Thanks for Coming Back
Welcome to "Thanks for Coming Back," where every episode feels like a heart-to-heart in your favorite coffee spot. Hosted by Dr. Latasha Nelson, this podcast strips back the layers of leadership to reveal the real, relatable side of guiding and growing, whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out.
Settle in with your brew of choice as Latasha shares her world of insights and experiences, blending wisdom with warmth in conversations that matter. It’s not just her stories, though; guests from all walks of life join in to share their own tales of triumph and challenge, adding flavors of diversity and depth to the mix.
"Thanks for Coming Back" is more than just a podcast—it's a community where we all learn and grow together. It's about tackling our challenges, getting better at what we do, and embracing the leader within. So come join the conversation, and let’s make leadership a part of our daily lives.
Thanks for Coming Back
Is Your Career on Track? Master Networking Before It’s Too Late
In this episode of Thanks for Coming Back, we’re sitting down with Michael Morgan, a seasoned professional who’s navigated top companies like JPMorgan Chase, Amazon, and Walmart. Michael shares how power of networking has been the key to his career success, and how it can be for yours too.
We’ll dive into real-world advice on how to build and maintain valuable connections that actually help you get ahead. Whether you’re looking to make a career move or just want to feel more in control of your journey, Michael’s insights will guide you through. He talks about the power of referrals, the importance of having a diverse network, and how setting achievable goals can make a huge difference.
Michael also shares practical tips from his book, The Power of Networking, on how to offer real value in your relationships and why continuous learning is crucial. Plus, he highlights how emotional intelligence and understanding diverse perspectives—like through volunteer work—can elevate your networking game.
Tune in to hear Michael’s personal stories and actionable advice, and walk away with a fresh perspective on how to take control of your career and network smarter, not harder.
Welcome back to. Thanks for Coming Back. I'm your host, Dr LaTosha Nelson, and today we're diving into a lively conversation with Michael Morgan, a dynamic professional who's made waves across industries like financial services, tech and retail, With a career that spans top companies like Amazon and JPMorgan Chase. Michael knows a thing or two about making bold career moves, and he's here to share those insights with us. Today We'll chat about the power of networking, including some gems from his book, the Power of Networking navigating career transitions, and the surprising advice that's fueled his success. Whether you're looking to up your networking game or balance your career with personal goals, this episode is packed with relatable tips and stories you won't want to miss. Let's get started, Michael. Thank you so much for joining us today. I would love it if you would just start by telling us about your career journey and what inspired you to start your company.
Speaker 2:Yeah, of course. So I have quite an interesting career journey. I started my career at JPMorgan Chase in Delaware so I worked in investment banking, private banking and corporate technology and risk. I made a career switch so I went back to school to get my MBA at Carnegie Mellon and then I went to oil and gas so I worked for Chevron in Houston, texas, in procurement and supply chain. Then I made another career switch. I went to Amazon in Seattle Washington so I worked in vendor management and program management. Then I went to Walmart in Seattle Washington so I worked in vendor management and program management. Then I went to Walmart in San Francisco, california. I worked in program management there and that has led me to Austin, texas.
Speaker 2:Now I'm with Netscope in cybersecurity and I'm doing a combination of strategy and program management. So I pretty much hit every major industry. I've been all over the country. So it's been an interesting career journey as far as starting my company. So essentially throughout my career journey, people have been reaching out to me, asking me for tips, advice how to build and maintain your network, how to land job interviews, how to be successful in job interviews, how to excel in your role, how to move up the corporate ladder, so a lot of people just been reaching out to me for tips, guidance people in my circle, people that are connected with people in my circle, even random people on LinkedIn just look at my profile and reach out and start asking me questions. At a certain point in time, I felt as though I have a breadth of knowledge that people are seeking, so I decided to put my thoughts and my ideas, my recommendations, into a book. So I wrote the Power of Networking and that started my company, and now I'm starting my journey as a motivational speaker.
