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J. Kelly Hoey

Networking Strategist and Author at J Kelly Hoey

New York, United States

The future you want depends on the relationships you're building today // Author & Social Capital Strategist

Available For: Advising, Consulting, Speaking
Travels From: New York, New York
Speaking Topics: Own Your Network, Own Your Career, The 7 Deadly Networking Sins, Time, Trust, and Who Gets Both

Speaking Fee $10,000 (In-Person), $6,500 (Virtual)

Personal Speaking Website: www.prhspeakers.com
J. Kelly Hoey Points
Academic 0
Author 260
Influencer 5489
Speaker 43
Entrepreneur 0
Total 5792

Points based upon Thinkers360 patent-pending algorithm.

Thought Leader Profile

Portfolio Mix

Featured Videos

J. Kelly Hoey Speaker Reel
July 15, 2022
Networking Advice for Entrepreneurs (Tory Burch Foundation Webinar)
July 15, 2022
Networking Expert Kelly Hoey: It's not ideas that count, it's relationships
July 15, 2022

Featured Topics

Own Your Network, Own Your Career

For women, ambition alone won’t get you to the corner office, boardroom, or big next leap — and traditional networking advice often misses the mark. In this breakout session, networking strategist and author J. Kelly Hoey pulls back the curtain on what successful women do differently to build networks that actually deliver. Forget the generic “get out there” pep talk — this is a practical blueprint for how women create influence, visibility, and traction by networking with intent.

You’ll discover why careers thrive when women embrace both:

- broad, casual connections that open unexpected doors, and

- a curated inner circle of confidants who fuel courage and clarity.

Expect to walk away with a framework, tools you can use immediately, and the confidence to take command of your networking — because when you own your network, you own your career.

The 7 Deadly Networking Sins

Networking isn’t failing you — but how you’re going about it just might be. In this sharp and practical session, networking strategist and author J. Kelly Hoey exposes the 7 most common networking missteps — and reveals what to do instead.

Grounded in real-world examples and laced with Kelly’s signature candor, this talk reframes networking as a strategic career tool, not a dreaded chore. Expect to walk away knowing how to:

- Spot (and stop) the bad habits that quietly sabotage your opportunities

- Shift from accidental asks to intentional, specific requests

- Transform envy and competition into collaboration

- Build a network that advances your goals — and sustains itself over time

Forget schmoozing. Forget “working the room.” The only thing worse than committing a networking sin is repeating it — and after this session, you won’t.

Time, Trust, and Who Gets Both

We all obsess over managing our calendars — but the real question is: are you managing your relationships with the same intention? Time, reputation, and relationships are the three assets you can’t afford to squander. In this provocative session, networking expert J. Kelly Hoey reframes time management as a relational strategy: how you spend your hours, who you spend them with, and how to make others want to invest their time in you. Expect to leave with a smarter lens on productivity, practical ways to create breathing room in your schedule, and a strategy to align your daily choices with the bigger success you’re chasing.

Company Information

Company Type: Individual
Theatre: North America
Minimum Project Size: $5,000+
Average Hourly Rate: N/A
Number of Employees: N/A
Company Founded Date: Undisclosed
Media Experience: 15 years
Last Media Interview: 07/21/2025

Areas of Expertise

Business Strategy 32.75
Careers 41.72
Coaching 31.22
CRM 32.85
Customer Experience 30.03
Entrepreneurship 40.97
Future of Work 30.05
Innovation 30.10
Leadership 31.46
Management 31.29
Marketing 31.43
Personal Branding 30.11
Public Relations 30.98
Social 53.44

Industry Experience

Media
Other
Professional Services

Publications

10 Article/Blogs
A New Networking Framework for Ambitious Women
Import from substack.com
August 15, 2025
Because “just getting out there” isn’t a strategy — and never was.

See publication

Before You Hit Connect… Read These 6 Pro-Tips First
Import from substack.com
July 07, 2025
Networking isn't rocket science—it's harder.

