Why Your Networking Is Repelling High-Value People (And What To Do Instead)

Here's the most humiliating truth about networking: you're probably doing it all wrong. While you're collecting business cards and making small talk at industry events, high-value people are actively avoiding you. In this episode, Kara Preston reveals why traditional networking makes you look desperate and shares the exact process that helped her build relationships with people who could actually move the needle. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • The "reciprocity stack" technique that gets busy executives to respond to your messages • Why 70% of senior leadership positions are never posted publicly (and how to tap into this hidden job market) • The 3-degree rule: how your current network can reach 16 million people if you work it right • The follow-up formula that turns one-time meetings into ongoing professional relationships 👤 Perfect for: entrepreneurs and ambitious professionals who are tired of wasting time at networking events that lead nowhere. 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Kara Preston reveals why your networking approach is backfiring [01:30] The psychology behind why high-value people say no [04:00] Building your reciprocity stack before you need it [07:00] The warm introduction playbook that actually works [10:00] Follow-up strategies that don't make you look needy [12:00] Action steps you can implement this week 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow Kara Builds on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for daily insights that cut through the startup BS. New episodes drop every day, and next week we're diving into why most funding pitches fail in the first 30 seconds. 🔍 Topics: professional networking, business relationships, career advancement, startup connections, professional development Get new episodes at Midnight Builders ------------- Keywords: founder breakdown, startup post-mortem, entrepreneur mental health, business pivot stories, startup lessons, business crisis podcast, startup failure stories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices