Expanding Your Network Without Being Weird About It

Expanding Your Network Without Being Weird About It

From The H2 Leadership Podcast by H2 Leadership

April 2, 2026 · 1h 4m · Episode 513

About this episode

Alan Briggs and Stu Davis discuss how to expand your network authentically without feeling transactional or awkward.

In this episode, Alan Briggs sits down with Stu Davis, Executive Director of COS I Love You — a Colorado Springs organization that brokers connection between the church, nonprofits, business, and public sector for a candid, practical conversation about what it actually looks like to expand your network without it feeling slimy, transactional, or just plain weird. This one was recorded live in a room full of leaders, and the energy of that conversation comes through. Alan and Stu have both spent years learning, and sometimes failing at the craft of genuine connection, and in this episode they pull back the curtain on how they think about it, how they've had to mature in it, and what separates the connectors who build real trust from the ones who just work a room. If you've ever walked away from a networking event feeling like you needed a shower, this episode is for you. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Why networking feels slimy — and the one thing that makes the difference between transactional and transformational connection The "engagement funnel" framework: how relationships move from acquaintance to friend to partner to collaborator to team — and why skipping steps is…

People in this episode

Host: Alan Briggs

Guest: Stu Davis

Topics covered

  • networking
  • genuine connection
  • trust building
  • relationship development
  • business
  • nonprofits

Keywords

  • networking
  • genuine connection
  • trust
  • engagement funnel
  • business relationships
  • scarcity mentality
  • transformational connection

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: COS I Love You

Places: Colorado Springs

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