See publication

What You've Been Missing...
Import from substack.com
May 16, 2025
Oops! Did you think I've been ignoring you?

See publication

Boo! I Haven't Ghosted You
Import from substack.com
October 31, 2024
The J in J Kelly Networking Rants Continue 👻

See publication

The J in J Kelly
Blog
June 17, 2024
The J in J Kelly is my personal blog, where I post weekly: my Monday morning newsletter (From My Inbox), as well as posting my musings on networking (Networking Pro-Tips + Is It OK To... posts) and non-fiction book reviews.

See publication

Tags: Careers, Coaching, Personal Branding

Oh, No! Where Did She Go?
Import from substack.com
January 27, 2024
Don't worry, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth or abandoned you.

See publication

Career experts share their 24 best LinkedIn Premium networking tips, from finding contacts to writing a captivating first message
Insider
April 20, 2021
Quoted as a networking expert + career thought-leader on how to network on Linkedin.

See publication

Tags: Future of Work, Marketing, Social

Learn to Network Like a Pro from One of The Biggest Names in NYC’s Startup Scene
The Startup
April 15, 2021
Quoted as an expert and thought-leader:

"When we think of “networking”, our imagination often wonders to a crowded room filled with businesspeople wearing name tags, trying to weigh up the pros-and-cons involved with attempting to eat the spinach canapes. Yet, when I asked Kelly to explain what “networking” means, she responded:
“Every single human interaction.”
Networking is to your career what your muscles are to your bones. They’re responsible for making it move. They give it direction, support, and shape."

See publication

Tags: Business Strategy, Entrepreneurship, Startups

Leading as an introvert
Education Executive
March 18, 2021
Quoted as expert and thought-leader:

"J Kelly Hoey notes that one of the biggest mistakes introvert leaders can make is to blindly follow the advice of the person who ‘knows’ – perhaps a boss, manager or mentor – without a second thought. As a result, introverts often think they are communicating more than they are perceived to be. It’s not uncommon for introverted leaders to feel that they’ve overcommunicated while their direct reports feel in the dark, says Hoey."

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Tags: Business Strategy, Leadership, Management

Aruba: Where Women Lead
The New York Times
November 20, 2018
Why should the world be paying attention to the election of a woman to lead a coalition government in an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of the Netherlands? Because it may just answer the question: “What if a country was run by women?”

See publication

Tags: Leadership

2 Author Newsletters
Before You Hit Connect… Read These 6 Pro-Tips First
Linkedln
June 30, 2025
Rocket science follows predictable laws of physics. Networking on the other hand, involves humans. Predicable? Hardly. Egos, anxiety, distractions, and wildly different communication styles. Layer on AI disruption reshaping entire industries, our collective addiction to screens over face-to-face interaction, and the splintering of social spaces into increasingly niche communities, and suddenly figuring out how to connect with other people is impossibly complex.

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Tags: Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Social

Networking Pro-Tip: Don’t Let Your Relationships Melt In The Summer Heat
J Kelly Hoey
June 26, 2025
In the hazy lazy days of summer, many people get lazy with their networking. So while everyone else checks out, you can check in — and deepen the right relationships with a little care and creativity.

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Tags: Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Social

3 Books
The Social Billionaire: A Networking Roadmap for Women Seeking to Flourish and Achieve More
Self-Published
March 17, 2026
Successful women aren’t like the rest of us – when it comes to how they approach networking. Research shows that successful women have structurally different networks than successful men (as well as other women) – and that they use their networks differently.

Kelly’s forthcoming book – The Social Billionaire – unpacks the factors that lead to success for women. Synthesizing a range of scientific research on the importance of networks for women’s lives and careers together with anecdotal evidence, Kelly has written an essential networking playbook for women seeking to flourish and achieve more. Filled with exercises and tips and laid-out in Kelly’s unique writing style of transforming concepts into actionable, practical advice, The Social Billionaire is a strategic roadmap for leveraging networks for career success.

