The Importance of Investing in Your Circle

There are many articles out about how loneliness and isolation are at all time highs in our society. I’m sure there are several ways to slice that narrative, but one of the things I’ve been thinking a lot about is how to best categorize the people you spend time with.

One of my long time colleagues and fellow UMD Terp, Zvi Band, is a serial entrepreneur who for the better part of the last decade or so has had a deep interest in visualizing and staying in touch with your network. In an earlier version of his current company Relatable, there was an activity (but really a game scenario) in which you could quickly categorize the people that you have connected with via email. You could create your own buckets and act accordingly, but the genius behind this was that it helped you think beyond the basics of acquaintance, friend, colleague or family. Context is everything.

Here’s how I break things down for myself (and I use the term ecosystem quite a bit too):

• Ecosystem: the aggregate of people you’ve come across over the course of your career that you’ve interacted with in some way (your network, explained below) AND those maybe 1-2 degrees separated outside of these people. Thanks to algorithms and “suggested” influences — someone working in medicine with an interest in tech and health equity might learn about me via a post on Linkedin or through a colleague connected to me with similar interests. Their backgrounds can be varied but can be pulled in based on intent. Yay, ripple effects!

• Network: the aggregate of people that you’ve come across over the course of your career that you have some varying degree of touchpoints with (e.g. you can message them on Linkedin, they’d recognize you at a conference, there is a mutual understanding of what you do). There is usually some sort of aligned context here.

• Circle: these are the people that you have and continue to spend intentional time with — and can absolutely cross over into professional alignment (often does with adulthood). Apart from the spending time piece, there are layers of vulnerability, goals-sharing and proactive engagement that make up this group. These are the people that you can count on for a number of things.

2019 Aspen Ideas: Health + birth of #WeAllGoUp mantra (credit: Ivelyse Andino —far right)

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Your circle is a critical aspect of how you navigate new phases of your life/career, how you might make important decisions and how you maintain a level of self awareness through it all. Investing in the people here often times has a compounding positive effect and from my experiences, can be a big part of how you successfully (and authentically) show up. Here’s how:

You Have a Mirror: these people are helpful in reflecting back to you who you actually are versus the often over-critical, self-defeating narratives in your mind. Whew, accountability!

You Get Challenged: to accomplish more outside of your comfort zone (by-product of first point). Sure, there are seasons of rest and figuring things out. However, you as a game-changer with a vision to create sustainable impact will eventually be called back to the playing field. “Playing small benefits no one.” ~ one of my wise mentors 

You Get Encouraged: to be more holistically IN your life (rest, go travel, attend that friends brunch, do that creative project you keep putting off). This is a key aspect — a circle who wants you to be happy and fulfilled in life. Remember, #NoMartyrs. Notice above me talking about sustainable impact. We need you here and healthy. Your circle realizes this.

You Feel a Sense of Belonging: a true sense of feeling like a core group of people who consistently understand you is something I believe strongly about. This is where investing in this group prevents the transactional nature of “networking” (more on that in another post). Authenticity is so important — now more than ever.

Do you have a story of how your circle helped keep you on track, amplified your wins (even when you might not know it) in rooms and reminded you that your impact/presence is felt and truly valued? Let me know.

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Get Plugged In

• I’m one of the judges again for the Heart of Healthcare Grant (led by my friend/collaborator Halle Tecco) — check out the semi-finalists and vote for the grand prizer winner!

• Know a frontline health worker who wears scrubs? Let ‘em know about Luminary Scrubs (Black-woman owned, nurse-owned) which just launched.

• Master the Art of Getting Hired — The Journey podcast episode with Morgan DeBaun (CEO of Blavity) has some gems.

• Omari Richins of The Public Health Millennial is hiring for a Podcast Producer to help take things up a notch. Know anyone?

Did a specific part of what you read today resonate with you? I’d love to hear it!