Highly Effective Networking: Sam & Elliot Archuleta of Something More Human On 5 Strategies for Successful Networking, Both Online and Offline
An Interview With Athalia Monae
1 . Be Authentic.
2 . Be Curious.
3 . Be of Service.
4 . Be Open Minded.
5 . Be Patient.
The art of networking is pivotal in today’s interconnected world. Establishing meaningful connections can accelerate career growth, foster collaborations, and create opportunities that might otherwise remain hidden. Yet, the dynamics of networking are intricate, often requiring a nuanced blend of authenticity, strategy, and adaptability. And with the digital revolution, networking has transcended beyond face-to-face interactions to virtual platforms, expanding its scope and complexity. In this series, we would like to discuss the art and science behind effective networking. We are talking to seasoned professionals, career coaches, networking experts, and thought leaders who’ve mastered both traditional and online networking techniques. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Samantha and Elliot Archuleta.
Sam and Elliot dive head first into all things human connection with Something More Human. Driven by countless conversations with individuals from all walks of life, the desire for authentic, in person connection is evident. Delving into the intricacies of human relationships, from the nuances of romantic partnerships to navigating the challenges of making friends as adults and even cultivating a supportive community as an entrepreneur, Something More Human not only inspires an escape from superficiality and a return to real, deep connection but shares tangible tips and strategies for listeners to implement in their own lives. The Something More Human movement is reviving the lost art of connection by blending intimate podcasts dialogues with the joy and need of real-life community gatherings. Sam and Elliot invite you to join them, and together, create something more human.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion about networking, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
We both have art backgrounds and each hold fine art degrees. While we have enjoyed our separate endeavors as artists and entrepreneurs, the question “What can we do together?” has been on our minds since we first got married in 2018. Although we are complete opposites, we’ve come to acknowledge and treasure it. Our skill sets are very complimentary and we’ve always wanted to find a way to spend the majority of our time together. We’re best friends, we enjoy each other’s company and, of course, we’re married, so naturally we don’t want to spend 80 combined hours per week out of our lives doing something that takes us away from each other.
We knew we wanted to find something that we could build together. Although we are on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to us as people, the one thing that overlaps is our love and passion for people. We think life without community, friendship, and physical connection is meaningless. We both very much love our friends and family and want to spend as much time with them as we can. Life is all about experiencing it with those you love, that’s what we believe. We also believe there’s so much potential in existence, and we want to do our very best to make sure life is as good as it can be for our community, and of course for the rest of the world. With those passions and interests and ideologies in mind, a podcast all about human connection was born. We decided to call it Something More Human.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
At this time of this interview, we are only 6 months into our journey with Something More Human, launching in November of 202. Even so, there are no shortage of interesting, serendipitous, and incredible things that have happened to us as we’ve embarked on the journey that is Something More Human. We moved from Albuquerque, the place we were born and raised, to Denver. It was quite a jarring life event. We left everything we’ve known about life–the place where the entirety of our lives have transpired. We moved not because we fell out of love with Albuquerque. We think it’s one of the most unique and magical places on Earth, not just in the United States of America. We left because we felt like we needed to be challenged; challenged to lean on each other, challenged to grow as individuals, challenged to do something that scared us and that made us uncomfortable. We wanted to test our marriage and our potential, essentially. It hasn’t been easy but it’s certainly been rewarding and transforming. What’s most interesting about it, as your question asks, is that we’ve realized it took leaving Albuquerque to get a new perspective of it; to realize that we do have deep and blossoming relationships in Albuquerque. It took us leaving to realize just how extensive and one of a kind our community is and we decided that it would be the perfect place to launch our in-person event series. The process of planning an event has created even more relationships and partnerships in a city where it’s easy to feel like you know everyone. It was important for us to leave in order to gain that perspective. There are so many amazing creators, artists, business owners, entrepreneurs, and the ones we’ve cultivated relationships with have been the coolest, most talented, and ambitious people we have ever known with powerful aspirations and dreams of their own. We think doing life with as many people as possible and seeing those dreams unfold for everyone is the best part of life.
If you need some space from the place you grew up, we say do it. It’ll probably change your life in so many positive ways, even if it’s just a change in perspective.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
1. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. A mentor of mine once told me that “successful people fail fast” and that shifted the way I take action. Messy action will be your greatest teacher. While that reality can be scary, it’s an integral part of the human experience and it’s important to remember that we all fail. Failure is not the end of the road, it’s a new signpost for the direction you want to go and growth happens where your skill set ends and discomfort begins.