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Tags: Careers, Leadership, Social

Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Relationships In A Hyper-Connected World (Foreword by Tom Peters)
Tarcher Perigee / Penguin Random House
January 04, 2018
“Build Your Dream Network offers seriously good advice for people who want to network in a manner that’s genuine and effective. I wish I had it thirty years ago.”
—Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist and craigconnects

“A smart, modern guide to networking etiquette for readers at any stage in their careers.” —Library Journal

“An easy-to-use guide to the art of networking in the ‘new economy’…. Kelly marvelously succeeds in instilling in her readers the attitude that whether one is attempting to secure a job, find a publisher, or finance a new business venture, tapping into the right network is the answer.” —Publishers Weekly

“I wish I had a copy of this for every person who has networked into my inbox to ask for assistance in advancing their business or career the wrong way. I’d hit them over the head with Kelly’s book…then make them read it! Build Your Dream Network will help you avoid concussions and connect with people who can help you get to where you want to be. “
—Alison Levine, author of New York Times bestseller, On The Edge

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Tags: Business Strategy, Entrepreneurship, Marketing

Build Your Dream Network
Penguin Random House
January 02, 2017
Cut through the networking noise and start building the powerful, real relationships needed to succeed in our digital world

If you think of networking as schmoozing at boring cocktail parties or scrolling through LinkedIn for new contacts to add, think again. In the social media age, you need a modern roadmap for creating and cultivating meaningful connections to stand out from the crowd and achieve any of your goals, no matter how big or small.

In Build Your Dream Network, acclaimed business columnist and networking expert J. Kelly Hoey offers a fresh new approach to mastering this timeworn skill in a world where everyone is posting, liking, and friending fast and furiously, but many are failing to leverage their connections successfully. Hoey presents innovative strategies for forming strong relationships—the genuine, mutually beneficial, long-lasting kind—using all of the social tools at your disposal. She also reveals creative and surprisingly simple ways to harness the power of your network to accomplish any ambition, from landing your dream job or a coveted account or client to successfully crowdfunding a new business venture. Build Your Dream Network will help you:

- Determine the most effective ways to connect with others so you don’t clutter your calendar with dead-end coffee dates and informational interviews
- Synchronize IRL networking efforts with your digital outreach
- Turn “closed door” conversations into strong personal relationships and business opportunities
- Eliminate FOMO by keeping your networking efforts focused

Packed with infographics, flowcharts, and encouraging advice, Build Your Dream Network shows how small adjustments in your daily routine, generosity, and goal-focused efforts are all it takes to set you apart and ignite the powerful connections that will lead to major opportunities for success.

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Tags: CRM, Entrepreneurship, Social

1 Book Chapter
Networks: Who Revolves Around Your Ambitions
Self Published
October 01, 2025
n her forthcoming book, The Social Billionaire: A Networking Roadmap for Women Seeking to Flourish and Achieve More, Kelly explores the factors that lead to success for women, synthesizing a range of scientific research on the importance of networks for women’s lives and careers together with anecdotal evidence, and career stories pulled from her network. Combine all this with Kelly’s unique style of transforming concepts into actionable, practical advice, The Social Billionaire is a roadmap for leveraging networks in a new way and creating your own career success.

Chapter 2 is a networking audit - from top to bottom. The networking relationships you know you have and a few you may have forgotten.

Like the rest of the book, this chapter is actionable and practical. After completing the network audit, you'll gain clarity on these elements of your network:

Your Go-To's — the people you rely on first.
Your routine networking activities — where your time and trust are actually going.
Your wider network ties — the acquaintances, second degree and more distant network connections (likely the connections you're overlooking!).
Your past networks — relationships which may have drifted, and can be revived.

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Tags: Careers, Coaching, Social

1 Book Foreword
The Alumni Way: Building Lifelong Value from Your University Investment
Bristol University Press
September 30, 2021
This book reimagines graduates’ alumni status as a gateway to immense opportunities through professional and personal networks. With a sound academic foundation, combined with practical activities and checklists, ‘The Alumni Way’ is a valuable ultimate resource for inspiring savvy, active alumni citizens of the world.

