“My toughest personal obstacle was building credibility, especially as a young entrepreneur — I was 22 when I founded GPP.”

Jessica Lui is CEO of Global Professionals Practicum (GPP), a professional coaching firm dedicated to helping clients build influence in a competitive global environment, as well as a management consultant at Deloitte. She serves as a member of the UN International Youth Council, consulting on global humanitarian youth issues. Jessica has spoken at 20+ conferences including the United Nations General Assembly (New York), the World Business Dialogue (Berlin) and the World Economic Forum Global Shapers (San Francisco).

How did you get to where you are today?

To be successful: Know what you want to do. Find the right people to support you. Do what it takes to get there.

The first and most important part of the journey is defining what you want to do.

Ideally, this should be an intersection between what you are passionate about doing and what meets your definition of success.

There are many things I’m passionate about doing: helping GPP clients build their influence and personal networks, working as a UN Youth Ambassador to promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), or speaking to youth at Stanford about how to build their brand.

What stays consistent is how I define success: I believe that success is defined by the impact you create and the relationships you build. I measure success by the number of lives touched, impact created, and the number of friends I could call at 2 AM if I needed help.

The next step is finding the right people to support you on your journey.

Having a network is essential — a network is often the difference between success and failure; having opportunities or struggling to find them. Talk to experts for advice, make your pitches to investors, meet mentors who can help you get through tough patches, and network with fellow innovators.

Finally, do what it takes to get there.

Success takes a lot of hard work; there are many times when the journey to success can be difficult and daunting.

However, there are two important traits that I’ve noticed allow entrepreneurs to succeed when things get tough: the flexibility to adapt to change and the capacity to overcome failure.

You should always be committed to the goals that are driving you but stay flexible in your approach. Flexibility allows you to recognize opportunities and move in new — and sometimes unexpected — directions.

Flexibility is especially important when facing failure. Anything that is worth pursuing in life has a risk of failure. And it’s okay to fail. What defines your capacity to overcome failure is that you don’t allow the experience of failure to stop you from moving forward.

Failure has taught me perseverance and resistance to adversity to keep moving forward on difficult days. Without failure, I would never have been able to speak in the General Assembly Hall at the United Nations, meet with CEOs of Fortune 500s, gain a front row seat to President Obama’s speech, or attend Fashion Week in New York. On the days when you face rejection, it’s important to have faith in your ideas and yourself to move beyond it.

Your ability to believe in yourself and your capacity to succeed is key to finding your path to success. Regardless of where you start or who you are, you have the capacity to shape the world.

What was your toughest obstacle and how did you overcome it?

My toughest personal obstacle was building credibility, especially as a young entrepreneur — I was 22 when I founded GPP.

As an employee at a company, your credibility is largely tied to the reputation of the organization at which you work. This is why so many people want to work at prestigious firms. As a startup CEO, you don’t have that luxury (nor do you have the marketing budget).

Consequently, it’s up to you to build that credibility. Credibility is key to building traction — getting others to know about you company and what value you can offer. You could be the world’s most talented person or have the most incredible product, but you will fail if no one recognizes you or the value you offer.

Building a strong network of key influencers who could speak to my credibility and the credibility of the company, whether it was partnerships with media or expert advisors, was critical to developing the GPP brand in such a short period of time. As a result, GPP was recognized at President Obama’s Global Entrepreneurship Summit within just a year of the company’s founding.

What’s the key to staying focused & motivated?

On Staying Focused:
Staying focused can be challenging. It can often feel like there is a lot to do and nearly all of the tasks are urgent — but at the end of the week it still doesn’t feel like you’ve made progress towards your goals.

From a strategic perspective, the key to staying focused is to remember the big picture. What are the most important goals you want your team/your company to achieve in the next five years, the next year, and the next month? What activities are you currently working on that will make the biggest impact on moving towards those goals? Keep a pulse on the overall strategy of the company and to ensure your daily/weekly tasks are being prioritized accordingly as a team.

Once you know what the most important goals are, then you can ensure you focus on key priorities for the day — there may be a lot to do, but you’ll know what to work on first.

From a day to day perspective, the use of digital devices which can make all work seem urgent.

I always set aside time each day to be “offline” usually in the early morning, to maximize productivity and have a period of time to focus on strategic work. Consider whether or not it is truly urgent to respond right away: If you can take a meeting for a few hours without checking your phone; then you can definitely set aside “offline” hours for work.

Additionally, I always spend an hour per week to focus on strategic decision making without distractions.

On Staying Motivated:
Motivation is usually cyclical, where some days you’re feeling incredibly motivated and other days where you aren’t motivated at all. When I think of staying motivated, I’m always reminded of Zig Zaglar, a motivational speaker who quipped: “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing — that’s why we recommend it daily.” Think about the activities that energize and inspire you, and make it a priority to invest time into them on a regular basis.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

Build a network to support you.

Networking is like accelerant for a career — it can help you learn and provide you with opportunities that will allow you to advance faster than you could on your own.Nobody ever succeeds alone: you should never be too scared or too shy to look for people who can support or mentor you.

There are a lot of people who want to provide advice and encouragement to people who are trying to do the right thing, have great ideas, and are willing to reach out. If you reach out to your community, there are a lot of people available to help. Always be open to help and be ready to listen — there is something you can learn from everyone.

What advice do you have for another person who is looking to start a company while keeping their “day job”?

If you already have a day job then you need to outsource everything in your startup that you are not essential to. Ensure your team is empowered to make decisions without your presence. You’ll need a very clear picture of what your strategic priorities are and communicate it to your team — they should know the company’s key priorities as well as you do. Allow them to work as independently as possible. For example, you might say “If the problem can be solved with under a hundred dollars, then I trust you to resolve it without me; if will take more than that, feel free to give me a call to discuss the options.”

You’ll also need stamina — there is a greater physical element to it than most people think, just being able to grind it out. At the end of the day, mentally, emotionally, and physically, you have to be able to say “I got this”.

How do we get more women leaders?

Getting more female leaders is difficult because there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to increasing female leadership. There are multifaceted economic, social and environmental factors that are keeping women from leadership positions.

While most organizations recognize the benefit of diverse teams; female leadership is still under-represented in many fields — from STEM to politics. In order to increase female leadership, we need to invest in the leadership skills of girls alongside economic, social and environmental improvement. While leadership skills and female role models are important, we cannot close the gender gap without narrowing the social and economic gap too.

It’s important to note that gender equality isn’t just a women’s issue — men need to be a part of the solution in ensuring equal rights and opportunities for both genders.

Originally published at www.overdressedovereducated.com by Meral Arik on May 8, 2017.

“My Toughest Personal Obstacle Was Building Credibility, Especially as a Young Entrepreneur” was originally published in Thrive Global on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

In previous articles, we discussed tools to help you build your network such as mastering coffee chats and getting the most out of conferences

As a result, many of our readers have asked: “How do I keep in touch after I make a connection?”.

Following up is the most important part of networking- failing to follow up is like going on a great first date and never calling again. You need to follow up and stay in touch to build the relationship.

But while many professionals are aware of the importance of following up, they’ve expressed that they find it difficult to continue to build and maintain the relationship over time.

These networking best practises will help you develop and maintain your network:

After the Initial Connection

As a general rule of thumb, I advise our clients at Global Professionals Practicum (GPP) to follow up with someone within 24 hours of making a connection. I would recommend sending a brief email — it should express your gratitude, mention a memorable part of your meeting, and reaffirm any commitments either of you may have made.

If you really want to impress, you can follow your email with a hand-written note to add a personal touch. Don’t forget to send out invitations to connect on social media as well.

If you were introduced by a third party, communicate any outcomes from your coffee chat, and reiterate your gratitude for the introduction.

Turning Acquaintances into Associates

The most common question we hear from GPP clients is: “How do I stay in touch with someone after we’ve met?”

New connections require more contact before there is recognition, so I advise our clients to touch base about once a month. With well-established relationships or casual acquaintances, you can maintain the relationship by reaching out several times a year.

Reaching out is especially effective if you can provide value when you touch base. As we discussed in a previous article Smart Networking, the key to smart networking is creating value for others and helping make them more successful.

Providing value doesn’t have to be complex — it can be a simple as “After we spoke, I found this great article/podcast about your niche of work that I think you’ll find interesting ….”.

Additionally, social media can help you look for opportunities to add value. For example, if an acquaintance tweets about heading to a conference in NYC, and you know someone in the same industry, offer to connect them.

If you have a large network, it can be difficult to remember how long it’s been since you reached out. Social media and contact management applications are fantastic for this — they can remind you to reach out periodically, and during personal events such as birthdays.

Getting Back in Touch

It’s also not uncommon for GPP clients to mention that they would like to get back in touch with someone they’ve met or worked with; but they feel it’s too late because it’s been a long time since they’ve been in touch.

Personally, I think it’s really never too late — most people (especially busy professionals) will appreciate that you took the effort to initiate getting back in touch. Don’t be afraid to reach out — even if it’s just to say hello. I’m always pleasantly surprised when someone reaches out after a long time.

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Jessica is the Founder and CEO of Global Professionals Practicum.

Jessica Lui is the CEO @ Global Professionals Practicum; a professional coaching firm dedicated to helping clients build influence in a competitive global environment.

Follow Jessica Lui on Twitter: www.twitter.com/luijessica

Originally published at www.huffingtonpost.com on April 4, 2017.

Follow Up or Fail: How to Win at the Most Important Part of Networking was originally published in Thrive Global on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

This column is republished from the Globe and Mail’s Careers’ Leadership Lab series, where executives and experts share their views and advice about leadership and management.

As the CEO of Global Professionals Practicum, I’ve observed that the number one characteristic that holds someone back from building a successful network (and career) is a fear of failure.

Over the past year, I’ve worked with some incredibly brilliant, talented individuals who are afraid. Afraid to reach out to a stranger to ask for advice because they might experience rejection or take risks in their careers because they might fail.

To be perfectly honest, there are times when I feel afraid too; I think no matter how successful you are, there are times when you’ll feel like you’re back at square one, days when you feel disappointed by the outcome, frustrated by the situation or afraid that you might fail.

It’s okay to be afraid to fail. What matters is that you don’t allow it to stop you from moving forward.

Whenever I’m feeling afraid of failure, I remind myself that I’m more afraid of the opportunities I’ll miss because I didn’t try than the possibility of failure. In the very worst case scenario, you’ll build resilience. The other person may not always help/respond or the opportunity may not work out, but it won’t have any adverse effects either. You’re no worse off for trying, and you now have more experience that will help you build perseverance.

As a society, we don’t like to talk about our failures. We have an inherent social bias to only share positive aspects of our lives. I’m willing to bet that your Facebook feed has plenty of vacation photos or announcements about a new job, but very few posts about someone failing to get a job interview or breaking up with their partner.

However, anything that is worth pursuing in life has some risk of failure. We all experience failure at some point in our lives unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all.

You should never, ever be embarrassed that you have failed. You’ll never know how much you can achieve without taking some risks, moving outside of your comfort zone, learning from new experiences or challenging yourself to grow. There will be failure along the way. But failure is an essential part of the journey to success.

While failure is essential to success, facing failure isn’t easy. So here are the three things that I have found helpful when facing failure:

• Remember that failure does not define your ability to succeed: I often hear people who fail say I am a failure. It is important to distinguish between being a failure and having experienced failure. If you believe that you are a failure, that failure is now a part of your identity, then it will become a self- fulfilling prophecy. But if you believe that you are a person who experiencing failure (a temporary setback that you can overcome), then you can pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep pursuing your goals.
• Focus on the work: When you face failure, it’s easy to focus on how you feel — disappointed, rejected, or upset. Instead, I urge you to focus on your work. There is always something that can be learned from your experience, and there are always other options to pursue. In other words, there is nearly always something that you can do.
• Build a network to support you: Find people who believe in you and are willing to support you in your journey. Never be afraid to ask for help; you never know who your next mentor, investor or partner might be. Don’t be shy, because you never know when you’ll meet the person who could change your life.

