How I went from hiding to networking pro

Before launching my business in Florida years ago, I thrived in New York City, spending six unforgettable years as a freelance producer and editor.

I loved zipping from Times Square to Soho, working with top TV networks and the best post-production houses in the business.

My clients loved my edits, and I loved the energy of delivering them.

In New York, I wasn’t just another freelancer. I built a reputation as someone who always delivered fast and fearlessly.

People knew me. I had cred.

So when I decided to move to Florida to open a post-production house, I thought the transition would be a done deal.

After all, if I made it in New York… well, you know how the song goes.

But... I was DEAD wrong.

Opening a studio in Miami was exciting and terrifying.

Soon I realized how much my job (and my life) had shifted.

I wasn’t just editing anymore. I was now the face of the business.

That meant sales, business development, and never-ending hustling to bring in work and make payroll.

The problem?

I had no network in Miami. No one knew me. I was just a stranger with a badass demo reel.

The few leads I found were cold... and I didn’t understand the implications.

Then came THE meeting with a dream client. This would fix it all.

My team and I prepped for days, crafted a beautiful pitch deck, and produced a killer demo video.

I rehearsed my lines like it was opening night on Broadway.

But that meeting? It couldn’t have gone worse.

My monologue/pitch got total silence.

Then, the fatal blow: a polite, point-by-point takedown of everything I had presented.

It stung.

Not because I wasn’t good, but because I was pitching blind. I built that deck in isolation, with zero understanding of what the client actually wanted.

I hadn’t asked. And I didn’t take the chance to listen during the meeting.

I relied on my past reputation instead of doing the real work of building trust and relationships in a new market.

That’s when it hit me:

Your track record doesn’t follow you into rooms where no one knows your name.

I had been hiding:

Behind my portfolio.

Behind a laptop.

Behind assumptions.

I wasn’t building relationships. I was just trying to sell, hard and fast.

That’s when it dawned on me.

I started showing up. Hosting meetups. Having coffee with people.

Most importantly, I started asking questions, listening, and following up.

I made it my mission to connect the dots and give value first.

Over time, I went from being invisible in a new city to someone people called when they needed help, advice, or referrals.

Networking is now second nature, and it’s made my professional and personal life so much richer.

If you’re launching in a new city, industry, or stage of life, here are 5 hard-earned tips to avoid my mistakes:

1. Don’t assume your reputation travels with you. It doesn’t. You have to re-earn trust in every new space you enter.

2. Talk to real people before you pitch. Don’t write your value prop in a vacuum. Go ask your audience what they actually need.

3. Lead with curiosity, not credentials. Nobody cares how great you are until they feel seen, heard, and understood.

4. Show up consistently. Events, Zooms, DMs—whatever it takes. Visibility builds familiarity. Familiarity builds trust.

5. Give without expecting a return. Help others. Connect people. Share insights. That’s what makes networking genuine—not transactional.

You don’t need a deck. You need a dialogue.

Build that first. The deals will follow.