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Welcome to Radhika’s Newsletter “Intent”. This is your 3x/month guide to purposeful living, wealth-building, and personal growth.

Happy Tuesday! I’m so excited to share this edition of Intent. Today’s topic is all about networking, the myths behind it, and how to build your network (the RIGHT way).

What I’m Sipping On This Month

This month, I’ve been sipping on Pine Needles Tea. It’s got this earthy, refreshing vibe that’s perfect for unwinding and boosting my energy when I need it. Whether I'm relaxing or just looking for a little pick-me-up, it’s been my go to lately. Plus, it's great for the immune system, so it’s definitely helping me stay on track. It kinda reminds me of my usual Dragon Well tea. Have you tried it? I'd love to hear what teas you're into these days!

Networking: It’s a marathon, not a sprint

To be honest, I’ve been going back and forth on whether to write about this. Networking is such an important topic, but let's face it: some people see it as just transactional, like being the adult version of the teacher’s pet. There’s a lot of negative connotation around the whole idea, and I get it. I’ve felt the same way. In fact, I almost didn’t write about it because I didn’t want to add to the “ugh” of it all.

But then something crazy happened: My manager said, “Wow, your network is really vast. How do you do it?” This is coming from someone with 15+ years of experience in the industry. I didn’t think I was doing anything special. In fact, I just thought I was being myself and putting in the time.

But looking back, I realize how hard I’ve worked on building and nurturing my network over the years and let me tell you, it’s not something that happened overnight. It wasn’t always easy for me and it’s something I’ve honed over the years, not by trying to collect a bunch of names, but by genuinely getting to know people, staying in touch, learning from them, and helping whenever I can.

At first, I didn’t understand the difference between knowing a lot of people and really getting to know them on a deeper level. I definitely didn’t want to be that person who kept in touch just because I wanted something. And to be honest, that kind of behavior grosses me out.

There have been times when people I barely knew would reach out after years of no contact, asking for a favor or a job referral. And honestly? It feels like I’m being used, and I hate that feeling. Just imagine how it feels if you're doing that to someone else.

People value real relationships. And that brings me to my first point:

Relationship Depth > Relationship Count

Let me share a story here of someone I cold reached out a few years ago. This person was a VP at my company and I wanted to learn from him. I was immensely curious about startups vs. corporate and he had experience in both so I reached out to set up a call and learn more. 6 months later, he decided to join another company. After he left, I didn’t necessarily need to or have to stay in touch. But I was curious about his journey, looking to learn more and wanted to stay in touch since the first call was so helpful.

So I reached out again and we grabbed coffee - this time we just talked about our personal interests: books we’re reading, waking up early, going to the gym, his kids. And that was that. I didn’t have an ask, wasn’t looking for anything.

6 months later, we decided to catch-up again and met up. That time, I told him about my frustration w/ my job and how I was looking to pivot and meet others. Because of him, I met so many incredible people and was able to attend a highly-exclusive community event. I met founders, operators, investors, and more. And that’s where a lot of my connections and knowledge comes from.

This mentor of mine and I only really check in with each other 2x/year. Since then I’ve helped him with his business and expand his reach and he’s helped me with several things.

The point of this story is this: the consistent check-ins I had with this person is what paid off unexpectedly. It was caring, getting to know the other person, sharing personal interests.

Networking isn’t reaching out to people and asking them for a referral randomly. It’s the depth of the relationship that matters, not how many people you know.

Okay, I know what some of you might be wondering: part of that is also keeping track of these conversations and idk about you but I have a terrible memory. Especially with people I speak to maybe 2 times a year. So here’s where my next tip comes from:

Your Networking “CRM”

This is where keeping track of conversations, likes, dislikes, and follow-ups can really come in handy. Now, before you start thinking this makes networking feel too transactional, I’d actually argue the opposite. Keeping track of personal details, like someone’s kids' names or their hobbies, shows genuine interest in them. The fact that you remember these things, even if you speak rarely, shows you’re making an effort and trying. It shows that you care.

Of course, this CRM is something that’s personal to you, and there’s no need to share it with anyone. But before meeting someone for coffee, it’s a great idea to quickly review your notes. That way, you can check in on what you talked about last time and bring it up naturally in conversation.

