Why Networking Is a Marathon, Not a Sprint: How to Build Meaningful Professional Relationships
- Rachelle Mandziak
- 12 minutes ago
- 7 min read
Networking Is a Marathon, Not a Sprint
When people attend a networking event, they often walk into the room focused on an immediate result.
“I need to find a client.”
“I need to meet an investor.”
“I need to find a mentor.”
But networking rarely works that way.
The most valuable relationships are not usually built during one conversation at one event. They develop through repeated interactions, genuine curiosity, consistent follow-up, and the trust that forms over time.
Networking is a marathon, not a sprint. The goal is not to collect as many contacts as possible in one evening.
It is to build a network of people who know who you are, understand what you do, and feel confident recommending you when an opportunity arises.
Networking Did Not Come Naturally to Me ( Well it did and it didn't...)
I was not always an entrepreneur or someone who regularly attended networking events.
Before building Olive Grey Creative and OUR Network, I spent years working in the corporate world, eventually becoming a Director of Web and Projects at a full-service agency. From the outside, I had checked all the boxes. I had a leadership role, a great team, strong clients, career growth, and financial stability.
But I was also deeply burned out and knew something needed to change.
I began rebuilding trust in myself by committing to trying something new every week. Sometimes that meant a pottery class, a group hike, or aquafit. The activity itself was not the important part. What mattered was that I had committed to showing up.
As I started building Olive Grey Creative, I also began placing myself in rooms with other women in business.
I did not walk into those rooms with a polished networking strategy or a goal of finding clients. I simply wanted to be around people who understood what I was building.
While networking did not initially come naturally to me, I quickly realized that I was naturally good at it.
At its core, networking is simply about being good with people, and that was something my previous roles had prepared me for.
Years spent working in management, sales, client relationships, and leadership taught me how to listen, read a room, understand different personalities, and make people feel comfortable. I knew how to ask questions, find common ground, and make people feel seen, liked, and trusted.
That is really what good networking is. It is not about delivering the perfect pitch or proving that you are the most impressive person in the room. It is about how you make people feel when they are speaking with you.
Over time, the relationships I formed became clients, referral partners, collaborators, mentors, and friends.
That experience taught me one of the most important lessons about networking:
Networking is not about working the room. It is about consistently showing up in rooms.
Stop Expecting Every Conversation to Produce a Result
Not every person you meet will become a client, introduce you to an investor, or immediately change the direction of your business.
That does not make the conversation unsuccessful.
Sometimes networking is simply about creating awareness. You are helping someone learn your name, understand what you do, and remember what you are building.
Sometimes you are planting a seed. The person you meet today may not need your services, but they could think of you six months from now when someone in their network does.
Sometimes you are building relationships with sponsors. These are the people who speak positively about you and recommend you when you are not in the room. You can also become that person for someone else.
The most valuable connection in your network may not be the person who hires you. It may be the person who repeatedly tells other people that they should.
That is why it helps to enter networking spaces as a giver, not only as a taker. Ask how you can help. Make introductions. Share useful information. Support what other people are building.
You may not see the return immediately, but trust compounds over time.
Set Goals You Can Actually Control
If your only goal is to leave an event with a new client, you may walk away feeling like the evening was unsuccessful, even if you had several valuable conversations.
Instead, set simple goals based on actions you can control:
“I am going to introduce myself to at least three people.”
“I am going to stay for at least one hour.”
“I am going to start one conversation instead of waiting for someone to approach me.”
“I am going to meet one person outside my usual industry.”
“I am going to exchange contact information with at least two people.”
“I am going to introduce two people who could benefit from knowing each other.”
“I am going to follow up with my new connections within 48 hours.”
These smaller goals make networking feel more achievable, especially if walking into a room full of unfamiliar people feels intimidating.
You do not need to be the most outgoing person there. You just need to take the next small action.
Focus on Curiosity, Not Performance
People often put pressure on themselves to sound impressive at networking events. They rehearse their job title, memorize a pitch, and worry about saying the perfect thing.
