The Most Underrated Asset in Your Life: Networks

The Hidden Force Behind Every Opportunity

I’ve been thinking a lot about networks lately.

We just moved our family from Los Angeles to Westport, Connecticut. After 15+ years in LA, it wasn’t just a change of location—it was a shift in the networks that shaped almost every part of our life.

In LA, we had deep roots:

→ Friends from school.

→ The founders and operators I built companies alongside.

→ Our neighborhood.

→ The places we worked-out.

→ A private beach club where we knew everyone by name.

→ The schools our kids grew up in.

→ The local restaurant who knew our go-tos.

Every one of those connections was a thread in the fabric of our network. And that network? It wasn’t about LinkedIn requests or industry mixers—it was about trust, serendipity, and showing up.

‍

What Most People Get Wrong About Networks

Ask someone to define “networking,” and they’ll tell you about work events, conference panels, or cold DMs.

But those are surface-level. The real networks—the ones that move your life forward—are the ones you weave into your daily rhythm. They’re not transactional. They’re embedded in how you live.

It’s:

→ The parents you chat with at the baseball field

→ The nonprofit you join to give back

→ The gym you go to every morning

→ The online community you contribute to weekly

→ The town you choose to plant roots in

→ The old friend you call just to check in

These are not just social circles. They’re accelerators of opportunity. They expand your surface area for luck. The more genuine networks you build, the more your life becomes a magnet for chance introductions, unexpected offers, and lifelong friendships.

‍

Rebuilding in a New Place

Now, in Westport, I’m rebuilding.

And I’m doing it with intention.

Not by chasing titles or name-dropping, but by asking:

- Where do I want to spend time?

- What kind of people do I want my kids to grow up around?

- What groups, clubs, causes will not just benefit me—but where can I actually contribute?

This is how great networks start—not by hunting value, but by creating it.

‍

Playbook for Expanding Your Network Surface Area

Here’s how I’m thinking about building networks that matter:

1. Start with consistency. Join the gym. Show up to the community board. Volunteer. Familiarity breeds trust.
2. Pick one or two groups to go deep on. Don’t spread thin—depth beats breadth.
3. Host. Don’t wait. Dinners, playdates, group hikes. Be the reason people connect.
4. Invest first, ask later. The fastest way to build strong ties is to help others win.
5. Re-connect. Your existing network is one phone call away. Don’t let it fade.
   

‍

One Final Thought

Every opportunity in my life has been tied to a person—often someone I met through a “non-networking” moment. A gym friend who opened doors to new opportunities. A parent at school turned advisor. A stranger at a fundraiser turned co-founder.

So wherever you are—whether you’re deep in your hometown or starting fresh—ask yourself:

What networks am I building?

Because if you get that right, everything else follows.

Until next week 🔥