Speaker 1:I love that for so many reasons. You mentioned multiple industries, multiple locations, but you have also landed in what would seem like disconnected, unconnected. The technical, the real word is disconnected here, but the actual roles that you've had don't seem to have connections right, ones that you can see on the surface. I heard everything from risk management to logistics, and you know IT and all types of stuff right, and so I think that's really, really cool, and I'd love for us to dive deeper into the varying connection points that do exist. That may not appear on the surface, but I'd also like to start with the networking component, because that definitely seems to have been something that, despite the role, location and company, there's commonality there, right? So can you talk about how networking has played a role in your success as a title-free leader?
Speaker 2:Yes, absolutely so. First and foremost, networking has helped get my foot in the door for basically all of my job opportunities. So, as an example, I worked at JP Morgan. I'm a part of fraternity Kappa, alpha, psi Fraternity Incorporated. A lot of my fraternity brothers were already working at JP Morgan. So I reached out to people in my network within my fraternity at JP Morgan. So I reached out to people in my network within my fraternity. They helped tailor my resume for the role. They helped interview prep me and then, once I was able to get the job, I had a network of people in my fraternity. I worked in the Delaware office, but JP Morgan has offices in New York, in Delaware, in Ohio, in Florida. I had a network in the company of people in my fraternity in all in Ohio, in Florida. I had a network in the company of people in my fraternity in all those locations that had already been with the company for years and they helped set me up for success and served as mentors to make sure that I was successful while I was there.
Speaker 1:As you're mentioning how they helped you prep, I think a lot of people historically think of networking and, especially if you think of LinkedIn, is connecting like hitting a button can we connect right? But what you just described to me was well beyond that. That was a huge level of support beyond just me knowing you, you knowing me and you making me aware of an opportunity that may or may not fit the bill. Can you talk a little bit more about whether or not that was your like? Was that something you asked for? Was that something they offered? How did you get to a point where they're saying let me help you with interview prep, let me help you tailor your resume accordingly, based on our culture and the dynamics and what you'd be doing?
Speaker 2:So that is something that I asked for. But one of the things that I always recommend and I strongly encourage networking is a two way street and you have to give to get, and you emphasize the give. So my friends, brothers in my fraternity that I reached out to, I've been giving them help as well. I'm always reaching out, I'm asking what I can do to help them in their careers, in their personal lives. Like it could be as simple as giving them recommendations of places to go in a city if they want to go to a restaurant, or I could give them book recommendations. I can send them articles that are relevant for their industry.
Speaker 2:But I'm always trying to understand what can I do to help them in their lives? And maybe I never even have to ask them for anything. But if I do, I feel that much more comfortable because I know I've done something for them before. When it came to me looking for job opportunities, I do reach out to my network, but I make sure that I've done things for them as well. So it doesn't just seem one-sided where I'm always just asking and taking, because that's not a good networking at all.
Speaker 1:That's right, and it's not just pressing that button and saying can I connect with you, can I add you to a massive number of people that I may or may not have had many contacts with connections with, but you seem like someone who may serve me well in the future. So I love that and I appreciate you letting me dig a little bit deeper into that. And now back to you the role that networking has played in your success as a title free leader.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, absolutely. So, as I said, I went to Carnegie Mellon for my MBA. While I was in school I was interviewing for Chevron. I had an interview lined up. One of my classmates at Carnegie Mellon already worked at Chevron before going back for his MBA, so we help each other. The same thing. Networking is a two way street when it comes to classes. There are some classes where I was stronger in or some classes he was stronger in, so we always studied together and when he found out I was interviewing for Chevron, he took the time to help prep me and he told me things that you wouldn't find online in research. You'd have to work there to know some of these things. So when I brought things up in the interview, they were looking at me like, how do you know this stuff? And I played it off. I was like, oh yeah, I've done my research, but I think having someone in my network give me that inside information that gave me a leg up and I ended up getting the job with Chevron.
Speaker 1:Would you still respond that way, that, hey, I did my research? Or, knowing what you know, now would you let them know? I leveraged the people in my community and was able to tap in and, as an extension of I, did my homework. I was intentional enough to ask these questions and that is how I know.
Speaker 2:In hindsight today, I would let them know. For one, it shows that I've done my due diligence, like I clearly care about this company. I've reached out to people who have worked for the company before, who are currently working at the company. I've asked some questions to make sure that the company is a good fit for me. It aligns with my values. I understand the culture.
