The Unexpected Friendships You Find Through Networking When You Work Alone

If you're ever feel lonely at work, lonely working from home, or you realize your regular friends just don't get what you do, this episode is for you.

I spoke with Lindsay Pinchuk, award-winning entrepreneur and founder of the Dear Founder Forum, a networking community for women business owners over 40. Lindsay's group is a big reason the "Dear Nina" world has grown so much this past year, and this conversation is all about how networking communities (not just Lindsay's) can become an unexpected and essential source of real, lasting friendship. It's really something you might want to consider if you work alone or with a very small team.

But just like in friendship, feeling seen and heard in a networking communities takes an element of giving of your time and attention, NOT JUST TAKING. In this episode we discuss the true friendships that can be made in a networking group and how those connections can help your business and your life.

WE DISCUSSED:

• Why networking groups can foster real friendships
• The “you get out what you put in” truth (for both networking and friendship)
• Why being in the same business doesn’t have to mean competition
• The surprising benefits of becoming friendly with your “competition”
• Why conversations—not social media—are what actually grow your work and your relationships
• The difference between being friendly and being friends (and why both matter)
• Why expecting your friends to support your work as if they're customers, followers, or "fans," can backfire

 

LINKS MENTIONED: 

• "Do you make yourself smaller around certain friends?" The January Substack post about realizing your regular friends aren't the right outlet for some of your work conversations
• Dear FoundHer the podcast and the forum
• Sunny and Jenn on Dear Nina
• My turn as a guest on Lindsay's amazing podcast, Dear FoundHer. We talked about how I built Dear Nina!

Meet Lindsay Pinchuk

Lindsay Pinchuk is an award-winning entrepreneur, consultant, and small business mentor who’s among the less than 1% of female founders to successfully lead her company through an acquisition. She built her first company, Bump Club and Beyond, from just $500 into a 7-figure brand with partnerships that included Target, Nordstrom, Huggies, and Unilever, reaching over 3 million people every month before selling the business to a large agency holding company.

Today, Lindsay is the founder of Dear FoundHer, a top 0.5% podcast and community supporting women business owners over 40. Through her podcast, newsletter, mentorship program, and her signature SWEEP framework, she helps entrepreneurs simplify their marketing, grow their businesses, and build long-term success.

Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram @dearfoundher!

ALL THE DEAR NINA LINKS + CONTACT INFO

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Our sponsor this week is Esther Goldenberg, author of THE SONG OF THE BLUE BIRD, sold everywhere you love to buy books. Special thank you, as always, to my assistant producer, Rebekah Jacobs!