Networking with Fexingo: Building Professional Relationships, LinkedIn, and Career Capital

Lucas and Luna explore how reverse mentoring — where a junior colleague mentors a senior one, often on digital trends or new perspectives — can unlock unexpected career opportunities for both parties. Using the example of how a 28-year-old analyst at Procter & Gamble mentored a senior VP on TikTok strategy, which led to the analyst being tapped for a global brand role, they discuss the mechanics o...

In this episode of Networking with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore the concept of a personal board of directors — a small, intentional group of mentors and advisors who provide tailored guidance at key career junctures. They break down how to identify the four essential roles: the champion, the critic, the industry navigator, and the life-stage peer, using the real-world example of how a mid-caree...

Lucas and Luna explore the concept of a 'personal Wikipedia'—a single, always-updated page that curates your best work, speaking engagements, press mentions, and project outcomes. They walk through the case of a mid-career marketing executive who landed a VP role by sending decision-makers a link to her personal Wikipedia instead of a traditional resume. The episode covers how to build one, what t...

Lucas and Luna explore a counterintuitive networking strategy: bonding over minor annoyances. They examine how a tech executive once forged a lasting mentorship by complaining about office coffee with a senior leader she barely knew. The episode breaks down why shared frustrations lower social barriers, how to identify 'low-stakes gripes' that invite connection, and the fine line between endearing...

On the 100th episode of Networking with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore why the most effective networkers treat relationships like a long-term investment portfolio — not a transaction. They break down the concept of 'relationship capital' through a concrete case: a mid-career engineer who built a network of 15 trusted contacts over six years, and how that network delivered a job offer, a board sea...

Lucas and Luna dive into the overlooked power of alumni networks. Using a real case study of a mid-career marketer who landed a role at a private equity firm through a chance alumni connection at a conference, they discuss why alma mater ties often work better than cold outreach, how to activate dormant alumni contacts, and the surprising data on alumni network ROI. Lucas shares a specific framewo...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna discuss the concept of a networking scorecard: a simple framework to evaluate and improve the quality of your professional connections. They reference a real case from a mid-career marketing manager who used a scorecard to double her referral rate in six months, and break down the key metrics—diversity, depth, reciprocity, and relevance—that turn networking from a r...

In episode 97 of Networking with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle the question of how to network when you're the most junior person in the room. They break down the concept of 'inverse leadership' — leveraging your junior status as a strength by asking thoughtful questions and showing genuine curiosity. Lucas shares a concrete example from his early career: how a 24-year-old intern at a manufacturin...

In episode 96 of Networking with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna reveal a counterintuitive networking tactic: the reverse directory. Instead of asking ‘who do you know that could help me?’ you compile a list of your target companies or roles, then ask your contacts which of their own connections work there. Lucas breaks down the method with a concrete example from a mid-career marketer who landed three wa...

Lucas and Luna break down the anatomy of the cold email that landed a mid-career marketing director a seat on a public company board. They analyze the actual email structure — subject line, opening sentence, value proposition — that made a complete stranger say yes. You'll learn why brevity beats biography, how to signal domain expertise without bragging, and the single question that turns a cold...

In this episode of Networking with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna break down the anatomy of a single handshake that led to a billion-dollar acquisition. Using the 2019 sale of LinkedIn to Microsoft as a case study, they explore how Reid Hoffman's early networking with Satya Nadella and the LinkedIn executive team created the trust that made the deal possible. You'll learn the three specific networking mo...

Lucas and Luna explore a counterintuitive networking strategy: showing up without a specific ask or goal. They unpack a 2025 Harvard Business Review study showing that agenda-free conversations produce 40% more long-term collaborations than targeted ones. Lucas shares how a former colleague landed a board seat by simply being curious about someone else's problem. Luna challenges the approach for i...

