Networking Made Easy With Chi Chi Okezie
This episode of The WellFounder Podcast features Chichi Okezie, founder of Simple Networking, discussing her strategic approach to business networking that goes beyond just "showing up" to events—including creative networking games and the importance of having an actual networking plan.
📚 What You'll Learn:
How Chichi's Nigerian-American background and diverse perspective led to founding Simple Networking, a certified Black woman-owned consulting firm specializing in networking strategies and cultural intelligence [02:30]
Why there's no "networking bible" and how most professionals lack strategic frameworks for building meaningful business relationships [05:45]
The revelation that networking is like breathing—we do it naturally, but we need techniques and frameworks to be more effective and reach specific goals [08:20]
How to avoid "networking burnout" by being strategic and intentional rather than trying to be everywhere and meet everyone [06:15]
The power of creating a networking plan with clear goals, just like you would for business, retirement, or fitness [07:00]
An innovative elevator pitch game that eliminates the words "I" and "we" to create more engaging, action-oriented introductions [12:45]
The critical importance of follow-up and making yourself easily reachable—including a cautionary tale about missed opportunities [18:30]
A simple but powerful three-part framework: prepare before, be intentional during, and follow up after networking events [21:15]
💭 Key Quotes:
We operate in networks, so it's not necessarily about being a natural networker. We just network automatically."
"You can't be everything to everyone. You can't be everywhere. You can't be a member of every single organization."
"When you have to take out 'I' and 'we,' you really want to engage them like: this is what I do, this is how I serve my community, this is the problem that I solve, and this is how you can contact me."
"It's great. You can go to 800 different events in one week... but if you do not follow up or people cannot reach you, then it's pretty much done in vain."
🔗 Connect With Chi Chi:
