“It is really important for people to feel like, ‘I’m in touch with people I trust.'" –Karen Wickre  Building meaningful connections isn’t easy, especially online. We have all felt an internal cringe at connecting with someone on LinkedIn only to be hard-sold their product or service. Some of us may even be a little guilty of doing that too! But networking is about more than having the confidence to make demands of strangers. Building a network is about connecting with people you share similar interests with, people you not only think may help you, but people you know you can help.  Jobs and clients have never been more fluid than they are right now, those who spend time on their networks are more equipped to go with the flow and trust that their good service will be repaid in kind. Karen Wickre, a veteran connector, editor, communicator and author, has spent her extensive career, with postings at Google and Twitter, developing the stories of these powerhouse businesses. She is often introduced as someone who ‘knows everybody’ and this well-deserved reputation has made her one of the best networkers around. There is no one right way to network, but if you are struggling to connect, reconnect or offer your services, advice, or opinion to others, this is the episode to help shift your mindset and get you ready to connect with anyone or maybe even reconnect with some old friends. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of cultivating healthy working relationships How to connect with people beyond your own needs The importance of your digital presence  To find out more about Karen, click here.  Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter. Visit this link to order her new book, Taking the Work Out of Networking: Your Guide to Making and Keeping Great Connections. Time Stamps     01:48 - Karen talks about her career journey  05:39 - Following your passion where it leads you 09:45 - Cultivating healthy working relationships  13:30 - The big mistakes in networking  21:45 - Tending to your own garden 27:01 - Your digital presence- Karen talks about her book 31:20 - Reaching out for things beyond your needs 40:00 - Karen talks about how to get in touch This episode is brought to you by our friends at Katana!   If you have clients using outdated and inefficient manufacturing software, Katana offers real-time data syncing for production, inventory, and accounting data, manufacturers get complete visibility over every inch of their business and their numbers stay up-to-date even as orders come in.   If you sign up for the Partner Program and refer clients before April 30th, you will get 30% off the first 3 months of your Katana subscription.   You’ll also earn a 20% revenue share for every client you invite.   Head to thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com/katana to learn more.