The book features a foreword by J Kelly Hoey, author of Build Your Dream Network.

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Tags: Leadership, AGI

2 Citations
Bizzabo Empowers Event Experience Leaders with the Event Experience Summit
MarTech Series
May 25, 2022
Top event professionals explore the future of event experiences amid the rising demand for hybrid and in-person events

“Events that place attendees at the center of event design and delivery are essential in this remote, work-from-home, hybrid work era, as they are shaping how we will connect, collaborate and engage with each other,” said Kelly Hoey, Summit keynote speaker, networking expert and author of Build Your Dream Network. “I was completely inspired by the energy and dynamism of the Event Experience Summit’s delivery on this crucial metric.”

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Tags: Customer Experience, Marketing

WFH has killed networking as we know it. Here’s how Gen Z plans to adapt
Fortune Magazine
March 16, 2022
A good internship or first job can help you build connections that will propel your career forward not just in the immediate future but for decades. Until the COVID-19 pandemic, most of these relationships were forged in person. But what happens when those connections exist only in cyberspace?

“Networking is something you do with all of your senses, not just your mouth,” argues Kelly Hoey, a networking expert and author of Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Relationships In a Hyper-Connected World.

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Tags: Future of Work

4 Media Interviews
Fight The Promotion Recession With Feedback And Micro-Networking
Forbes
June 15, 2024
"Networking expert, career coach, speaker, and author J. Kelly Hoey explains how small, strategic actions in personal branding and networking can significantly impact creating meaningful career opportunities."

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Tags: Careers, Coaching, Leadership

Meet The Networking Queen!
Designer Society of America
October 17, 2022
Interior Designers: You Should Embrace Networking
By Lindsay Field Penticuff

Kelly Hoey didn’t start her professional journey as an author, speaker, and networking expert. In fact, she started out as a corporate attorney, practicing for 11 years before moving laterally into a role that would eventually take her career on a path to being the first president of a global network for women.

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Tags: Business Strategy, CRM, Social

How to network without feeling gross about it
Sidekick
October 07, 2022
Sidekick’s guide to networking effectively.

If the thought of going to a string of uncomfortable (and forced) networking events makes you want to curl up and play dead, we get it. Sometimes the weird speed dating vibe of a professional mixer can feel, well, yucky. But networking is an important skill, and we’re here to help you get better at it. Sidekick spoke with expert and author Kelly Hoey and communications consultant Emel Shaikh to get the tips and tricks that helped them build new connections and advance their careers.

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Tags: Business Strategy, CRM, Social

Networking expert connects the dots
UVic
October 11, 2021
Lawyer-turned-author J. Kelly Hoey makes a case for showing up everyday

Unlike fellow New Yorkers Simon & Garfunkel, J. Kelly Hoey (BA ’87) is not a rock or an island. The UVic grad, writer and in-demand public speaker is a firm believer in the importance of making connections, not just in your career but everyday life. The problem is, we’re often not good at it or, at least, comfortable with putting ourselves out there. Which is where Hoey comes in. The lawyer-turned-author of Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Relationships In A Hyper-Connected World will be in Victoria Nov. 16 to share her networking knowhow with UVic alumni and students as part of the UVic Alumni Signature Speaker Series. But before that, she found time in her busy schedule to discuss what New Yorkers have taught her about communicating, the roots of her fabulous footwear obsession and why networking isn’t a four-letter word.

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Tags: Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Social

4 Miscellaneouss
Career experts share their 24 best LinkedIn Premium networking tips, from finding contacts to writing a captivating first message
Business Insider
April 20, 2021
Networking is a crucial skill, exponentially expanding our professional knowledge, connections, and opportunities. And thanks to platforms like LinkedIn, it's easier than ever to get in front of the people you admire and the hiring managers filling the jobs you want.