Speaker 2:I already have a network within the company and I've shown my ability to network before I even have the job. So if I have the opportunity to get the job, I can clearly network internally. When you're doing a job, most of the items and initiatives you're working on you're not working on alone. I've worked in program management the last few years program management and strategy but I work with product management, I work with engineering, I work with human resources, I work with finance, and if you're not able to navigate and build a network and relationship with multiple teams, you're not going to be able to get deliverables done. So by showing them that I've taken the right steps to build a network of people that have already worked at that company or are currently working at a company, I think that shows a powerful statement during your interview.
Speaker 1:I couldn't agree more. I'm glad to hear you say that. I want to amplify that message by saying, especially nowadays, you cannot do anything alone. It really is about how you leverage your relationships and, like you said earlier, how you invest in those relationships so that it's not one-sided, but it's not just that I've done something for you as well. We're not talking about reciprocity in the spirit of I did this for you, so you should do something for me. It really is about making those meaningful connections and leveraging those relationships to what I call co-elevate right. If I win, you win. That is how we should be going about this, so I love that message. Now, you mentioned some key lessons that you've clearly learned along the way to help yourself navigate, but also that you've clearly learned along the way to help yourself navigate, but also that you've shared to help others navigate. How have you successfully transitioned across all of these roles, companies, industries, and I'm going to even add locations, because that is real today. Right, what key lessons have you learned that can help others navigate similar changes?
Speaker 2:So I would say a few different things helped me transition throughout my career. One I tell everybody this you have a set of transferable skills. So, regardless of what industry, what company I've worked for, I have leadership skills, I have communication skills, I have analytical skills, I have problem-solving skills. Like those are relevant skills, that I have analytical skills, I have problem solving skills. Those are relevant skills that you can bring anywhere and I'll make sure to bring that up in interviews where, yes, I haven't worked in oil and gas before, yes, I haven't worked in retail before, I haven't worked in technology before. But this job entails somebody that has to be analytical, that has to be detail oriented, that needs good communication skills. I can bring all that to the table. So I would say the number one show off your transferable skills. Number two even though it's a new industry, you can learn and get adept to what's going on in that industry. So, as an example, I'd never worked in oil and gas before when I received an offer with Chevron and I was at Carnegie Mellon. There's different student clubs at school, so I joined the energy club while I was on campus and that helped me meet with other students that were also getting into the energy industry and I got up to date on what was going on in oil and gas and energy as a whole, so I was knowledgeable. And then when I moved to Houston, there's organizations outside of my company so I joined Young Professionals in Energy. I joined the American Association of Blacks in Energy and that way I'm meeting other individuals that are working for Chevron, for Exxon, for BP, schlumberger, shell, and I'm learning from other people and I'm getting up to date in the industry. So even though I hadn't worked in oil and gas yet, I was already joining groups to stay up to date in the industry and then after I joined, I made sure to continue to join more organizations so I continue to learn and grow. Networking one. It helped get my foot in the door with a lot of companies where people referred me. A referral makes a huge difference. A lot of these roles there's hundreds, if not thousands, of people applying and they're only looking at your resume for maybe 30 seconds. If you have a referral, it makes a huge difference on if you can even get your foot in the door to have an interview. When you do start a new role, it's good to have your network at that company. That can help and make sure that you can get up to speed and acclimate and understand the company culture. And then to your point.
Speaker 2:I've moved to so many different cities and I have friends that have tried to move. They've moved somewhere that they'll last a couple months. They'll go back home. They'll say, hey, it was difficult, I couldn't really meet people. But because I've built such a robust network, most of the places that I've moved to I know somebody, either someone I went to school with or someone I've worked with, or six degrees of separation. I'll tell someone that I know that I'm moving to Houston or Seattle and they know somebody that lives in Houston or Seattle and they'll connect me with somebody. So now I have a friend base so I can do my nine to five with the job to five with a job.