2. Be intentional about building your community. It is not enough for your relationships to be neutral in your life. Curating relationships with people that not only want to see you succeed but offer ideas, support, and inspiration is the key to your own success and the success of your broader community.
3. Investing in improving yourself will positively impact every area of your life. You can’t give someone or something your best when you don’t give yourself your best. When it comes to business, friendship, and love there is a strong common theme: the better version of yourself you bring to the table, the better outcomes you’ll receive.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Let’s begin with a basic definition so that we are all on the same page. How exactly do you define “Networking?” Is it just about meeting new people?
We define networking as intentional relationship building. It’s really that simple. Networking isn’t a bad word, it’s just not a word that carries the weight of its meaning. Networking is simply conversations with other human beings. That’s called life. It’s meeting new people and finding out if it’s someone you can provide value and help to, and if they can provide that for you, and if the two of you are compatible enough for a transactional relationship or for a deeper, more meaningful bond like a best friend.
The term networking is used to mean meeting new people, so yes, technically that’s what the word means in our opinion, but we should see them as opportunities to meet someone that might change our lives forever. It could be your new best friend, business partner, or perhaps lover. Bringing your best self to these events is crucial if you want to take advantage of other people being in the same room with the common goal of meeting and conversing with new people.
In today’s digital age, how important is face-to-face networking, and how do you balance it with online networking?
Is there any kind of networking that is as potent and impactful as face-to-face networking? The only reason that online networking is beneficial is because it’s available to us. We would be hard pressed to make it as entrepreneurs without using online networking. The way that we balance the two is utilizing in-person human interaction to meet people and deepen those relationships while using online interactions to maintain the relationships.
How do you maintain and nurture professional relationships over time, both in person and online, to ensure they remain fruitful and mutually beneficial?
This is the chance to fully lean into the analogue lifestyle that we think is more beneficial and quite frankly more fun and fulfilling than the current lifestyle we’ve embraced. Take out a pen and paper, but not just any pen and paper. Find a pen you really like. Find a pen that you actively think about when going to sign the tip at your favorite local restaurant. The pen matters. And of course so does the paper. Find a journal you can keep with you and use to reflect on your recent past when you reach the last page.
Write down all of the people that you know and love, this includes family. And separate them into tiers. Now this might sound like we’re reducing humans to letters and categories, and we are, but I’ll explain why it’s necessary to cultivate your relationships.
Lists provide you concrete evidence that you can physically picture and see all at once, as long as your notes are honest. In tier 1, write down your “ride or die” relationships. The first few people that come to mind when you think of someone you love and trust. If this is only one person, that’s amazing. Having one is all you need to get started. Having 0 is almost even better because you can only go up. That’s the way you have to view it. No point in being mad at the world or mad at yourself for not having one person you can put in that category.
Tier 2 are the people you can find in your DMs, your comment sections, the ones you might not see too often but the ones you still really care about and have a good sense that they care about you too. These are considered good friends; you have their number, you’d invite them to your birthday party, and they’d invite you to theirs.
Tier 3 are the more peripheral friends that you see very rarely but you still consider them friends. No negative energy in this tier or tier 4. The fact is: you can’t have 50 best friends. That requires time you physically don’t have. Tier 3 are people whose numbers you might not have, but you see them from time to time in your community and they’re still popping up on your feed because you like what they have to say and you’re interested in the things they’re doing.
Tier 4 are for new friends, acquaintances, and for people whose name you know but you perhaps have had few conversations with.
Now that you have your list, review the first tier and find the person who you feel like you haven’t reached out to in a bit or haven’t heard from in a while. Reach out to them right now. A simple, “Hey Human, how are you? What have you been up to? We should meet for coffee and catch up.” Don’t overthink it, reaching out is enough!
Do the same for each tier and rank them in terms of importance. This may sound like a game but I believe it’s the best way to take stock of what you have in terms of relationships and take the time to be intentionally thinking about these people and how you want to cultivate each of these relationships. It’s valuable information that you can use as a catalyst to get yourself going. Just start now!
How important is personal branding when it comes to successful networking, and how can individuals develop and maintain a strong personal brand both online and in person?