Great! But, how do you do it? Who should you network with? What mistakes should you avoid? And when, if ever, should you follow up?

To find out, I asked four experts — Lauren Cohen, an executive and career coach; J. Kelly Hoey, author of "Build Your Dream Network"; Caitlin Proctor, a career expert at ZipJob; and Ben Lamarche, the General Manager of Lock Search Group who has 25+ years in recruiting, HR, and career coaching.

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Tags: Management, Marketing, Social

4 ways to network in an all-remote world
Fast Company
December 17, 2020
Even though you’re not out there mingling, you can still form meaningful professional relationships.

J. Kelly Hoey quoted as an expert in this Fast Company article.

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Tags: Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Social

How To Network While Social Distancing
Forbes
April 01, 2020
With conferences canceled, offices closed and people around the world working remotely, it might seem like networking can’t take place. It can feel uncomfortable or insensitive to reach out when you don’t know what someone is dealing with personally and professionally, but being social while social distancing can help people feel supported.

J. Kelly Hoey quoted as an expert for this article.

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Tags: Future of Work, Management, Social

SheSource Expert
SheSource
January 01, 2016
“1 of 5 Women Changing the World of VC/Entrepreneurship” – Forbes

“25 Smartest Women On Twitter” – Fast Company

“100 Most Influential Tech Women On Twitter” – Business Insider

“100 Most Influential Global Leaders Empowering Women Worldwide” – EBW2020

Networking expert, Kelly Hoey is the author of the book “Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Relationships In A Hyper-Connected World” and hosts the Build Your Dream Network podcast.

Building and tapping into networks, explain how Kelly transformed her career from corporate lawyer to president of a global business network for women to founding a startup accelerator to writing a book, and becoming a sought-out speaker. Kelly has appeared as an investor panelist on CNBC’s Power Pitch, contributed to numerous publications including, The New York Times, Forbes, Inc., and Fast Company, along with being quoted in publications including The Wall Street Journal, AARP, Working Mother, Brit & Co, Vogue.com, Real Simple, Good Morning America, Thrive Global, Ladders, CNBC, Business Insiders, U.S. News & World Report, Refinery 29 and more.

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Tags: Leadership, Social, Startups

2 Miscellaneouss
How to Network from Home with Kelly Hoey | Company Reads
Company Reads
October 12, 2020
We may have gotten the hang of working from home by now, but networking while we quarantine is a whole other challenge. On the latest #CompanyReadsTips, Kelly Hoey provides three solid guidelines for building and maintaining your network while you stay home!

Hoey's book, BUILD YOUR DREAM NETWORK , is the essential guide for building powerful connections that last. Learn more about how you can bring Hoey and her book to your organization: http://ow.ly/2gel50BQcAT

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Tags: Future of Work, Management, Social

Build Your Dream Network | Kelly Hoey | Talks at Google
Google
May 02, 2017
Kelly Hoey is the author of 'Build Your Dream Network', a book with fresh new approaches to mastering networking in a world where everyone is posting, liking, and friending fast and furiously, but many are failing to leverage their connections successfully. Tune in to learn innovative strategies for forming strong relationships—the genuine, mutually beneficial, long-lasting kind—by using all of the social tools at your disposal. Kelly also shares creative and surprisingly simple ways to harness the power of your network to accomplish any ambition, from landing your dream job or a coveted account or client to successfully crowdfunding a new business venture.

More information about Kelly Hoey and 'Build Your Dream Network' is available at http://jkellyhoey.co/

The Talk was hosted by Abby Bouchon Daniels.

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Tags: Leadership, Management, Social

1 Panel
EXECUTIVE PRESENCE: A VOICE(is) Conversation on The Future of Leadership with Vital Voice Training
Vital Voice Training
August 16, 2021
Casey Erin Clark and Julie Fogh, founders of Vital Voice Training and co-hosts of the VOICE(is) podcast, host a panel discussion on executive presence. In it, they explore the nebulous definition of executive presence and how our idea of what leaders should look and sound like has marginalized so many. Along the way, expect corporate horror stories, tales of triumph, and big laughs . . . along with truth bombs and mic drop moments that blow the idea that leaders need to look and sound one particular way out of the water.