Speaker 2:But in my personal life I have people that I can reach out to in those cities where it makes it easier to adjust, where I don't feel like I'm alone in a new city and all I do is go to work. And then I come home and I don't know anyone or I don't know places to go, I don't know things to do. So building that network really helps with the job, but it helps with your personal life and your happiness. And if I didn't have a robust network, I don't think I would be able to move to all the places that I've moved. I'm originally from New York. All my family's on the East Coast. I've been away from my family for over 10 years at this point. All my family, friends, people that I grew up with for the first 20 years of my life and I just up and left and just been all over the place for the last 10 to 15 years. But building that network has really helped me be successful.
Speaker 1:So I want to follow up on two things you shared here, starting with one of the last thoughts that came to mind, as you were talking about how you've invested in developing yourself and developing your network. So I hear a lot of people say I just don't have time to do these things over here. I have to find a job, and what I'm hearing you say is you have to make time to invest not only in your own development, but also in these relationships. How do you position yourself to be in rooms where you can make meaningful connections and how do you continue to build yourself so that, when opportunities present themselves, you're top of mind for people versus I just didn't have time, I've got to go do these other things.
Speaker 2:What percent of your time has been spent investing in yourself as part of your career journey? That's, taking certifications throughout my career. I think I have like four or five certifications. I have a Lean Sigma Black Belt certification. I have a Project Management Professional certification. I have a Tableau certification.
Speaker 2:I try to read six books a year. I only read business books so I can learn how to be a better professional. I have mentors. I mentor people, but I also have mentors in my network. So I'm constantly reaching out to mentors and getting their knowledge, their guidance, their advice. But I'm constantly trying to to grow as an individual. So a big portion of my time is executing my job, but at least 30 40 I'm trying to figure out how can I be better. I want to be better every single day. There's a powerful quote I read in a book where like, think, if you're trying to be 1% better every day or 1% better every year, where you'll be in five years, where you'll be in 10 years. So it may seem incremental, but over time it has a huge impact. So you definitely have to invest in yourself and continue to grow and learn and develop.
Speaker 1:That sounds like James Clear atomic habits. I think, yeah, that's it, perfect.
Speaker 1:I love that because I think we it reminds me of the top of every year when we set our health goals and we're kind of like, okay, I'm going to wait until the January 1st so I can do all these things that I'm going to miss doing and so it feels like a sacrifice, as opposed to reframing it, to say I get to get 1% better, even if it's every day. I just want to be a little bit better than I was yesterday, right? So there's that reframing. I think that has to come with. What am I missing out on? That's going to keep me from embracing this growth minded journey you just described, versus oh, I get to go on this growth minded journey. I'm glad you said 30 to 40 percent, because I know most people would probably be like that's a lot. It is, but it's worth it, totally worth it.
Speaker 1:And then you mentioned earlier that you have been very upfront about hey, no, I don't have experience in this space, but these are the transferable skills that I bring with me and these are the skills that are going to be critical to this role. And I don't know how you would describe that. But two words came to mind Vulnerable, like in that moment. Are you being vulnerable by saying I don't have all the qualifications, maybe, or I can't necessarily say I bring experience in this space. Or is it confidence? Hey, no, I don't have experience in this space, but I am confident that I have skill sets that will help me be successful and, by extension, you and this organization will be successful. What word would you use to describe those moments where you've been upfront about what you can bring to the table and maybe what they're looking for, but you may not be able to say you expressly have?
Speaker 2:I would go with confidence Absolutely, and I talk about this with people all the time. I think people have this conception where they look at a job description and they think I have to tick every single thing on this job description. In my opinion, if I see something and I have about 70, 80 percent of what they're looking for, I can do the job. I'm applying for the job and I feel confident that I can succeed. So it's the same thing if I'm interviewing with a company that I've never been in this industry I haven't done this role I'm confident that I can get the job done. I have these skills. Yes, I'm lacking this, but this is what I'm doing to bridge that gap. I'm in this organization, I'm learning about this industry and I will close that gap and I already have all these skills over here and I'm more than confident that I can execute the job at a high level. So I would say absolute confidence is how I would describe it.
