Building Your Network of Experts

One of the most important things I did to grow my business was to step out of my comfort zone and begin to expand my professional network.

It was a stretch for me to transition from being a certified career coach and resume writer to being a resource for my career expert peers. My ...One of the most important things I did to grow my business was to step out of my comfort zone and begin to expand my professional network.

It was a stretch for me to transition from being a certified career coach and resume writer to being a resource for my career expert peers. My certifications gave me the confidence in my coaching and writing skills, but when it came to marketing or other business-building skills, I needed help!

It was challenging to ask for help and learn to delegate, as I'm sure you can relate to. After all, expanding my network meant getting out there and making myself more visible, representing myself as a career expert and following through with the contacts and commitments I was making. I had to face a lot of fears.

Hiring a virtual assistant and a professional editor were just two of the ways that I stepped out of my comfort zone and committed to the growth of my business.

Business opportunities are everywhere, but you can't expect them to just drop in your lap. Here are the three top reasons I'm glad I stepped out of my comfort zone to expand my network of experts, and why I encourage you to do the same:

1. While you're reaching out for support and guidance from experts in other fields, you're establishing yourself in their minds as a career expert. You may very well be building long-term, supportive and trusting relationships that can result in referrals (in both directions) for many years to come.

2. Experts in other fields bring a whole new world of business-building strategies, ideas and experiences that just may not exist in our own industry. Keep your eyes and ears open for both professional and personal development opportunities.

3. When you take consistent action, you see consistent results. Whether it's an action that resulted in immediate gains or whether it was a learning opportunity for what to do differently next time, the more you try, the further ahead you get. So try again and keep trying; soon enough you'll starting seeing your efforts pay off.