We believe personal branding is crucial. You have to be yourself. Your personal brand is your honesty, it’s the you that shows up when everyone is looking and it’s the you that shows up when no one is around to see or hear you. Whoever that is, make sure that’s who you are to your audience. If you’re a good person with good ideas and a passion for community, your audience will notice, and they will listen to what you have to say. Developing a strong brand online comes down to different practices than in person. For both you have to get to a place where you can be comfortable speaking to people. Practice. You have to be comfortable with speaking to the camera when it comes to online personal brand development. And that also comes with practice. Don’t complicate it, do the very opposite. Let’s do it right now, together: be true to yourself, be honest about your passions, and be honest about as much of your life as you’re willing to share; and then get good doing that in front of the camera and in front of a lot of people. The answer to the question “how?” is also really simple: practice. Do it consistently. It’s quite like magic. If you do that, you will become good at it. It’s that simple!
What is your advice for young professionals who are just starting to build their network? How can they effectively reach out to and connect with experienced leaders in their field?
This really is my favorite thing to talk about. Like we said earlier, it took leaving Albuquerque to realize what we had. We needed to step outside to have the chance to peer in. So like we said before: start small. Start with one person. If your goal is to build your network, and if you’re reading this I’m sure that is your goal, then that is where the list becomes vital, and that is where the one person you have in tier 1 becomes important.
Invest in one relationship, invest in who they are, what they do, where they want to go, and how you can help. Invest in their journey and make sure they invest in yours. When you start talking about your dreams and the plans you have, and once you start DOING, the network web you have starts to take shape. Here is the most important information: when you start making something really big (your dream), you realize there are a lot of things you don’t know. There are a lot of things you’re going to need help with to get the foundation laid, to get it off the ground, and that usually requires a village. You start to realize that you MUST reach out to people in order to succeed. You can’t do it alone! Life is designed that way on purpose. We are social creatures, and the things we make are meant to be made and experienced with other people. If you have everything you want in life but no one to share it with, it will feel quite empty. I’m not talking about sharing it with a lover, I’m talking about just anyone at all; just one person–a family member or best friend. If you don’t have one of those, you’re going to want one when you’ve reached the top.
Take action, right now. Finish this article and then get to work!
Do you prioritize quality or quantity of connections? How do you determine when to invest more time in a particular relationship?
Many things in life boil down to quality over quantity and relationships are no different. The high quality relationships that nourish and inspire you are like air in wings: they lift you up and propel you in the direction you want to go. The best way to know which relationships to prioritize and invest more deeply into are the ones that feel nourishing and reciprocal. It’s crucial to have people in your inner circle who have the capacity to be happy for you and who serve to better you. It’s not enough for someone to be a neutral player in your life. Of course, you can have those people in your life, like a childhood best friend, but they don’t earn a spot in your inner circle.
What are your “5 Strategies for Successful Networking, Both Online and Offline”?
1 . Be Authentic.
2 . Be Curious.
3 . Be of Service.
4 . Be Open Minded.
5 . Be Patient.
What role does diversity and inclusion play in your networking approach? How do you ensure that your network is inclusive and represents a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds?
Moving away from the place we grew up has expanded our horizons. Not only have we met people of different backgrounds, but it’s enhanced our appreciation for the diversity and rich culture that runs deep in Albuquerque. If you’re finding your network becoming an echo chamber of similar ideas from a similar group of people, it’s probably time to analyze your community and what it stands for. We recommend finding people who you may not agree with and befriending them. Alternative perspectives are crucial in expanding your own. With a foundation of respect, anything is possible.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
We’re pioneering a new event series and have big dreams for where it will take us and our collective community. We’ll give you a hint: a phone-free existence.
How can our readers further follow you online?
Follow us on Instagram to get to know us off camera. Follow us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and put us on during your next car ride. Subscribe on YouTube if you have time to actually watch people sit on their couch and talk to each other and their guests. We’re just getting started, and we think a lot of our audience is going to become our guests. If there’s something you think needs to be talked about more, reach out to us at community@somethingmorehuman.co and let us know. We’d love to have you on the podcast.
Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
And we so appreciate you, Athalia!
About the Interviewer: Athalia Monae is a product creator, published author, entrepreneur, advocate for Feed Our Starving Children, contributing writer for Entrepreneur Media, and founder of Pouches By Alahta.
Highly Effective Networking: Sam & Elliot Archuleta of Something More Human On 5 Strategies for… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.