But good networking conversations are not performances.
Instead of immediately asking, “What do you do?” begin with a question that creates a more natural conversation:
“What brought you to this event?”
“Have you attended one of these before?”
“How do you know the host?”
“What are you currently working on?”
“What made you interested in tonight’s topic?”
Listen to the answer and ask a follow-up question. People remember when they felt heard and when someone showed genuine interest in them.
When it is your turn to introduce yourself, go beyond your job title.
Give the other person something meaningful to respond to.
Explain what you are building, who you help, or what you are excited about right now.
Example:
“I’m a project manager at Northline Construction. I coordinate commercial renovation projects and keep the clients, designers, and contractors moving in the same direction. Right now, I’m managing the renovation of a new restaurant downtown, which has been a really interesting project.”
Your goal is not to deliver a flawless elevator pitch. It is to open the door to a real conversation.
A Short Conversation Can Still Be Valuable
You do not need to spend the entire event speaking with one person for the interaction to matter.
Sometimes a focused five- or ten-minute conversation is enough to recognize that you would like to stay connected. You can exchange information, thank the person for their time, and continue circulating.
A short conversation followed by a coffee meeting can be far more valuable than a 60-minute conversation that ends when the event does.
Moving on does not have to feel rude or awkward. You can simply say:
“It has been great speaking with you. I promised myself I would meet three new people tonight, so I am going to keep circulating, but I would love to stay connected.”
The goal is not to rush through conversations. It is to give yourself permission to meet more people while leaving space to continue the right relationships later.
The Follow-Up Is Part of Networking
The event may be where you meet, but the relationship is built through what happens afterward.
Send a message within 24 to 48 hours while the conversation is still fresh. Reference the event, mention something specific you discussed, and make the message personal.
You could say:
“It was great meeting you at the event last night. I enjoyed hearing about the project you are launching this fall. I would love to stay connected and hear how it develops.”
The purpose of the first follow-up is not to sell. It is to continue the relationship.
From there, staying in touch can be simple. Congratulate them when they share an update. Send them a resource related to something you discussed. Invite them for coffee. Introduce them to someone who could help.
Trust is created through small moments of consistency, not one perfectly worded message.
Keep Showing Up!
You will not connect with everyone, and you are not supposed to.
Some events will lead to immediate opportunities. Others will simply introduce you to people you may encounter again months later. Sometimes the value of an event will not become clear until much further down the road.
That does not mean networking is not working.
Every time you show up, start a conversation, remember someone’s name, make an introduction, or send a thoughtful follow-up, you are building your network.
This is also why I am building OUR Network: to make it easier to capture the people we meet in real life, remember the context behind each connection, and follow up after the event is over.
Technology can remove some of the friction, but meaningful networking will always come back to people, trust, and consistency.
Networking is not about being the loudest or most outgoing person in the room. It is about showing up, being curious, building trust, and following through.
Do not judge your progress by what happens after one event.
Keep showing up. Keep planting seeds. Keep supporting the people around you.
Small conversations can lead to big opportunities, but the strongest networks are built one relationship at a time.
Your Next Opportunity May Begin With One Conversation
The person you meet today may not become a client tomorrow.
They may become a collaborator next year, introduce you to someone who changes your business, recommend you when you are not in the room, or simply become someone worth knowing.
That is why networking is a marathon, not a sprint. The real value is not measured by how many contacts you collect in one evening. It is built through every conversation you start, every relationship you nurture, and every time you follow through.
So keep showing up. Stay curious. Make people feel seen, liked, and trusted. Follow up when you say you will.
Because the smallest conversation can plant the seed for your biggest opportunity, but only if you give the relationship time to grow.
You can do everything right at an event.
Show up. Start conversations. Meet great people.
And still lose the connection after.
Because the hardest part is not meeting people.
It is remembering them, organizing them, and actually following up.
That is what we are building.
A simple way to connect in person, keep track of who you met, add notes while it is fresh, and follow up without overthinking it later.
If that sounds like something you need, join the waitlist and get early access.
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