If there is one thing I want you to take away from this, it is that experiencing failure does not mean you are any less capable of being successful. In fact, it’s important for you to understand that your experience facing failure is actually the key to your success.

When you learn to embrace failure, it can be a fantastic teacher. Those of you who have experienced failure have already developed the perseverance and resistance to adversity that you need to keep moving forward.

So I want you all to go out there. Make mistakes. Take risks. Get messy. Talk about your failures. And please, know that you aren’t alone in experiencing failure and that it should never stop you from achieving your dreams.

Follow Jessica Lui on Twitter: www.twitter.com/luijessica

Originally published at www.theglobeandmail.com on February 9, 2017.

To Be Successful, Accept the Possibility of Failure was originally published in Thrive Global on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

You can read Part One here.

Dress to Impress

You’ll be making a lot of first impressions during the event, and it helps to look sharp. Some conference attendees will opt to adopt a signature style to help them stand out (depending on the industry) — like a bow tie or pair of red heels. Don’t underestimate the important of dressing well.

Be Prepared to Meet

It’s much less intimidating to enter a large event if you know who you want to speak with, and what you’d like to say. Make sure you get one-on-one time with the person you want to connect with, especially if you’re at a large event, such as a conference.

Arrange to meet with the other person on their own terms. It’s often possible to slip into someone’s schedule if you send out a request to connect in advance. Think of it from a speaker’s perspective: during an event, they might speak to a crowd of several hundred people and perhaps meet with a dozen audience members.

You’re far more likely to make an impression if you meet with someone individually. It gives you the chance to convey who you are, why you’re interested in meeting with them and speak about common experiences in order to really connect.

Check with the program for the names of key figures you’d like to meet and make sure you attend those sessions. Be ready to introduce yourself, and arrive early at events where they’ll speak or stay behind to speak with them.

When you get the opportunity to connect, be prepared with smart questions- something that can’t be answered by a quick Google search. You should have a general idea of what the person is like (public LinkedIn and Twitter accounts offer insight into what they are like as a person or what they feel strongly about), and be up-to-date about what’s happening with their company.

Everybody has something of value to contribute and share: being prepared helps you maximize your impact when you connect.

Don’t Forget To Follow Up

Don’t forget to follow up with individuals you meet at the conference. As a general rule of thumb, I advise our clients at Global Professionals Practicum (GPP) to follow up with someone within 24 hours of making a connection. I would recommend sending a brief email — it should express your gratitude, mention a memorable part of your meeting, and reaffirm any commitments either of you may have made.

If you really want to impress, you can follow your email with a hand-written note to add a personal touch. Don’t forget to send out invitations to connect on social media as well.

It’s also a great idea to share your thoughts about the conference after you’ve attended- do it as soon as you leave so it’ll get out to everyone while they’re still hyped up from the event.

Jessica Lui is the CEO @ Global Professionals Practicum; a professional coaching firm dedicated to helping clients build influence in a competitive global environment.

Follow Jessica Lui on Twitter: www.twitter.com/luijessica

Originally published at www.huffingtonpost.com on November 30, 2016.

Smart people use conferences as an opportunity to extend their network. While keynote speeches and panels can be inspiring and informative, there is rarely enough time to impart in-depth knowledge.

Conferences should be where you expand your network: they’re full of like-minded individuals from your industry, including potential investors, customers and employers. In other words, conferences are an opportunity to meet people who could change your career.

However, with hundreds of attendees and only three days, who should you be speaking to? In order to get the most out of conferences, smart networking requires that you act strategically.

Here are some tips we use to help Global Professionals Practicum (GPP) clients to maximize visibility and impact at a conference:

Get Behind the Podium (Especially if You’re an Introvert):

While it may seem somewhat counterintuitive to ask an introvert to speak at a conference, speaking is a high-impact activity with lots of visibility.

