The KP Way to Network Naturally

Here’s what I do to network naturally:

1. Send a text or email on a birthday or holiday (In the Fall, I check in with my friends who celebrate the Jewish New Year, with a “Happy New Year”  text. I also send Valentine’s and Facebook birthday wishes).

2. When I see something in the trades that talks about the studio, network, film, or new release that a MyGrad is working on, I’ll shoot them an email and let them know how happy I am for them.

3. When I hear a company is laying off employees, I make sure to email everyone I know who may be impacted, and offer help. I may or may not be able to actually do anything, but sometimes just knowing people care can make all the difference.

4. I stay for the credits of every movie. If I know someone who worked on the movie (actor, editor, producer, or even accountant or lawyer), I email them! It’s so exciting to see people you know doing what they do best. This actually happened when I saw Blackkklansman. I noticed my former WME colleague, Shaun Redick, listed as a producer. I only wanted to congratulate him on another amazing movie (he was also a producer on Get Out), but I soon discovered Shaun was going to be looking for interns in a few weeks, and so I now hope to get one of my talented MyGrads in there!

The Foundation of Networking

So often when we think of networking, we think we need to do it when we actually need something. The reality, however, is that it’s better to build a foundation before you have to ask for something. Harvey MacKay wrote a great book on networking and the title says it all, Dig Your Well Before You Are Thirsty.  Read it. It was written nearly 30 years ago, but the principles hold true to this day!