Speaker 1:What I'm really digging about what you just shared there is and I can fill these gaps in this way. This is what I'll be doing to fill those gaps right. So it's not just what I feel like you just did there was, you pulled it all the way through, end to end. I'm telling you what I can bring. I'm acknowledging before you can use it against me but I'm acknowledging that, hey, I may not have this direct experience, but I already have a plan for filling that gap. That is awesome. Now, as you're going through and you're looking at these JDs, you mentioned that if you're 80% of the way there, you're like, hey, I know that I can do this job, I know that I can do this job. What other strategies do you use or can you recommend for someone, especially early career aspiring leaders, to help identify journeys or careers that will help both with their career progression but also their personal growth?
Speaker 2:So I'll tell you, first and foremost I know it may be difficult. Everybody's different. Some people are more intrinsic, some people are more intrinsic, some people are more extrinsic I think mentors are powerful. So I have a lot of mentors in my life, a lot of mentors I had at different companies, and even when I leave a company, I still keep in touch with that mentor. I still feel like there's things that I can learn, I can grow.
Speaker 2:I have mentors outside of companies different organizations I've been a part of but it's, in my opinion, it's good to have an unbiased person that can give you their opinion of what gaps you may have or how you can bridge those gaps, because if I'm just doing analysis of myself, I may think I have everything covered, but having someone else who cares about me and will be honest with me and tell me what I am lacking or where I need to improve, that makes a world of difference. So I would say one getting a mentor and then two as part of building your network. If there are certain industries or roles that you want to have and you know someone that's already in that industry or already in that role, it's good to pick their brain, get an understanding of what their day-to-day is, what are the expectations, what skill sets they need, and that will help you understand. Okay, do I have the skills and the experience to do this role or do I need to bridge a gap? Do I need to take some additional trainings? Do I need to attend some conferences? So there are ways that you can understand what is needed in a role, and me personally, I love talking to people.
Speaker 2:I'll be honest, a lot of these job descriptions are copy and paste. I mean, I've been a manager. I didn't write any of these job descriptions. Copy and paste. I mean, I've been a manager. I didn't write any of these job descriptions. I found other job descriptions that is copied and pasted it and I could give in-depth details on the role when I'm interviewing candidates, but there's only so much. You're going to learn about a role from reading the job description. It's different when you're actually speaking to somebody about it. So I think that's really critical to help you bridge those gaps.
Speaker 1:Perfect, Perfect. Now I imagine you have heard a lot of things in your career. What's one really surprising or unconventional piece of advice you've received as you've navigated your career?
Speaker 2:that's made a significant difference you've received as you've navigated your career, that's made a significant difference. It's really surprising. It sounds so simple, but it's something that I overlooked early in my career. But it's the power of diversity of thought, of inclusivity, making sure that everyone's voice is heard. So, as an example, early in my career I started with Chevron. They put me on a project where they wanted me to evaluate a process. I personally wasn't executing the process, Other people were executing it, but they wanted me to evaluate it and figure out how to implement process improvements. So I documented the process. I wrote up standard operating procedures, ideated on ways that we could improve the process, and then I went to the team and I said hey, I think this will make the process better, let's implement this.
Speaker 2:And after I implemented the changes, the process was worse and I was confused and I said I'm like I don't understand what's going on. In theory, it makes sense, but the team essentially wasn't implementing the changes. They felt that they'd been doing the role for years. Here's some random guy that just started with the company and comes in and tells them how to do their job and they just they weren't willing to accept it. People are creatures of habit, so they don't like change and then for you to just come in and just tell them what to do, they're not willing to accept it. When I took a step back and I started asking them, what do you think would help improve the process, and we started collaborating and ideating together on process improvements, Now they were willing to implement the changes. They felt that they were a part of the process. Their voice was heard. So now they're more willing to accept change because they were a part of the process. They weren't being told what to do, they were giving their input and involved in the decision-making for those changes.