Personally, I find it more comfortable to speak to a large group (of say 100 people) than introduce myself to 100 people over the course of a few days. When you speak, people are much more likely to remember who you are, what you do, and the message you want to convey.

Instead of making introductions to strangers, people tend introduce themselves to you throughout the conference — and they’ll have enough knowledge of you to skip the small talk and initiate a thoughtful conversation.

Speaking at a conference can come in many forms- from participate on a panel, asking the organizing team for a room to host a small workshop, or speaking in front of hundreds as a keynote speaker.

Choose the one that your most comfortable with, develop a pitch for your speech (you’ll need content and a unique perspective/niche to stand out from other speaker applications), and get in touch with the organizing team to let them know that you’re interested in contributing to the conference.

Throw a Party

Throwing a small party is another high-impact activity with lots of visibility- even if they everyone doesn’t get the chance to chat with you for very long, people generally remember the host.

When I’m travelling for a conference, there will often be a number of people I want to catch up with. However I’m usually only in town for a few days. So I meet with a number of people at once- I’ll generally host a cocktail party for about a dozen people that I think will enjoy getting to know each other and will have a good time together.

I’ll call a nice bar/lounge ahead of time to make reservations for a dozen people (if few more show up, they can generally add a seat or two), and I’ll often invite a few new friends I’ve met at the conference to come along too.

If there’s someone that I’d like to speak with one-on-one time, I’ll generally ask them to come half an hour early so that we can catch up before the party starts.

Jessica Lui is the CEO @ Global Professionals Practicum; a professional coaching firm dedicated to helping clients build influence in a competitive global environment.

Follow Jessica Lui on Twitter: www.twitter.com/luijessica

Originally published at www.huffingtonpost.com on October 4, 2016.

So why do so many people avoid networking?

For most people, the first thing they think of when they hear the word ‘networking’ is a disingenuous personality: a person constantly searching for the biggest title in the room, with a pre-rehearsed elevator pitch and a stack of business cards they distribute relentlessly. They’re insincere and ruthlessly ambitious: the very person you want to avoid.

But that isn’t networking — it fails because nobody wants to have a ‘networking conversation’; people are hungry for genuine conversations and real relationships.

Sincerity and Genuine Relationships

The secret to smart networking is sincerity.

Many people don’t realize that it is far better to have a meaningful dialogue with a few people than to have half-a-dozen insincere conversations. Keith Ferrazzi advises: “Have something to say, and say it with passion. Make sure you have something to offer when you speak, and offer it with sincerity.”

The goal of networking should be to develop genuine, authentic relationships.

Joy Taylor cautions that a network is more than just a passive list of contacts:

“Just because you have it in your Outlook, just because you have your Facebook friends or your LinkedIn friends, that’s not truly a network. A network is, if I send out an email, and I need something, how many people respond? That is a network.”

Creating Value

While we build networks by forming authentic relationships; we nurture them by providing value to others. Creating value can be anything from sharing an entrepreneur’s blog post to introducing a new friend to a potential client.

Tim Sanders suggests there are two reasons why creating value for others is especially important in today’s increasingly interconnected world.

Firstly, there is an abundance of choice: “At a time when more of us have more options than ever, there’s no need to put up with a product or service that doesn’t deliver, a company that we don’t like, or a boss whom we don’t respect”. Secondly, “it’s almost impossible for a shoddy product, a noxious company, or a crummy person to keep its, his, or her sad reality a secret anymore. There are too many highly opinionated and well-informed people with access to email, instant messaging, and the Web”.

The key to smart networking is creating value for others and helping make them more successful.

In today’s globalized business environment, creating value is easier and more important than ever before. We now have the option of adding value to thousands of people within our network through an endless number of websites, applications, and programs which facilitate connecting both on and offline. When done correctly, networking can help you gain influence, broaden your expertise, and find purpose and balance.

