Have you forgotten that LinkedIn was built for networking?

For the past few weeks I’ve been chronically offline.

Okay, that's a little dramatic. I’ve posted on LinkedIn every day and engaged for at least one hour. 

But for me, that feels like nothing.

I haven't been "growing" my online business the way I thought I would this month.

All those January goals? The BD tasks? The fun growth projects I had planned? Sending this newsletter out on time?

Not happening (for now).

I've been in California. Working across a brutal time difference. Catching up until midnight most nights. Delivering for clients. Surviving, mostly.

And when you're in sunny LA, stuck inside working while everyone else is outside getting that (much needed) vitamin D  it messes with your head.

Like you should be doing outside exploring. Living your life not wasting it behind a laptop. 

But despite feeling behind…

I've never felt more connected or more energised. 

Because while I haven't been "growing" online, I’ve been showing up in a different way. 

I've been showing up offline.

Last year I set myself one rule:

Meet one person from LinkedIn in real life every week.

Not for networking in the forced, stuffy sense. Not to "pick their brain" (please, for me, don't ever say this).

Just to connect with people I genuinely wanted to know. People who genuinely inspired me. 

And that one goal I stuck by changed SO much for me.

Meeting Charlie Hills led to us launching a business together.

Meeting Lara Acosta led to an intro to Stan, who's now a client.

And now this trip to America.

I went to the LinkedIn offices in San Francisco because of a connection I'd built with Ali Snider.

While I was there I joked on my LinkedIn post: "How many LinkedIn offices can I tick off?"

Ali tagged her friend in New York.

Next thing you know I'm here. Meeting someone from the LinkedIn team…in the Empire State Building.

This is how it works.

One conversation turns into three.
One coffee chat turns into a client referral.
One DM opens up doors you didn’t know existed. 

And really it’s prettyyyy ironic.

Because, LinkedIn was literally built for networking but most people only treat it like a content machine.

They post.
They scroll.
They obsess over likes and impressions.

But they never send a DM. Never follow up. Never build anything real.

That’s where the actual magic is.

Your next opportunity is far more likely to come from a relationship than a post.

And if you’re like me, setting all these goals in January… then now, life looks different. Your priorities shift.

That’s so fine. 

We’re at the perfect time to reflect, adapt, remind ourselves where we want to go.

I thought growth this month would look like: launching new things, posting more, building funnels.

Instead it's looked like: coffee chats, office visits, saying yes, being in rooms.

Both move the needle.

But one builds relationships that last.

So I'm not saying don't post.

I'm saying don't let posting be the only thing you do.

And please take this advice.

Don't reach out to people for what they can do for your business.

Reach out to people you genuinely want to know. Not "who can help my success." But "who do I actually want to be friends with?"

That's when genuine connections happen. And just like it did for me, it could change everything.

YOUR “ONE TINY ACTION” THIS WEEK (one I find really useful)

Set yourself a rule:

One real conversation per week.

In person if you can. Virtual if not.

Reach out to someone who genuinely inspires you.

Not someone with 200K followers you've never spoken to (be realistic).

Just offer:

• Value

• Curiosity

• Presence

Set up a Calendly link for 30-minute coffee chats if that helps.

Or just send a DM.

"I love your LinkedIn post about [topic] because [reason]. Fancy a coffee sometime?"

That's it.

The best thing I've done for my career this year and last wasn't a post. It was showing up IRL.

Mischa 🤍

P.S. ONE MORE TINY THING

If you want more on this whole "goals evolving" thing - Grace Beverley has a brilliant 15-min podcast on pivoting when your priorities shift.

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