Panel Guests:

Phnam Bagley is building the future . . . literally. She is a speaker, educator, and founder of the firm Nonfiction Design, taking on everything from headphones to furniture to space architecture to turn science fiction into reality. http://nonfiction.design

Kelly Hoey is the author of BUILD YOUR DREAM NETWORK, speaker, community builder, and world-renowned expert in networking. She also has an extensive corporate background in both law and finance. http://jkellyhoey.co

Christina Blacken is revolutionizing the modern workplace with her company New Quo, introducing how narrative intelligence can be used to tackle inequities and make work work better for everyone. http://thenewquo.com

Patty Alvarenga is on the ground every day running conversations on equity and inclusion that are shaping the future of work with The Collective. http://hello-collective.com

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Tags: Business Strategy, Diversity and Inclusion, Leadership

15 Podcasts
Rethinking Event Networking To Drive Meaningful Attendee Connections
Bizzabo
September 06, 2022
Shownotes: Season 3, Episode 11: Kelly Hoey
In this episode, you’ll learn why you can’t return to pre-pandemic event networking. You’ll leave this podcast with eyes open to new and innovative approaches to improving attendee networking at your next gathering.

Kelly Hoey is an investor, connector, networking expert, and the author of Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Relationships in a Hyper-connected World.

This conversation was just one of many we held as part of Bizzabo’s Event Experience Summit, our flagship event where we brought together the world’s most innovative event professionals to share their secrets and strategies.

Here’s just some of what you’ll hear about in this conversation:

How the hybrid networking format is the new event networking
How to figure out who to connect with (and how they want to connect)
How to be a great event host — something that’s more critical than ever

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Tags: Business Strategy, CRM, Social

Networking in a Hyper-Connected World Leveraging Authenticity and Personalization to Forge Real and Lasting Connections
LumiQ
September 01, 2022
If the word networking makes you shudder, you’ll want to listen to this episode. Instead of bringing to mind images of plastic wine glasses and cheese cubes, the author of “Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Relationships In A Hyper-Connected World”, J. Kelly Hoey, helps us reimagine what it means to connect with others for personal and professional gain.

Check out our Visual Aid for notes on the episode.

In this episode, we cover:

The essential components of successful networking
What to avoid when networking
Why personalization and listening will set your networking apart
How to create authentic and sustainable relationships

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Tags: Business Strategy, CRM, Social

Networking Isn't a One-Time Event: Learn How to Build Meaningful Connections
Glow Up, Gyrl!
July 07, 2022
Networking is not a one-time event. It’s how you show up every single day that matters. This week on the Glow Up, Gyrl podcast, Author, Speaker, and Networking Expert Kelly Hoey shares how we can make the most out of networking (and how to avoid the single biggest networking mistake).

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Tags: Leadership, Entrepreneurship

Building Powerful Relationships: Networking For Where You Want to Go
Career Contessa
May 17, 2022
Do you feel like you’ve totally lost your ability to schmooze? In-person networking quickly turned virtual. Now, we’re emerging from our networking hibernation and we’re curious…what’s changed? On today’s episode, we’re joined by networking expert Kelly Hoey to talk about how we can get back into the networking game and how to be strategic about our efforts so we’re networking toward our next career move.

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Tags: Marketing, Social

You’re Networking All Wrong and How To Get It Right
She's On Top
February 03, 2022
J.Kelly Hoey transformed her career through networking and in the process became an expert on the subject. Today she is a sought after keynote speaker, has a podcast on the topic and recently released a book ‘Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Relationships in a Hyper-Connected World’. Business Insider exclaimed that Build Your Dream Network “completely changed the way I think about networking” and we do too.