Speaker 2:So now I work on process improvements basically every company I've worked with. But I make sure I'm reaching out to all stakeholders, I'm getting their feedback. I'm cognizant of people that are intrinsic. So I'll bring people into a meeting room and I'll ask people to write down their thoughts on a whiteboard so that way everyone's voice is heard. You don't necessarily have to speak up in a meeting or talk over someone else. This way I'm asking everybody to write their thoughts on a whiteboard and everyone's involved. Or everyone write their thoughts down on sticky notes and let's put it up and let's try to ideate on the best ideas and this way we collectively came up with the idea. And this way we collectively came up with the idea and the change is that much more impactful. And I'm able to influence the team because I took everyone's thoughts into consideration. So it sounds simple, but it's something that I overlooked and it's made a huge difference in my career and all the initiatives that I've worked on.
Speaker 1:You just dug into the heart of change management right Bringing people along, ensuring that everyone, whether they agree with the process or not. Resistance is just as important to be aware of as buy-in right. People can be supportive and champion a change and they can torpedo a change because they, for whatever reason, have not bought into it. And if you're not creating a space to hear all of that, then you are not likely to be successful in whatever it is you're trying to drive and get adoption for. So I love that. You just described that, if you'll go a little bit deeper for me, so, as we're talking about diversity and inclusion, go a little bit deeper for me, so, as we're talking about diversity and inclusion, and you illustrated this very well from what this looks like in a work dynamic. What does that mean? And look like in a networking setting?
Speaker 2:Absolutely so. In a networking setting, diversity is you want people of all different backgrounds to provide their thoughts. So backgrounds is I can reach out to people who are black, who are Hispanic, who are Indian, who are Asian. I can reach out to men, I can reach out to women. I can reach out to people in finance, in marketing, in logistics. It's good to get input from multiple people of different backgrounds, different upbringings, different methodologies, different function, function, skill sets, and get their thoughts and that way you can look at things more holistically.
Speaker 2:Now that you're getting different perspectives is taking companies to a different level where, as an example, I worked at Amazon and they're doing a lot of initiatives to bring in more Blacks, hispanics, native Americans and one of the Black employees. They found a gap at Amazon and said you don't have a channel dedicated for Black beauty, for Black hair products or for Black skincare, like the products that you're selling online. That may work for this customer base, but you have a whole customer base that you're missing out on. And now they have an entire page dedicated to the Black community because they brought in a Black employee to give a completely different perspective they had never thought about. So if you don't have people in your network that think differently than you, that are different backgrounds, that have different mindsets, mentalities, you're not going to get a full picture, so that's why it's very important to have that diversity in your network.
Speaker 1:And what I hear you saying practical application for someone who's an aspiring leader or is navigating, maybe, a career transition is that, as you perhaps look for a mentor, you don't necessarily have to find a mentor or even have just one mentor. In the space that you're looking to navigate towards, you could have multiple mentors, multiple people feeding into you who might be able to identify one of those gaps in your development that you may never get from someone or from a group that looks, sounds and shares the same thoughts that you have, and so that diversity and thought and being more inclusive, being open, even if you ultimately still walk away and say I don't know that I agree with that. That is okay, but it is something else to consider as you're working and navigating all of these other different spaces that have a lot of different people with different thoughts and different experiences than you. So I love that. Now I'm eager to know what's a lesser known habit or routine that's been crucial to your success.
Speaker 2:I would say goal setting is definitely critical. You can set goals in different ways. You can write, you can put together vision boards, you can write goals down. I set a lot of goals for the year but I break them down into smaller daily routines. So an example I think I said earlier I try to read six books a year. That's my goal. But on a daily routine I try to read 10 pages. And if I look at it big picture, like six books a year sounds like a lot. But if I break it down into a daily routine, 10 pages a day is really not that big and it's very achievable.
Speaker 2:I'm big in personal fitness. I try to work out five days a week. If I said I want to lose this much pounds over the year or gain this much muscle over the year, it may seem like a big goal. But if I just focus on every day or every week this is the goal that I'm trying to achieve, it makes it that much easier. And then I leverage my network.
Speaker 2:I talk to my partner about my goals, I talk to my friends about my goals and either they'll do the goals with me to hold me accountable. So my partner and I, we have a routine at the end of the night we both sit down and read 10 pages together, because we both have goals on how 10 pages together, because we both have goals on how much pages that we want to read, and that holds us both accountable. You know, I have friends that work out with me and that holds me accountable. I said I was going to the gym today. I am going to the gym today and we're going to the gym together. We're going to hold each other accountable. I think goal setting is something that's extremely important, and not only goal setting. Make sure you celebrate your successes small successes, large successes you know treat yourself.