Smart networking is one of the most powerful accelerators of success. When you help others become more successful — when you make yourself indispensable to those around you — then you become truly successful.

Jessica Lui is the CEO @ Global Professionals Practicum; a professional coaching firm dedicated to helping clients build influence in a competitive global environment.

Follow Jessica Lui on Twitter: www.twitter.com/luijessica

Originally published at www.huffingtonpost.com on September 28, 2016.

Last June, I had the honour of being invited to the 7th annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), hosted by President Barack Obama at Stanford University, California.

The Summit provided entrepreneurs with the opportunity to mingle with some of the world’s top investors, business executives and political leaders in the heart of Silicon Valley. Notable speakers included President Barack Obama; Secretary of State John Kerry; Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Richard Stengel; Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook; Brian Chesky, CEO of AirBnb; and Shark Tank’s Daymond John, among others.

I was honoured to represent Canada at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit and hope to amplify the benefits of my attendance by sharing some of my key takeaways from the summit.

Tackling Global Challenges Through Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurs’ natural affinity for innovation has allowed them to become a catalyst for solving global problems in partnership with the world’s governments. Across the world, entrepreneurs address global challenges in areas such as education, transportation, healthcare access, infrastructure, and economic development.

Through their work, entrepreneurs also catalyze and accelerate globalization.There are extraordinary benefits to a globalized world where we are trading, networking and communicating with one another- and yet as cultures collide, people are getting worried.

John Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State, suggests that entrepreneurship can help contribute to political stability: “In our world today, there is an intimate connection between the creation of economic opportunity and the potential of peace.” While economies have undergone dramatic shifts, have been transformed by technology and automation, and are increasingly globalized; entrepreneurship has remained an engine of growth

Entrepreneurship has the opportunity to expand and broaden the benefits of globalization for everyone, everywhere. By translating their vision into reality, entrepreneurs have the opportunity to contribute to global prosperity and progress.

Building Bridges for Entrepreneurial Success

So what allows entrepreneurs to succeed in transforming their ideas, dreams, and creativity into successful companies that address the world’s most pressing challenges?

As the CEO of Global Professionals Practicum (GPP), I believe the key is a strong network of peers, mentors, and advisors- it can often be the difference between success and failure.

Reid Hoffman, Co-Founder of LinkedIn concurs: “The key thing that enables entrepreneurs to succeed is networks- networks provide access to customers, capital, and talent, but most importantly to learning opportunities”. Brian Chesky, CEO of AirBnb acknowledges that networks are particularly important for entrepreneurs because they enable you to learn best practices in a short period of time: “Learn who the experts are and learn from them”.

I hope that entrepreneurs who are looking to tackle global challenges will reach out to learn about how to build a network that can contribute to their success. Don’t be shy- talk to the experts, connect with mentors that will help you navigate through challenges, and find that connection who might just change your life.

Jessica Lui is the CEO @ Global Professionals Practicum; a professional coaching firm dedicated to helping clients build influence in a competitive global environment.

Follow Jessica Lui on Twitter: www.twitter.com/luijessica

Originally published at www.huffingtonpost.com on September 2, 2016.

Each August, over 600 youth from around the world gather for the United Nations Youth Assembly to reaffirm the commitment of youth in global civic engagement. As over half the world population is under 25, youth play a critical role in advancing the interests of the global community.

While I was honored to represent Canada at the UN Youth Assembly, I believe you don’t need a UN badge to work for the UN. What allows you to work for the UN — what inspires progress and change — is a shared commitment to the values of the UN and faith in the idea that anyone, anywhere can lead.

This is especially true in an increasingly interconnected world, where the power to generate dialogue has experienced a paradigm shift: from institutions to people and networks. Where news used to come from a few influential networks or newspapers, we now have the option of getting our information from an endless number of blogs, websites or digital news shows. The leveling power of technology has allowed the voices of youth to be amplified louder and faster than ever before; and it affirms they want to be a part of change.

So how can youth channel the power of people and networks into meaningful action?

