Your Network Isn’t Broken, It’s Just Shrinking

One of the strangest things about running a creative business over time is that the hard part changes.

In the beginning, you fight to prove yourself. You pitch, hustle, network, Friday drinks! Whatever it takes. And often you find your rhythm. Referrals drop in. People know your name. The work flows.

But then something happens.

You get busy. You go deeper into delivery. Maybe you burn out a little. Maybe you have kids. You stop showing up in the places you used to. You’re not at the events. You’re not replying on LinkedIn. You’re not out there as much as you once were.

You tell yourself it’s temporary, and it probably is. But slowly, almost invisibly, your network slows down.

Not because you’re any less good. But because you’re less present.

And when you’re less present, people find other options.

We talk a lot in The Crew about how your network isn’t static. It’s alive. It needs input. Attention. A little oxygen. And if you don’t actively do something to keep it warm, it doesn’t collapse—it just contracts. Almost imperceptibly.

That’s what most mid-career creatives are experiencing when they say “I’m not getting leads like I used to”. It’s not that they’ve fallen behind. It’s that they’re further from the conversations where decisions are being made.

The people who used to refer you? They’ve changed roles. Started families. Or simply forgotten what you’re working on now.

And if you don’t remind them, gently, intentionally... well, someone else will fill that space.

This isn’t about building a massive audience either. Not all of us need (or want) to become a "thought leader". You just need to show up more often in the lives of the people who already trust you.

Not to pitch them. But to stay connected. To remind. To build momentum again.

Because what looks like a “sales slump” is often just the natural outcome of drifting too far from activity that once kept you visible.

So. Ready to reconnect?