Why the Networking Trick You Learned as a Kid Could Drive Success Today

I have always said something that makes people smile: I like to live like a kid.

Not a child. A kid. There is a difference.

A child avoids responsibility. A kid keeps curious. A kid stays open to the world. A kid still believes interesting things can happen if you talk to someone new. That mindset has shaped a lot of how I live and how I do business. And now that I have three kids, I get to watch that mindset play out every day in real time.

Kids walk up to people and say hello. They start conversations with strangers on a playground as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Adults walk into the same situation, and suddenly everything becomes complicated.

We hesitate.
We overthink.
We wait for someone else to make the first move.

Somewhere along the way, adulthood convinced us that saying hello is uncomfortable.

In reality, it might be the boldest move you can make.

Practice connection

Recently, I wrote an article called, “You Didn’t Lose Your Imagination — You Stopped Using It. Here’s How to Restart.” The idea was simple. As we grow up, we do not lose imagination. We just stop using it. The same thing happens with connection.

We did not lose the ability to talk to new people. We just stopped practicing it.

And that small shift changes everything.

Think about how children behave in a room full of strangers.

They ask questions.
They introduce themselves.
They start friendships in seconds.

They are not worried about saying the perfect thing. They are curious about what might happen.

Now that I have three kids, I see this every week. We can walk into a park or a birthday party, and within minutes, they have already made three new friends. No hesitation. No strategy. Just curiosity.

Adults often do the opposite. We walk into events and stay close to the people we already know. We check our phones. We stand near the wall. We wait for someone else to break the ice. Meanwhile, the room is full of potential introductions, partnerships, and ideas that never happen.

All because nobody said hello.

Real estate taught me early that relationships drive everything. Venture capital reinforced the same lesson. Entrepreneurship makes it impossible to ignore.

Deals rarely begin with a perfectly crafted pitch. They begin with people.

And people usually enter your life through small moments.

A quick introduction.
A casual conversation.
A simple hello.

I cannot count how many opportunities in my career started exactly that way. An event where I knew almost nobody. A dinner where I happened to sit next to someone interesting. A conference where I introduced myself instead of waiting for someone else to do it.

Those conversations usually start small.

Where are you from?
What are you working on?
What brought you here tonight?

Sometimes the conversation lasts two minutes. Sometimes it turns into a relationship that lasts for years. Adults often assume people do not want to be approached. We assume the introduction will feel awkward or forced.

Most of the time, the opposite is true.

People enjoy meeting new people. They enjoy hearing about different industries and experiences. The moment someone breaks the silence with a friendly hello, the tension disappears.

Connection begins.

Curiousity = connection

One thing I have noticed over the years is that the most connected people in any room are rarely the most polished or rehearsed.

They are simply the most curious.

They ask questions.
They listen.
They show genuine interest in the person standing in front of them.

Curiosity is contagious. When someone shows real interest in what you do, the conversation naturally grows.

Kids practice that curiosity every day.

Kids ask questions constantly.

Adults slowly train themselves not to.

When you allow yourself to bring that curiosity back into your life, something interesting happens. Your world gets bigger. Your network expands naturally. Conversations start turning into ideas and relationships.

Opportunity begins to appear in unexpected places.

That is the hidden power of a simple hello.

It signals openness. It signals curiosity. It signals that you are willing to step into the world rather than sit quietly waiting for something to happen.

The truth is that most opportunities do not arrive through a perfect strategy.

They arrive through people.

One conversation can lead to a client. One introduction can lead to a partnership. One relationship can open doors you never expected. Those moments almost always start the same way: “Hello!”

That is why I try to keep that kid’s mindset alive.

Not childish. Curious. Kids approach the world believing interesting things are everywhere. They assume people are worth talking to. They believe the next conversation might lead somewhere exciting.

Adults often lose that belief. They become cautious. They become quiet. They stop introducing themselves. When that happens, they unknowingly close the door to countless opportunities.

The networking trick we learned as kids is still the best one.

Say hello.

You never know which conversation might change everything.