What Five Words Taught Me About Real Connection These Past Seven Days

“How are things with you?”

That’s it. Five words. No pitch. No agenda. Just genuine curiosity about another human being.

Seven days ago, I started something simple: reaching out to people in my network—friends, colleagues, even strangers—and asking them how they actually are.

Not the polished, LinkedIn-approved version.

Not the highlight reel. Just… how are things?

The response has been overwhelming.

What Happened When I Actually Asked

Within a week, my inbox filled with messages I never expected:

• Executive dads confessing they’re burning out but can’t admit it to anyone at work.

• Mid-level professionals who feel stuck but are too afraid to ask their boss for the raise they deserve.

• People feeling listless, drained, and absolutely empty—going through the motions but barely holding on.

These weren’t leads. They weren’t networking opportunities. They were people in pain who finally had someone ask.

The Work That Followed

Once I knew what people were dealing with, I did what I could:

• I connected people to potential partners who could help them.

• I introduced them to communities where they’d find support and belonging.

• I showed professionals how to network quietly and strategically while still trapped in toxic jobs—because sometimes you can’t just quit, but you can start building your exit.

  
  

I did all of this expecting nothing in return.

Not because I’m particularly noble. But because it’s simply the right thing to do.

The Math of Generosity

Here’s something we forget in our hustle: what takes me seconds or minutes could take someone else days, weeks, or even months.

An introduction I can make in two emails might be a door someone has been trying to open for half a year.

A 10-minute conversation where I share what I know about networking could save someone months of spinning their wheels.

A single name dropped in the right community could change someone’s entire trajectory.

When you know people, when you have experience, when you have access—sharing it costs you almost nothing. But withholding it because “what’s in it for me?” costs others everything.

We’ve Automated Away Our Humanity

Somewhere along the way, we got obsessed with efficiency. With automation. With AI agents and chatbots and scheduled posts and perfectly optimized outreach sequences.

And in our quest to scale everything, we forgot the one thing that actually matters: being human with each other.

LinkedIn used to be different. It used to be a place where real conversations happened. Where people genuinely helped each other without calculating the ROI. Where “networking” meant actually knowing people—their struggles, their dreams, their reality—not just collecting contacts.

I’m not anti-technology. I’m not against automation where it makes sense. But we’ve gone too far when our platforms are full of robots talking to robots while real humans suffer in silence.

Burnout Is Real

Let me say this clearly: burnout is real.

The executive who can’t admit he’s drowning because he’s supposed to have it all figured out? That’s real.

The talented professional who’s underpaid and too scared to advocate for herself? That’s real.

The person who wakes up every day feeling nothing, going through motions, wondering if this is all there is? That’s real.

And maybe—just maybe—if we started being actual humans on these platforms, we could help each other through it.

The Energy We Lost

I remember when LinkedIn had a different energy.

When it felt like a community, not a content mill. When people shared real challenges and others jumped in to help without asking what they’d get out of it.

That energy is what I’m trying to recreate. One conversation at a time.

Because here’s what I’ve learned: sometimes the most valuable thing you can offer someone isn’t advice, or a connection, or even a solution.

Sometimes it’s just showing up and asking how they are.

And then—this is the crucial part—actually doing something about it when they tell you.

My Challenge to You

So here’s what I’m asking:

Pick someone in your network this week. Not someone you want something from. Just someone you genuinely wonder about.

Send them a message. Not a template. Not a “just checking in” that’s really a sales pitch in disguise.

Ask them: “How are things with you?”

Then wait for the real answer. Not the polished one. The real one.

And when they tell you—if they need help, if they’re stuck, if they’re struggling—see what you can do.

Make an introduction.

Share what you know.

Point them toward a resource.

Do it expecting nothing in return.

Do it because it’s the right thing to do.

Do it because what takes you minutes might save them months.

Now I ask….

How Are You, Really?

I mean it. How are things with you?

Not the version you’d post on LinkedIn. Not the story you tell at networking events. How are you actually doing?

If you’re reading this and you’re struggling—with burnout, with feeling stuck, with not knowing what’s next—I want you to know: you’re not alone. And it’s okay to not be okay.

My inbox is open.

Not because I have all the answers.

Not because I’m selling something. But because sometimes we all need someone to ask—and actually care about the answer.

Let’s bring humanity back to networking. One real conversation at a time.

Reach out. I’m listening.