3 Ways to Grow Your Influence Using Relationships You Already Have #SecondShiftBook

This post is part of Second Shift Blog Tour which I am excited to be a part of along with many other inspiring bloggers. To learn more and to join us as we tell the world how to maximize their influence, CLICK HERE!

Over the last couple of days, I have been in Disney World attending the Disney Dreamers Academy hosted by Steve Harvey and Essence. The overarching message is that you have to stay committed to your dream if it’s something you really want. This message resonated with me and reminded me of when my sister and I released our book Whose Shoes Are You Wearing? We had to stay committed to the dream of publishing our first book.

This past week, my friend Dr. Harold Arnold, just released a new book: Second Shift: How to Grow Your Part-Time Passion, Into Full-time influence. If you have a dream, sometimes you have to work it on a part-time basis in order for it to grow into your full-time reality. And I love that Dr. Harold Arnold is telling us exactly how to do this in his new book.

When I started my blog four years ago, I didn’t have a lot of big goals. I had a good understanding of relationship building from my days of working in the corporate HR world. But I had no idea how important it would be for the work I’m doing now. Between homeschooling, travel and work, it definitely feels like I work the second shift (or third) to keep this ship going. So here are three easy tips to grow your influence using the relationships you already have.

1. Be Genuine

Don’t just connect with people to get as much from them/out of them as you can. Being a giver will reap way more benefits than being a taker. If there’s someone you really want to connect with them, find out how you can be a resource for them. And before long, you’ll see that they will more likely than not, those people will find a way to return the favor. They will take notice and will want to help you out along the way as well.

2. Connect with other influencers

I recently had the pleasure of being asked to join Daymond John’s brand ambassador team for his recent book launch, The Power of Broke. Now, obviously Daymond and his team were probably quite capable of getting the word out about the book without inviting bloggers and influencers. But it reminded me about the importance of leveraging the relationships we have, or want to create. I started to write for Black And Married With Kids shortly after starting my own blog. By doing this, I immediately expanded my audience and reach. I then started also writing for Happy Wives Club, and expanded it even further.

By going to various blogging conferences and events, I have built relationships that I wouldn’t have otherwise. I have received new and amazing opportunities through leveraging the power of social media and relationships with other influencers. I connect with other influencers regularly and we’re able to support each other.

3. Work smarter

You’ve heard the saying before: work smarter not harder. When it comes to building and growing your influence, I’ve definitely learned a thing or two about working smarter over the last couple of years. In this day and age, there’s no reason for you to struggle on your own. I just recently realized that I had taken my blog as far as I could take it on my own if I wanted to reach certain goals. So I got over my fears and asked for writers, and they came. I went from posting 1-3 times a week (down from consistently posting 3 times a week), to now having new posts up Monday through Friday and sometimes two posts a day. I now have nearly twenty new writers and a blog editor. And these ladies are phenomenal, especially my editor who also creates the graphics. This now allows me to focus on live events like the Act Like a Success Conference coming up, without neglecting this blog.

If you’re looking to grow your influence, especially while working the second shift, you’ll have to learn to leverage the power of others who are already influencers. Find out how you can be a resource, and the resources will become available to you before you even have to ask.

Comment below and let me know: what is the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome when it comes to growing authentic influence while working the second shift?

Dr. Harold Arnold, Jr. is the founder of The Pursuit of Influence, an organization which teaches strategies for developing organizations, teams, and families with extraordinary influence. He knows what it means to take your part-time passion and grow it into full-time influence. This book has the power to help you do the same. You can grab your copy HERE.

The 5-step Mompreneur Checklist to Smash Your KILLER™ Goals!

Enter your email below and grab your FREE guide on 5 tips & strategies to conquer mompreneurship , designed to help you create, implement & knock out your goals (no more hoping & wishing).

Trust me, we hate spam as much as you do. So pinky swear your info is safe here.