Like many of us this is an area where we struggle, which is why we jumped at the chance to learn from her expertise. Kelly believes that there is no one-size-fits-all formula when it comes to networking but there are a few tips that can make you better at it. She offers a fresh approach to mastering this essential but timeworn skill in a world where “everyone is frantically posting, liking, and friending”; yet too many people are failing to successfully make the lasting, genuine connections their careers need.

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Tags: CRM, Marketing, Social

How Women Network
Leading With Empathy & Allyship Show
November 04, 2021
In Episode 60, J. Kelly Hoey, author of Build Your Dream Network, shows us how networking can be critical for women’s success and allyship. Kelly and Melinda discuss the strategies to diversifying your network, building a community that will help you reach your fullest potential, and cultivating relationships with people in the era of hybrid work environments.

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Tags: Diversity and Inclusion, Leadership, Management

Connect For Success
Take Control Of Your Career!
November 03, 2021
Kelly Hoey is a networking expert and author of Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Relationships in a Hyper-Connected World.

In this episode Lauren and Kelly discuss:

Investing in your own career development as well as building a network in your industry
Differences between men and women’s network structure
Relying on your network during a career change
How to connect with and remind your network about the value that you add to an organization
The best way to stay connected with your network when you are going about your daily life
Networking mistakes
Strategies in utilizing the various social media platforms for networking



Key takeaways:

Taking risks in the form of new opportunities can be a great way to advance your career, especially if you have a strong network to fall back on in case things don’t work out.

Men and women have different network structures, and both are important. Women typically use a narrow but deep network based on communication where they invest a lot of time in getting to know people, while men use a broad shallow network based on activity that doesn’t have same depth in getting to know people.

When creating a pitch, craft a short intro sentence followed by a pause to allow the other person to speak and say, “tell me more”. Focus on breaking up your information during delivery to allow the chance for dialogue/conversation.

Be sure to follow up with people in your network that have offered mentoring/guidance; provide them with updates on your career journey so that they feel appreciated and so you can reach back out to them in the future, if needed.

Continue to connect with your network periodically through posting/sharing information; commenting on other’s posts; remembering birthdays; sending holiday cards; etc.

Think of online networking the same as in-person networking and use each based on context.

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Tags: Management, Marketing, Social

Make It Easy For Your Network To Help You
The Retail Tea-Break
October 28, 2021
I talk to an industry expert who is reframing the way we think about networking. Kelly Hoey, author of ‘Build your Dream Network; forging Powerful Relationships in a Hyperconnected World’ discusses how retailers and product makers can connect successfully. There are no business cards or boring coffee mornings here! This conversation is full of practical strategies and cracking examples of how we can engage with our ideal customer. Kelly also gives me a huge insight into how we can use our network’s network (aka your team), to help support our brand message.

Topics: What is networking (it’s not what you think) Your networking toolkit Your ultimate customer Proactive visibility Plans for the next few months.

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Tags: Business Strategy, Entrepreneurship, Social

Forging Powerful Connections
Be Who You Want to Be: Your Business, Your Life
October 19, 2021
In this episode of Be Who You Want to Be: Your Business, Your Life, the podcast for micropreneurs designing your business and your life on your own terms, I’m joined by author, Kelly Hoey.

Kelly is determined to change the way we understand and approach the critical career skill of networking. She’s the author of Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Connections In A Hyper-Connected World (Penguin Random House), a modern, practical guide to the necessary (and frequently misunderstood) task of networking.

Key Discussion Points:

Kelly’s Unique Story
How and why Kelly wrote her book in just 4.5 months.
In her book, Kelly suggests that networking needs rebranding. Why? What is wrong with networking?
Why is generosity a key to networking?
Some may argue that we are living in a time when networking is difficult. Here’s Kelly’s take.
Kelly’s moment of gratitude


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Tags: Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Social

Conversation with networking expert, author Kelly Hoey
The Impromptu Game Plan
October 18, 2021
In the process of living her own impromptu career game plan from attorney to law firm manager to founder of a start-up accelerator fund, Kelly realized that her superpower was actually networking and understanding how to use her network to maximum effect. And so she wrote a book on the subject and is now a keynote speaker.

