Networking: The Power Of Who You Know

Imagine this. You want to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle. You are serious about it and you are pumped. You are going to exercise and eat nutritious foods. Yet day after day you are surrounded by people who hang out in front of the television eating pizza, chips, and ice cream. They complain all of the time about not having any energy and feeling lousy, but they never do anything about it. How successful do you really believe you are going to be unless you change your environment?

Now think about your financial goals. You want to create wealth and enjoy prosperity in your life. You plan to save some money and learn how to invest and create multiple streams of income. What type of people are you around day after day? Are they trying to gain wealth and prosperity like you, or are they like those people who hang out in front of the television eating junk and complaining about their lot in life? In other words, are you associating with people who talk about changing their financial life or are you associating with people who are doing something to make it happen?

Of course we are not suggesting that you dump all your friends and run out to find new ones. Our close relationships are based on far more than simple wealth and financial criteria. However, what we are suggesting is that you start expanding your circle of friends and acquaintances. Find the people who are living the kind of life you want, the people who are trying to build their wealth, and get to know them.

There is a common theory that if you make a list of the five people you spend the most time with and take an average of their income, the resulting figure will be fairly close to your own earnings. This ties directly into Step 8 of the Artists’ Prosperity System – surround yourself with other wealth builders – and is part of what makes this step so important. If you are making the choice to focus on improving your finances, it will be a far easier journey if you have other people in your life that are doing the same and who will support and encourage you on the journey.

People tend to hang out with other people who share the same or similar circumstances in life. As artists, we are particularly guilty of this. We feel that non-artists really don’t understand us. There is something comforting about being around others who are doing the same things, who have the same issues, struggles, and passions. However, spending all our time with other artists will not land us jobs. If you are an actor, the reality is that it is not other actors that will help you get work. It is the producers, directors, and other "decision makers" that will positively impact your career. Likewise, if you are a painter or a musician, spending all of your time with other painters and musicians will certainly feed you creatively, but they are not the ones that will bring artistic exhibitions and jobs your way. As much as we may not like it, relationships play a huge factor in which artists are working professionally and which ones are not. It is critical that we stop placing the decision makers on pedestals and start finding ways to interact with them as equals and as peers.

So how do you meet these influential people? Make a list of some networking groups and associations that you can join. Think about people that you would like to meet and join the groups they are a part of. If you are interested in learning about a particular type of investing, join a class or group that focuses on that. As you meet new people, don’t be afraid to talk about what you are up to. Share your goals and ambitions, both artistically and otherwise. Opportunity will not find you if you stay silent.

Part of what makes the process of building financial security and independence less scary is that you do not have to do it alone. So many artists tend to be introverted and independent, but being a part of a community of other like-minded individuals will help bring us to a new level personally, professionally, and financially. You just need to open yourself up to new associations and friendship so that these new relationships can help feed your ambition. It’s just like having a friend with whom to go to the gym. It adds extra incentive to keep moving forward and achieve your goals. So go out and find your wealth and prosperity friends. Then create the life you want with their support and encouragement.