1. Find Your Calling
What is it that you want to achieve? What strengths can you leverage to contribute to the global community?

Whether it’s in the next year, or the next five years, establish specific goals and a timeframe in which to achieve those goals. If you have long term goals (especially those that run over several years), work backwards in one-year and four-month increments to create short term goals that ensure you stay on track.

2. Get Connected
Who is it that can help you accomplish your goal?

If you want to accomplish something meaningful, whether you want to run a company or right a social ill, your ability to build relationships is key to your success.

Seth Godin affirms that “most leadership … is about finding a group that’s disconnected but already has a yearning”.When you connect with people share your goal with one another, you can create change by aligning large numbers of people together.

Powerful change happens when you lead a group of people that are connected to a shared goal and each other: a movement greater than what you could achieve alone.

3. Commit to Action
Meaningful action requires commitment — to your goals and to the people that you lead. No matter what your goals are, commit to turning your ideas into a reality.

The commitment of youth leaders is especially important this year, as it effectively marks the transition from MDGs (Millennium Development Goals) to the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). For the past 15 years, MDGs have made significant gains — lifting people out of poverty, expanding education for women, and reducing child mortality — among other achievements. But they have also struggled to ensure consistent progress across the globe and enforce the ideas of its conception.

These challenges are not a reason to walk away from these ideals, but rather a calling to increase our efforts for the future. We do not have to live in an idealized world to advance ideals that will make it a better place. As we transition to the post-2015 agenda, the SDGs are an opportunity for our generation to ensure peaceful and prosperous societies so no global citizen is left behind.

Jessica Lui is the CEO @ Global Professionals Practicum; a professional coaching firm dedicated to helping clients build influence in a competitive global environment.

Follow Jessica Lui on Twitter: www.twitter.com/luijessica

Originally published at www.huffingtonpost.com on August 21, 2016.

Whether you’re following up with a new connection or seeking advice from an established mentor, you can gain valuable insight through reaching out for a cup of coffee.

While coffee chats are usually informal interactions, they can often lead to more substantial relationships over time. At Global Professionals Practicum (GPP), we’ve seen coffee turn into mentorship relationships, invitations to exclusive events, and unsolicited job offers for our clients.

Use coffee chats as a forum to connect one-on-one, offer advice or pick someone’s brain for ideas. As mentioned in our previous article (Decoding Networking), getting one-on-one time with the person you want to connect with is one of the most effective ways to make an impression- especially if you’re at a large event.

Make Cold Introductions Successfully

The best way to make a cold introduction is to avoid making one in the first place. Even if you’ve never met someone, you can warm a cold email or call by mentioning a familiar person, institution or common interest.

Your introduction should show that you have knowledge of the person’s work, and offer a specific reason why you’d like to talk. Ensure that the message imparts urgency and courtesy by offering to meet the other person at time and location that is convenient to them.

If you are calling someone who has a busy schedule, they are more likely to pick up their own phone outside of office hours- before 9:00 AM or at 6:00 PM.

Always Be Prepared

Be ready to introduce yourself, and be informed for your coffee chat.

If you are seeking advice or information, be prepared with smart questions- something that can’t be answered by a quick Google search.

You should have a general idea of what the person is like (public LinkedIn and Twitter accounts offer insight into what they are like as a person or what they feel strongly about), and be up-to-date about what’s happening with their company.

If required, be prepared with a clear, specific ask or value proposition.

A statement such as “I’m interested in consulting firms” is too general. A specific call to action such as “I’m looking for an internship as a consulting firm like firm A, or firm B. Can you recommend anyone there who can speak to me about the recruiting process?” is much better.

The Coffee Chat

Always arrive early at where you’ll be meeting and follow these three rules for a successful chat:

Be genuine: What do you honestly admire about this person or their work? What is it about them that sparked your interest?

Be ready to listen: In particular, listen for opportunities where you might be able to add value. As mentioned in our previous article (Smart Networking), the key to smart networking is creating value for others and helping make them more successful. This mindset will ensure that you become successful- by adding value where you can, you become invaluable to to people you collaborate with.

