If you’re an introvert, welcome to my club.

(Only one person allowed in the club at a time, though. So I’ll just stand at the window and give you a nod of acknowledgment. And since you’re an introvert, too, I know you’ll appreciate that more.)

Now, introverts have a lot of advantages. If you want to feel good about yourself, finish reading this message, then Google “benefits of being an introvert.” We’re pretty awesome.

But there’s one thing that makes life harder for us: If you want to succeed in business — whether it’s copywriting or anything else — you need a great network.

There was a time when I didn’t see the importance of a network. I thought I could build a business in a bubble, and release it to the world. And as long as my ideas were good and the offer was good, I was bound to be successful, right?

Oh. So. Wrong.

The truth is, every single big thing that’s happened in my career has been the result of connecting with others. (And if you hate the idea of that as much as I once did, then keep reading. Because I’m going to tell you how I did this in a way that’s easy — and even fun — for introverts.)

So here’s a quick rundown of how connections got me to where I’m at now:

• When I had a day job (10 years ago), I took a coaching program with Ramit Sethi. Ramit referred me to a client who I worked for for 7 years. This client also gave me my first shot at copywriting, a request I made because in Ramit’s program, I met…
• Selena Soo. Selena is huge in the PR world now, but at the time, she was still creating her signature programs. We stayed in touch, and it was Selena who said, “I know you’re doing content writing now, but have you considered copywriting instead?” She also told me about a mastermind she was joining, run by…
• Ryan Levesque. Ryan’s mastermind was the biggest investment I’d ever made in anything besides my house. And in our third mastermind meet-up, I got to have lunch next to…
• Brian Kurtz. Brian … wow. He’s just the best. He sent me a treasure trove of copywriting materials, DVDs, and books. And when I saw that he was doing a Titans Masterclass weekend, I signed up.
• At the same time, I was active in Colin Theriot’s Cult of Copy. And I saw Colin promote a program run by…
• Kevin Rogers. This program was Real Free Life (RFL), and Kevin’s pitch just spoke to me. I signed up. Turned out, he’s the best copy career coach out there, and one of my favorite people, too. Then came the weekend of the Titans Masterclass…
• I didn’t know this at the time, but Brian and Kevin conspired to get me a seat at Parris Lampropoulos’ dinner table. Parris offered to read some of my copy. I was excited and terrified. Then, a couple of months later…
• Parris asked me if I want to join his copy cub program, which he was restarting after 7 years. He tried to convince me to NOT join, as he does to all of his cubs. “It’s going to be a lot of work. It’s going to be hard. It’s going to take four years, and during that time, your work with me takes priority over everything else you’re working on. You’ll make less during this time … but when you’re done, you’ll be ‘made.’”

Parris is my Pai Mei.

I won’t gush about him too much, because he’s gotta keep up that hard-ass rep of his. 😉

Without all of those people, I would not be where I am right now.

Now, if you’re an introvert, that’s probably not what you want to hear. Most of us hate the idea of networking. But I can help…

I sat down and thought about how I was able to do all of this when:

1. I don’t like to travel for work very much, especially not away from my daughter.
2. I don’t like large events. I feel lost and just want to hang out in my hotel room. Which makes the whole trip a waste of money.
3. I hate small talk, and feel awkward in large groups.

So the secret for me is has been this:

Join smaller groups, led by people who are playing at a higher level than I am.

All of the programs I joined — Ramit’s, Ryan’s, Brian’s, Kevin’s, and Parris’ — are or were smaller groups. I think the biggest one was 25 people.

In a smaller group, I can get to know everyone better. I have more meaningful conversations with them. And as an introvert, that’s when I’m at my very best.

In fact, I quickly grow to love these people so much that I even get excited about traveling to see them … you know, at *smaller* events. 🙂