Speaker 2:Sometimes, you know, it could be as small as hey, I'm going out to a restaurant and I want to have a nice steak dinner. Or my fiance and I were big into wine. We have a bunch of wine bottles and we've wrote our goals on bottles. We can't open the bottle until we achieve the goal, and when we achieve the goal, we pop it and we celebrate and we drink some new wine that we've never tried before. But we set a target and we're not able to celebrate until we achieve that milestone. So I think it's very important to set goals, leverage your network to hold you accountable to those goals and, when you achieve them, be proud of what you achieve, how far you've come. Even if it's the 1% that we said that 1% incremental every day, every year, you still made progress and make sure to celebrate those successes.
Speaker 1:I love what you just described because full transparency my family is not often willing to do a lot of the things that I am setting out to do, and what I would just add to your guidance is that it's okay if you do it by yourself. It's easier when you have people who are willing to go on the journey with you. But if we're being honest, and I'm going all the way back to my days of my failed attempts at being vegan, don't judge me, but I was probably the worst vegan on the journey with you. But if we're being honest and I'm going all the way back to my days of my failed attempts at being vegan, don't judge me, but I was probably the worst vegan on the planet. And you know, bless my husband's heart. He was very willing. He said hey, I understand this is your lifestyle and if being a part of your life means I have to accept this part. I remember our first date being at a vegan restaurant and, just for the record, my husband is very much a meatitarian. Okay, so he is not about the vegan lifestyle and I think back to how awesome it was that he was willing to do that for me.
Speaker 1:But there's going to be certain points in your life, certain things that are still going to be critical to your growth and development, that may not be appealing to other people because they're also on their own journey. So it is okay to do it by yourself. Just figure out what systems you have to put in place. Like you mentioned, reading 10 pages every night, I'm sure that you have a routine where, if you're going to work out for me, I know if I don't do the first thing in the morning, it's not going to happen that day. So whether I want to get up that morning or not, I have to make it happen in the morning. That is my routine. So putting the systems in place to make sure that you can accomplish the things that are going to help you propel forward are really important as an extension of having people in your circle who are willing to share your goals and go along the journey with you.
Speaker 2:Yes, absolutely. I couldn't have worded it better. It helps when you have people that are willing to do it with you, but at the end of the day, it's your goal. You have to do it yourself, and if you don't have someone in your network, your circle, that's willing to do it with you, you still have to find a routine or a way to hold yourself accountable. So I completely agree.
Speaker 1:I'm curious with all of your experience and all the variety in your experience, have you ever had an experience outside of work maybe a hobby, travel, volunteer work that you have found to have a profound impact on your approach to how you lead others, with or without a title, and if so, could you share that with our audience?
Speaker 2:Volunteering has always been a big piece of my life, even when I was a kid and I was big on going to church with my family and the church would volunteer and we'd go to soup kitchens and retirement homes and find different ways to volunteer. And even now, as an adult, I still find ways to volunteer. I regularly go to the food bank, so I go to the Central Texas Food Bank. Now that I live in Austin volunteer. I'll go to Red Cross and donate blood. I've done Big Brothers, big Sisters, where I served as a mentor for a young black male. Try to be a positive role model in his life.
Speaker 2:When I lived in California, I was a part of a program called Build California where I helped mentor and influence, inspire high school students, help them achieve their goals. In my opinion, I feel giving back has helped me become a great leader in the aspect, that one when I'm grateful for what I have. But I think a lot of people just naturally want the next thing, like I achieved this, I want this, I want this, and they don't take a step to realize how good they have it, how far they've come, and when I'm helping other people that may be less fortunate. Maybe they're homeless, maybe they don't have a positive role model in their life. It's very humbling and it makes me appreciate what I have where I am, and then it also just gives me different perspectives.
