Business and Networks for Entrepreneurs

In an interview with David Teten, Pamela Walker Laird discussed her new book, Pull: Networking and Success Since Benjamin Franklin, a history of networking and mentoring in American business.

"As a business historian, I repeatedly come across biographies of so-called self-made men whose careers had in fact depended on mentors and access to powerful networks. I began this project to determine for what portion of well-known businessmen this was true. Pretty quickly it became clear that the statistic was easy to calculate: 100%. That is, not one case of a successful businessman or woman exists for which mentors and/or networks were not essential."

"Why is this? It is possible to get rich by gambling, either at a roulette table or by day trading, without participating in networks. But real business is a social process. Learning the trade, getting leads, making connections, closing deals, getting promotions: they all require social interactions."

"Because business is a social process, interactions are at its core. "

Snippet from Virtual Handshake, February 26, 2006
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