Episode 156

6 Ways to Infuse Trail Magic Into Your Network

Published on: 2nd August, 2023

Trail magic is a term used by hikers along the Appalachian Trail that describes the unforeseen help and support provided by others as you make your hike. Trail magic is given to hikers through transportation, food, and genuine kindness, but it is not done out of expectations for something in return. Though everyone may have a different reason for offering trail magic, the general consensus is that people do it out of kindness, and as their way to "give back.

What would our networking journeys look like if we were the beneficiaries of trail magic along the way? 


Listen in for 6 ways to infuse trail magic into your network.




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Transcript
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I was at a small cocktail party at a friend's house recently, where one of the

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women I was talking to mentioned that she had just gotten back from hiking 35 miles.

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Along the Appalachian trail.

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Not something I would probably ever do, but I was intrigued

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and wanting to learn more.

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During the course of our conversation.

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She mentioned that she had been the beneficiary of trail magic

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three times on that 35 mile hike.

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Trail magic is a term I'd never heard before.

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But after she explained to me what it was, I I fell in love with the idea.

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Of bringing this idea to you and seeing if we might incorporate trail magic.

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Into our networking.

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Welcome to episode 1 56 of this shit works.

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A podcast dedicated to all things, networking, relationship

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building and business development.

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I'm your host, Julie Brown.

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Speaker author and networking coach and on today's this shit work short.

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I'm discussing how you can infuse trail magic into your networking adventures.

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Let's start by defining what trail magic is.

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Trail magic is the unforeseen help in support.

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Uh, provided by others as you make your hike.

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And this is something according to countless reports, journals, and

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memoirs that can be accomplished in a number of different ways.

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From somebody helping out with trail maintenance, to leaving a cooler with

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food and cold drinks along the trail.

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According to Appalachian trail history.org trail magic is

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offered by trail angels though.

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There is no officially established community of trail angels.

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There are a community of people who have a passion for helping others on the trail.

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Meaning that these so-called trail.

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Angels are simply people who volunteer themselves their time and

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their resources, financial or not.

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To help their fellow human beings who are hiking along the Appalachian trail.

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Trail angels immersed themselves in trail culture and with the hikers.

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Giving to them through transportation, food, and genuine kindness, but

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it's not done out of expectation for something in return.

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Though everyone may have a different reason for becoming a trail angel.

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The general consensus is that people do it out of kindness as a way to give back.

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So.

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How can we begin to bring this idea to our networking adventures?

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If there's anything I know it's that networking is a journey and it takes time.

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Wouldn't it be nice if along the way we encountered people who provided genuine

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kindness assistance, advice, helping hand.

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Something that lifted our spirits and made the journey easier and more enjoyable.

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So.

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With that here are some fun and easy ideas of ways to bring a

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little trail magic to your network.

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One.

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Share your knowledge and expertise.

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Are there little pieces of practical advice that you can give that

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can help others in their career or their networking journey?

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What do you know now that you wish you had learned earlier?

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Think about that and pass that shit on.

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Too.

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Make introductions, don't hoard your connections, share them, connect other

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people, facilitating connections.

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Is one of the most helpful things you can do for someone as they

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look to grow their network.

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Three.

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Provide unsolicited recommendations and endorsements don't know where to start.

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Simply write a recommendation for a couple of people that you know, on LinkedIn or

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say their name in a room of opportunities.

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It's easy.

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For.

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Attend and promote their events.

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Be there for them.

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Show up, spread the word about them and what they are doing.

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If they are putting on a webinar, go to it.

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If they are participating in a panel discussion, be in the

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audience and bring a friend.

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Attend and promote their events.

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Five.

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Coming on the heels of attending and promoting events, celebrate

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their successes, their milestones.

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When they attain a goal.

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Somebody else's success.

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Doesn't take away from yours.

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And six.

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Be a good listener.

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Sometimes.

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The most important thing is just being heard.

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Having somebody to listen to what you have to say.

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Are there more ways to do this shit, then this six things I just said,

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of course there is course there is.

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But you can start here and then you can make up your own ways of adding

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trail magic to the networking and career adventures of your contacts.

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Remember, giving back to your network is a continuous process,

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but it doesn't take grand sweeping gestures to make a difference.

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It's in the little things you did.

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Do every day, it's the small pieces of magic that you bring to the

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adventure for the other person.

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Okay.

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This is technically the shit work short.

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So there shouldn't be a drink of the week, but I'm going to tell you

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that there is indeed a beer called trail magic made by monument city

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brewing out of Baltimore, Maryland.

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It's a hazy new England style IPA, which if you know anything about me, It's that

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i hate ipa's so i won't be trying it But it blended so nicely with this episode

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that i just Just Couldn't hold back i had to add it And i needed to let you know

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about it All right friends that's all for this week I hope you liked what you

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heard today and if you did please leave a review and subscribe to the podcast also

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please remember to share this podcast with your friends to help it reach a larger

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audience if you want more julie brown you can find my book The shit works on

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amazon and barnes and noble you can find me on linkedin at julie brown bd just

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let me know where you found me when you reach out I am julie brown underscore bd

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on the instagram or you can just pop on over to my website julie brown bd.com.

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To sign up for my newsletter which comes out every wednesday

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and it is fucking hilarious Okay.

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This Shit Works
The people you meet can 100% Change Your Life! Networking is how you meet those people. Which sucks because you hate networking, you think you're bad at networking, and you certainly don’t have time to network. Bullshit! Welcome to This Shit Works, a weekly podcast hosted by entrepreneur, CEO, public speaker, author, business development strategist and networking coach Julie Brown. Just don’t call her Downtown Julie Brown - she doesn’t like that.

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