Be considerate: If you’re approaching the end of your scheduled coffee chat, give a quick reminder to help keep track of time. Those with busy schedules will be particularly appreciative!

Always Follow Up

As a general rule of thumb, I advise our clients to follow up with someone within 24 hours of making a connection. I would recommend sending a brief email — it should express your gratitude, mention a memorable part of your meeting, and reaffirm any commitments either of you may have made.

If you really want to impress, you can follow your email with a hand-written note to add a personal touch.

If you were introduced by a third party, communicate any outcomes from your coffee chat, and express your gratitude for the introduction.

Jessica Lui is the CEO @ Global Professionals Practicum; a professional coaching firm dedicated to helping clients build influence in a competitive global environment.

Follow Jessica Lui on Twitter: www.twitter.com/luijessica

Originally published at www.huffingtonpost.com on July 5, 2016.

At Global Professionals Practicum (GPP), where we help clients build professional relationships and networks, I’m often asked about how to start networking. While many professionals recognize networking is important, they aren’t sure where to start or what best practices will help them succeed.

There are five key questions you should be asking to start networking — and succeed:

Who should I be connecting with?

Who you should be connecting with is linked to your goals: who can make them possible?

Think about the key players that can help you reach your goals- potential clients, investors, industry leaders, etc. They are the people you should be connecting with. Industry conferences, trade organizations, newspapers magazines are a good way to find and connect with key players in your industry.

There are also people outside of your related field you may want to connect with, people who are doing interesting work or whom you find inspiring. They can be fantastic cheerleaders and mentors as you work towards your goals.

Entering a large event and meeting with strangers is intimidating. How can I overcome that?

Be prepared! It’s much less intimidating to enter a large event if you know who you want to speak with, and what you’d like to say.

Check with the program for the names of key figures you’d like to meet and make sure you attend those sessions. Be ready to introduce yourself, and arrive early at events where they’ll speak or stay behind to speak with them.

If you get the opportunity to connect, be prepared with smart questions- something that can’t be answered by a quick Google search. You should have a general idea of what the person is like (public LinkedIn and Twitter accounts offer insight into what they are like as a person or what they feel strongly about), and be up-to-date about what’s happening with their company.

Everybody has something of value to contribute and share: being prepared helps you find the most effective way to connect.

What is one of the best networking strategies you’ve used?

Make sure you get one-on-one time with the person you want to connect with, especially if you’re at a large event, such as a conference.

Arrange to meet with the other person on their own terms. It’s often possible to slip into someone’s schedule if you send out a request to connect in advance.

Think of it from a speaker’s perspective: during an event, they might speak to a crowd of several hundred people and perhaps meet with a dozen audience members.

You’re far more likely to make an impression if you meet with someone individually. It gives you the chance to convey who you are, why you’re interested in meeting with them and speak about common experiences in order to really connect.

How quickly do you follow up after making a connection?

As soon as possible. In my experience as a speaker, the follow up I remember best is usually the first one I receive.

As a general rule of thumb, I advise our clients to follow up with someone within 24 hours of making a connection. I would recommend sending a brief email — it should express your gratitude, mention a memorable part of your meeting, and reaffirm any commitments either of you may have made.

If you really want to impress, you can follow your email with a hand-written note to add a personal touch.

Is there such a thing as too many connections / clients? What do you do then?

As long as you can maintain a genuine relationships with your connections or clients, then more connections shouldn’t be a problem.

Social media and contact management applications are useful if you have large network -they can remind you to reach out every couple months, and during personal events such as birthdays.

Reaching out is especially effective if you can provide value when you touch base. It can be as simple as sharing an article or podcast that they might find interesting, to offering to connect them with a business associate.

Jessica Lui is the CEO @ Global Professional Practicum (GPP); a professional coaching firm dedicated to helping clients build influence in a competitive global environment.

Follow Jessica Lui on Twitter: www.twitter.com/luijessica

Originally published at www.huffingtonpost.com on June 8, 2016.