Speaker 2:I think, as being a leader, a piece that's often overlooked is emotional intelligence. You don't always know what people have been through or what they're currently going through. Doing this volunteer work, I get to understand different people's situations. It's made me empathetic, it's made me want to help and give back to other people, and then when I go into the office and whether it's I'm speaking with my direct reports or colleagues, I try to understand their situations as well. People go through a lot in their lives, and understanding what they're going through and just being a voice for them to talk to sometimes it can make a world of difference. I think those are some of the I'd call them soft skills that I think a lot of people overlook, but it can really help you be an effective leader.
Speaker 1:I love that. You actually made me think of a song. Check this one out if you're interested. It's called Full Plates by Cannon.
Speaker 1:He's a Christian hip-hop artist and when you touched on, we tend to naturally gravitate towards wanting more. Oh, I've done this, so let me do this, let me do this, let me do this next. And the essence of this song is there's only but so much you can do, and at some point you become wasteful. I mean, if your plate is too full sometimes our eyes are bigger than our stomachs you have to throw what you have away, which means it's a missed opportunity for someone else. I love that you touched on volunteering and the ability to connect with people emotionally by intentionally tapping into what they may be experiencing, because when you're focused on you, it's easy to miss what someone else may be going through, but if you're focused on others, it's a great opportunity to fill their plate and still help you accomplish whatever it is that you're setting out to accomplish. So I appreciate you sharing that. What final thoughts or advice would you like to share with the audience today?
Speaker 2:I'd say final thoughts. Networking is critical. It will help you get your foot in the door with jobs. It'll help you prepare for interviews, it'll help you excel in your job, help you move up. It'll help you just give you a support system. I mean we talked about goal setting and just having people there in your corner to help you navigate. If you're switching companies, if you're switching cities, states, countries, having that network will be critical in your success to help you with those transitions.
Speaker 2:So there's so many facets in life you don't know what door may open based off a connection that you make. So it's critical that you step outside of your comfort zone. You try to meet as many people as possible and not only meet people. Maintain those connections. That's the hard piece. It's very easy to make a new connection. It's hard to maintain it.
Speaker 2:So make sure you're regularly reaching out to people, and I mean the people in my circle. I'll reach out to you in different cadences. Some people I speak to weekly, some monthly, some quarterly, some manually. You don't have to reach out to everybody every single day, but you don't want there to be a lull where you don't speak to someone for five, six years and now all of a sudden, you need something like hey, remember me, that's not good networking. So it's definitely important to make sure that you build that network and make sure you're emphasizing the give as well. I brought that up earlier. Networking is a two-way street, so make sure you're offering things and understanding what people need and trying to figure out how you can help them, and maybe you never need to ask anything of them. It's very critical. You don't want people to feel used. You don't want people to feel that every time you reach out to them, you want something. You want to be able to add value in their lives, and that's what's going to keep them in your network.
Speaker 1:I love that. Now don't forget to tell folks how they can stay connected with you and how they can tap into your book.
Speaker 2:Yes, absolutely. As I said, my name is Michael Morgan. My book is called the Power of Networking you Power of Networking. You can get the paperback on Amazon. The audiobooks available on all platforms, audible, spotify, the ebooks available on all platforms on Amazon, on Kindle, on Barnes Nobles. If you want to reach out to me, go on my website. It's michaelvmorgancom, that's V as in Victor. Michaelvmorgancom. I'm available for speaking engagements, talking to different companies, organizations, universities, so feel free to reach out to me. I have a contact button. You can reach out to me with questions. I'm willing to help people. If you want to help navigating your life, your career, if you're looking for someone for a speaking engagement, if you're interested in buying my book all that information you can find on my website.
Speaker 1:Michael, thank you so much for sharing your journey with us today, especially your insights. I think the challenge to the audience is to reassess how you're networking. You guys can't see my air quotes. I'm so sorry, but there are air quotes involved here, networking and really apply at least one thing you've heard today. But also don't forget to check out michaelvmorgancom, as well as Michael's book, and make sure you tune in for more conversations like this. I think this is so meaningful to make sure that you are not only engaging in meaningful relationships but, to your point, sustaining them. And until next time, thanks for coming back.