One time, I remembered a coworker telling me his mom had been in the hospital. When we caught up again, I simply said, “I hope your mom’s doing better. I remember you mentioning it last time.” That simple gesture made him feel cared for, and that’s all we really want, right? To feel like someone’s paying attention to us — it’s a baseline desire.

So why not use tools to help us? (Especially for people like me who can’t always remember a whole lot in my brain!) Personally, I know I could still do a better job with this, but here are a few tools that can help you manage your personal CRM: Clay, Notion, Excel, and Dex.

Give Before You Get

Here’s the other thing about networking: It’s not just about connecting with people to ask for something. It’s about being selfless. Helping others out, simply for the sake of helping.

There’s a mentor of mine I’ve stayed in touch with for over 4 years now. Funny enough, we met because I just sent him a cold DM. Since then, every year, we’ve met for lunch or coffee. I never had any asks, just sought advice here and there. But then, one day, he mentioned wanting to expand his work and connect with potential partners in that space. A few weeks later, I introduced him to someone I knew, and it turns out they now have one of the best partnerships, both mutually benefiting from it.

I wasn’t looking for anything in return, nor was I asking for anything. I was just there to help. Honestly, it felt so rewarding to know I helped someone so senior and with so much experience.

A big part of building real relationships is exactly that. It's not about giving in order to get something in return, but simply about giving and helping because it's the right thing to do. It's about showing up for others, offering support, and being there when you can, without expecting anything in return.

Real relationships are built on this sense of selflessness and authenticity. When you focus on helping, not because you want to be repaid but because you care, you create a space for others to want to reciprocate that energy.

The Networking “Anti-Strategy” That Works

Here’s another thing: if you’re an introvert, I totally relate to how networking at big social happy hours, events, or even conferences can feel like a lot of work.

Something I’ve learned over the years is that leaning into your own style of networking (rather than forcing yourself into the loud, crowded mold) leads to deeper, more authentic connections. There’s no need to change who you are to make meaningful connections.

I’d rather you take the time to understand what kind of person you are and figure out how to navigate social situations in a way that keeps you aligned with yourself. For example, if you prefer meeting in small groups, then go for that. If 1:1s are more your style, stick with that. No one’s saying conferences are the only way to network.

I met someone years ago who would go to a big social gathering. Make it a goal to say hi to 2-3 people then leave to save her social energy. It makes sense, she was a huge introvert and this strategy worked for her.

You’ve got to find what works for you.

Maybe it’s working out together, going for walks, catching up over coffee, or even attending pre-set dinners organized by a third party. Whatever it is, make it your own.

I’ll leave you with one last story:

Most recently, I landed a new job, something I’d been striving for a while. It wasn’t a walk in the park; it took multiple failures to get here. But it also took hundreds of conversations, a lot of training, and plenty of practice.

Once I finally got the role, someone I’d only spoken to maybe three times reached out to me. They said, “I’m so happy to see you in leadership. It’s people like you I want to see up there. When I saw that you got the role, I was so excited about the future of our company.” 🤯 I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It almost felt like he was more excited for me than I was for myself.

And that right there is what I think is the true secret to networking and having a board that’s genuinely rooting for you. It’s making sure people are fully invested in your success, so they’re truly happy for your goals. It’s about showing them how they’ve contributed to your growth.

My last message to this person was after a leadership conference I attended, where I shared a few notes with him on the things I’ve learned. I simply said, "Just thought you’d appreciate this." It wasn’t an ask, and it wasn’t a brag; just a small "thinking of you" moment since we have this in common.

At the end of the day, networking is a deeply human thing and it’s all about making genuine, authentic connections. The more you focus on building those, the better your trusted circle becomes. If I can ever help or share more about how you can build your network, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Speaking of connection, I've been toying with the idea of hosting a small meetup in the Bay Area to bring some of us together in real life. Nothing fancy, just a casual chance to chat, share stories, and maybe even build some new friendships.

Would you be interested? Let me know in the quick poll below!

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Thank you so much for being a part of the Intent community. I rely on word-of-mouth for growth. If you enjoyed this newsletter, I’d love for you to share it with a friend.
Your commitment to living with purpose is exactly why this space exists. Can’t wait to share more in the next edition!

Until next time,
Radhika
Creating a life of purpose, wealth, and growth

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