: George Rivera on Buying Back Time
This one is for every business owner who knows they cannot keep being the bottleneck forever.
George and I talked about delegation, outsourcing, SOPs, Loom videos, the Freedom Audit, and what it really takes to buy back time so your business can grow without every important task depending on you personally.
For podcasting, the connection is obvious.
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Your expertise should stay at the center. But the entire process should not live in your brain, your inbox, your calendar, and your already-full Tuesday afternoon.
If your podcast only works when you personally carry every step, it is not a system yet.
🎧 Listen to the episode with George Rivera here
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What I’m Taking Into the Week
My biggest lesson so far on relationship-building: Pay attention to the people who make you think bigger.
You know the ones...
The ones where you leave the coffee chat with your brain buzzing. Where you sit in your car and start typing notes before you forget half the ideas. You realize the conversation expanded what you thought was possible.
Those people are worth your time.
But the next step is not just to admire them or absorb their energy. The next step is to ask, “How can I be useful to them too?”
That is where relationships become reciprocal.
That is where networking becomes a real business asset.
And that is where your podcast, content, and follow-up systems can help you become someone people remember, trust, and want to keep in the room.