Lucas and Luna tackle a common networking hurdle: the discomfort of asking for favors. Lucas shares a 2024 study from the Journal of Applied Psychology showing that people overestimate the cost of asking by 80%, and uses the example of a mid-career marketing manager who finally asked a former colleague for a warm intro—and got it within 24 hours. They discuss the 'favor bank' concept, how to refra...

Lucas and Luna tackle a networking challenge that rarely gets practical advice: connecting authentically with colleagues and contacts who are 20, 30, or even 40 years apart in age. They break down the specific friction points—different communication channels, different assumptions about hierarchy, different expectations around reciprocity—using real examples from a recent LinkedIn case study showi...

Episode 90 of Networking with Fexingo tackles a specific anxiety most career guides ignore: being the least experienced, least senior, or least credentialed person in a professional setting. Lucas and Luna break down the mindset shift from 'I have nothing to offer' to 'I offer a fresh perspective and genuine curiosity.' They use the example of a 26-year-old product analyst who landed a mentorship...

Lucas and Luna unpack a creative networking strategy: treating a new job or career pivot like a scavenger hunt where each conversation reveals one clue. They walk through a real example from a graphic designer who mapped 15 companies, set a target of two informational interviews per week, and used each chat to refine her portfolio pitch. Along the way, they discuss why this approach beats random c...

In Episode 88 of Networking with Fexingo, hosts Lucas and Luna explore the overlooked art of the graceful networking exit. Most people focus on how to start a conversation, but the final thirty seconds—how you close—determines whether a contact remembers you and follows up. Lucas shares a specific case: a marketing manager named Priya who landed a board seat years after a single coffee chat, thank...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the art of the follow-up email after networking events. They break down a real-world example from a listener named Sarah, who transformed a lukewarm first meeting into a job offer with a single, well-crafted email. The hosts share the specific structure she used: a personalized subject line, a precise mention of what they discussed, a value-add attachment,...

Lucas and Luna break down a real-world case: a 2025 study by Ladders found that 79% of hiring managers never click a candidate's LinkedIn profile after an event if they don't receive a follow-up within 48 hours. The hosts walk through a specific follow-up email template that increased response rates by 40% in a controlled experiment by the career site Teal. They explain the psychology of the 'valu...

Lucas and Luna tackle a common networking frustration: the endless stream of coffee chats that go nowhere. Instead of another 'just reach out' platitude, they drill into a tactical system—the networking calendar. Lucas shares how he schedules recurring check-ins with key contacts, treating relationships like a portfolio with quarterly rebalancing. Luna pushes back on the fear of seeming transactio...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna drill into the one thing most people get wrong about networking follow-ups: they treat them as a single event instead of a system. Lucas walks through the three-part framework he used after a major industry conference last fall, where a structured follow-up sequence turned 12 initial conversations into 7 second meetings and 3 ongoing mentorship relationships. He sha...

In this episode of Networking with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore a fresh angle: the strategic networking partnership. Instead of scrambling to meet everyone solo, what if you teamed up with a peer to split events, share intros, and double your connections? Lucas walks through how he and a fellow journalist tested this for three months — covering ten events together, trading 27 warm introductions...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the concept of the 'brag bite' — a short, rehearsed statement that concisely highlights your proudest professional achievement without sounding boastful. They dive into how to craft one using the CAR format (Challenge, Action, Result), and why this tool is essential for networking conversations, especially when you're asked 'What do you do?' Lucas shares a s...

Lucas and Luna explore a powerful but underused networking strategy: reconnecting with mentors from your past. They dive into why former bosses, professors, and early-career sponsors often become your most valuable connectors years later. Lucas shares a specific example of a marketing executive who reached out to a college professor after eight years of silence and landed a board seat through that...

Lucas and Luna explore the concept of a 'networking resume' — a one-page document distinct from your job-hunting resume, designed to spark conversation and showcase your value to contacts. They break down a real case: a mid-career marketing manager who used a networking resume to land three informational interviews in one week, ultimately leading to a role at a competitor. Lucas shares the three-s...