6 Ways to Infuse Trail Magic Into Your Network

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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.