At the end of the day, relationships are the most precious and valuable thing you’ll ever have.
You get to choose who is in your life, so why not reach out to someone you’ve been wanting to connect with? Selena is intentional about making people feel deeply appreciated, and the relationships she built are the main reason she has been able to quickly build my own multi 7-figure business.
Are there people in your life who have helped you, who perhaps don’t know the full extent of your gratitude? Are there people you deeply admire (in your industry or otherwise) that you’d really like to connect with, but you feel like you have nothing to offer them? If the answer is yes, here are some of her top tips for creating memorable connections and building relationships that can nourish your soul and enrich your life and your business.
Tip #1: Be bold and let someone know how much they mean to you.
When someone inspires you, whether it’s a new connection or an old friend, don’t be afraid to reach out and tell them. Last year Selena was going through her Impacting Millions new student questionnaires. I love knowing who’s in my programs, and sometimes I’ll reach out to some of them.
Selena sent one person a video message. She responded by saying:
“When I was about 9 years old, I had a vision that a woman called Selena would come into my life and help me be a public servant and a star. Then a few weeks ago, a woman that’s been supporting my journey for years sent me your program. When I saw your name I almost fell off the chair! I’m happy to connect!”
I responded by saying, “That is so awesome! We will have to connect sometime. What about chatting this coming Friday or sometime the week after? I would love to get to know you better!”
I felt compelled to get to know her because I found her and her work fascinating, but also because her words of affirmation made me feel special. When you let someone know how significant they are to you, it’s flattering and makes them curious about you, too.
As the popular saying goes, “The best way to be interesting to someone is to show that you are interested in them.”
Tip #2: Be so thoughtful and generous that people are literally shocked.
Stand out from the crowd by being a giver and go out of your way to show up for people.
For example, she once reached out to a friend who was leaving her prestigious job to move to the South and be with her fiance. Selena called to congratulate her and find out if she had a new job yet. When Selena learned that she hadn’t, she offered to help. Selena invited her over to her apartment for afternoon tea, asked what opportunities she was looking for, and then offered to make introductions that could lead to a potential dream job.
To connect with someone you admire on a personal level, show interest in the things that are important to them—maybe it’s their health and fitness, a relationship, or a personal issue they may want to discuss.
To support a fellow entrepreneur, find out how you can support their most important business goals. If you’re not sure how to help, remember that most entrepreneurs and CEOs have similar needs, including publicity and visibility (to get us in front of more people), sales (to grow our businesses), and amazing people to help us grow (mentors or team members).
Tip #3: Be genuine and connect from a caring place.
Selena loves to go above and beyond for other people, but you should only do it when it comes from a genuine place. When you care about the person you’re doing it for, you won’t be looking for something in return because the act of giving is your reward. In most cases, that person will feel encouraged by your authentic kindness, and you may even inspire them to do the same for someone else.
If you have an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life, go ahead and do it! Everyone’s busy, but making time to invest in the success of other people is the start of building relationships that can change the trajectory of your life and your business.
Whether it’s wowing someone with a thoughtful gift, showing an interest in the things they care about, sending them encouraging messages, or finding ways to support their goals, you won’t regret choosing to lift up the people around you.
