Using Your Network Properly
Most founders know they have a network — but don’t know how to use it in a way that gets them more clients, connections, or sales (without being cringey).
If you’ve read Every Founder Has a Network, you already know you have a network AND your network includes far more people than you think: friends, former coworkers, clients, service providers, peers, and online connections.
The problem isn’t access.
It’s how you go about it.
Founders often swing between two extremes:
Not activating their network at all
Or trying to connect in a way that ends up feeling awkward, forced, or extractive
This post is about a third option: sharing with clarity, context, and respect for the relationship.
Reframe the Goal: Orientation, Not Promotion
First off you have to realize, you’re not trying to convince your network to buy from you.
You’re orienting them to:
what you’re working on now
who it’s for
when you’re available
When people understand your context clearly, they can naturally:
refer you
think of you
connect you
or reach out when the timing is right
How to Share Based on Relationship Level.
1. Close Relationships (friends, family, trusted peers)
What works here: transparency and conversation.
You can be direct without being transactional.
Example:
“I’ve been refining how I work with beauty clients and I’m opening space for a few clients. Wanted to share what that looks like now.”
These relationships already have trust. You don’t need polish — you need honesty.
2. Warm Professional Relationships (past clients, coworkers, collaborators, peers)
What works here: context + clarity.
Example:
“Hey…I’ve shifted my services to focus more on “X”. If you come across anyone navigating “Y / the problem my service/product offers”, that’s the work I’m doing right now.”
This invites awareness without pressure.
3. Broader Network (online connections, community groups, loose ties)
What works here: informational sharing.
Think updates, not announcements.
Example:
“Lately I’ve been working with founders on “X / this problem”. Sharing in case it’s useful or relevant for someone in your world.”
This makes it easy for people to pass your name along without feeling like they’re selling for you.
What to Avoid (Because It Breaks Trust).
Dropping links with no context
Asking for referrals without explaining the work (or being in touch for a while)
Reaching out only when you need something (or being in touch for a while)
Framing availability from urgency or scarcity
None of these make people want to help.
What Actually Works Long-Term
Share what you’re building as it evolves
Keep people oriented to your work over time (via a personal newsletter, social media updates, other public forums)
Make it easy to understand who you help
Let the right people self-select
Your network doesn’t need to be managed.
It needs to be kept in the loop.
If sharing your work feels uncomfortable, it’s usually not a marketing issue — it’s a pattern issue.
How visible you’re willing to be?
How you relate to asking for support?
How clearly you understand your role and value?
That’s often where Brand Therapy comes in — not to teach you how to sell, but to help you understand how you operate, and how you should pursue your goals, so sharing stops feeling heavy or forced.
