The Career Clinic Podcast
Host: Ronnie Dickerson Stewart
Welcome to Week Three of The Career Clinic Podcast January Intensive Series.
In Episode 88, we take on a word that makes a lot of capable, thoughtful people tense up: networking.
This episode reframes networking not as performative relationship-building or forced small talk, but as proximity, intention, and stewardship of relationships. Ronnie names why opting out of networking may feel safe or principled — yet at a certain point in your career, it quietly limits momentum, access, and provision.
This is a grounded, honest conversation about how opportunity actually moves — and why tending relationships before you need them matters more than ever in today's shifting professional landscape.
✔️ Why "opting out" of networking is no longer a neutral posture
✔️ The difference between networking and not working
✔️ How most opportunities actually come to fruition
✔️ Why proximity matters more than volume
✔️ The role relationships play in provision, protection, and momentum
✔️ How to activate the network you already have
✔️ Why networking isn't a crisis response — it's a practice
Ronnie shares a powerful personal reflection: across her entire career, nearly every meaningful role, promotion, and opportunity came through relationships — not applications.
Not because of strategy or hustle, but because of:
Proximity
Conversations
Reputation
People saying her name when she wasn't in the room
This episode makes clear: your network doesn't just carry you when things are good — it carries you when things shift.
Ronnie defines not working as:
Waiting to be remembered
Assuming people still know what you do
Believing past work will speak on your behalf indefinitely
Telling yourself, "If it's meant for me, it'll come"
Staying silent to avoid discomfort
While understandable, this posture often leads to stalled momentum — especially as industries restructure, roles compress, and access becomes more relational than procedural.
Ronnie references compelling research that confirms what many have experienced firsthand:
Up to 85% of jobs are filled through networking
Roughly 70% of roles are never publicly posted
Employee referrals account for 30–50% of hires
Most opportunities are filled through personal and professional connections
This episode isn't motivational — it's realistic.
Ronnie introduces a key framework:
Proximate Network
People who know your work, character, and receipts.
They're more likely to advocate, protect, and connect you.
Peripheral Network
More distant connections, future collaborators, or lapsed relationships.
These often require more intentional nurturing.
The insight: most people try to go wide when they actually need to go deeper.
Immediate leverage lives in proximity. Future leverage lives in the periphery.
This episode reframes networking as stakeholder management, not card-collecting.
A stakeholder is anyone who:
Impacts your work or outcomes
Is impacted by your decisions
Holds influence or power in your ecosystem
Ronnie explains how mapping stakeholders by interest and influence helps you:
Focus your energy
Reduce overwhelm
Be strategic without being transactional
Stop feeling guilty about not "keeping up with everyone"
Ronnie introduces her ABC principle — not "always be closing," but:
Always Be Connecting
Connection can look like:
Sharing insight or gratitude
Mentoring or advocating
Offering support or introductions
Showing up consistently
Being present and memorable
Influence is built through frequency, integrity, and relevance — not volume or noise.
1. Reach Out to Someone Proximate
Send a text, email, or voice note with no agenda.
"Thinking about you. How are you?" is enough.
2. List Your Key Stakeholders
Name five people who matter most to your current work or next move.
Write down how you're actively tending those relationships.
3. Practice Goodwill
Make one introduction. Advocate for someone not in the room.
Share an opportunity — without keeping score.
These small acts compound into real provision over time.
Most people don't struggle with networking because they don't care.
They struggle because of:
Overwhelm
Lack of planning
Waiting until crisis
The invitation here is simple: build consistently, before you need it.
Tomorrow is Ask OhHeyCoach Friday, where Ronnie responds directly to listener questions from this week and beyond.
If this episode stirred something for you — you're not alone.
📝 Ask OhHeyCoach:
Submit your questions for a future episode:
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Weekly reflections, tools, and grounded leadership guidance.
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🤝 Work With Ronnie / OhHeyCoach:
Executive coaching, leadership development, and career design.
👉🏾 www.ohheycoach.com
📬 Contact:
info@ohheycoach.com
Networking isn't about collecting people.
It's about cultivating relationships. You don't need to overhaul everything. You just need to stay connected to the people who matter.
You're not doing this alone.
I'll see you tomorrow. 🤎
