Hey Reader,

This is the weekly announcement for The Awkward Handshake, a podcast & community all about networking that I co-host. If you want to opt-out of these podcast & networking community updates, CLICK HERE.

Let’s be honest for a second… When was the last time you actually used your network?

Not scrolled LinkedIn.
Not thought about reaching out.
Not said, “I should probably go to more events…”

But actually showed up, followed up, and stayed in touch?

Yeah. Exactly.

This week on The Awkward Handshake, Megan and I sat down with Dinesh Mathew (one of the best networkers we’ve met) to talk about something a lot of people don’t want to admit:

Your network doesn’t go bad overnight. It just… slowly goes cold.

And then one day you need it and realize you haven’t talked to anyone in months (or years). This episode might be the wake-up call.

We talked about:
✨ Why networking is a forever skill (not a “job search phase”)
✨ What’s actually happening in today’s job market (hint: it’s chaos)
✨ Why “just apply online” is basically a losing strategy now
✨ How to think about your relationships like a portfolio (this one changed how we see everything)
✨ And why the best networkers aren’t the loudest — they’re the ones who actually listen

One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation: You can’t flip your network back on like a light switch. If it’s been sitting cold… it’s going to take time to warm it back up.

And in a world where jobs aren’t stable, clients take months to close, and opportunities come through people, not applications. That matters more than ever.

🎧 Listen to Episode 14: Your Network Is Forever
​ From there, you can listen in your browser or open it in your favorite podcast app.

Connect with Dinesh:​
​Website
​​LinkedIn​

And if you’ve been telling yourself: “I’ll network when I need it…” This is your sign. Because by the time you need it… you’re already behind.

If you enjoyed the episode, we’d love it if you left a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. It helps more thoughtful, interesting humans find the show.

Talk soon,
Mary + Megan