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Tags: Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Marketing

Networking in a Post-Pandemic World
Launch AMA
October 18, 2021
Launch AMA is hosted by Sam Chan, VP of Programs at Launch, where we bring on mentors, founders, investors and business leaders and other startup experts and ask them anything and everything.

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Tags: Entrepreneurship, Social, Startups

Networking Online and the Give Give Get Archetype
The Struggle is Real with Justin Peters
October 11, 2021
Today’s guest on The Struggle Is Real Podcast is the spunky J. Kelly Hoey, author of Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Relationships In A Hyper-Connected World. Along with being an author, Kelly is a sought out speaker for her networking insights.

She also has some pretty cool accolades including

-Forbes’ 1 of 5 Women Changing the World of VC/Entrepreneurship
-Business Insider’s 1 of the 100 Most Influential Tech Women On Twitter
-Inc.’s 1 of 10 Most Well-Connected People in New York City's Startup Scene

Crazy enough, Kelly started her career as a corporate lawyer from Toronto. She credits her network for the ability to transform her career but I’ll credit Kelly for the ability to learn such an essential professional superpower so early on.

In this episode, we get into her journey on how she began to learn network-building skills. You’ll also learn why networking online isn’t much different than networking in real life, 3 areas to focus on if you want to network better, and why the Give Give Get archetype is an ideal way to approach networking.

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Tags: Management, Social, Entrepreneurship

Women On Top: Learn To Network Like Those Successful Women
Walking In Heels
September 28, 2021
Make connections that really help propel your career. Networking Expert and author J. Kelly Hoey and Bianca talk about getting into those meaningful circles that will help your career and goals become reality. Learn what successful woman are doing that give them an edge and a seat at the table. From scaling your company to planning a career pivot it's all about networking for results.

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Tags: Business Strategy, Leadership, Management

Building Your Network From Home
Comcast LiftLabs
May 06, 2020
Ideas Elevated conversation with the LiftLabs team at Comcast on how you can build and strengthen your network from home, during the COVID crisis.

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Tags: Entrepreneurship, Social, Startups

Build Your Dream Network
Penguin Random House
August 26, 2019
Do you cringe when you hear the word “networking” even though you know you need to do it? If you think networking is just schmoozing at cocktail parties and other cringe-worthy social interactions, then fear no more! Kelly Hoey, author of Build Your Dream Network, is here to reframe the essential skill of networking for the social media age. Each week Kelly addresses the frustrations and challenges of networking, answers your pressing questions about how to network “the right way”, and shares creative strategies for building meaningful connections, whatever your career or business goals.

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Tags: Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Social

2 Speaker Bureau Listings
Build Your Dream Network
Company Reads
January 01, 2019
Teams that read together, grow together. Penguin Random House introduces Company Reads, connecting organizations with dynamic speakers, award-winning books, and custom content to support leaders and teams at every level. Company Reads helps organizations productively discuss the topics that matter. J. Kelly Hoey’s lessons from networking show how to forge strong connections with coworkers and clients alike.

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Tags: Future of Work, Leadership, Management

Networking Expert
PRH Speakers Bureau
May 01, 2017
J. Kelly Hoey offers a new approach to a classic business topic: Networking. In her book, Build Your Dream Network, and dynamic talks, she offers young professionals, creatives, managers, and entrepreneurs advice on how to connect for success in the social media age. A favorite with entrepreneurial audiences, her modern roadmap to genuine relationship building in a hyper-connected world is a fresh departure from the days of handing out business cards in stale conference halls.

Represented by Penguin Random House Speakers Bureau, and a member of the National Speakers Association, Kelly’s speaking topics include:

- 5 Leadership Lessons From Top Networkers
- The Networks Women Need
- Networking Needs a Rebrand!

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Tags: Leadership, Management

1 Speaker Bureau Membership
Espeakers Profile
National Speakers Association
September 01, 2019
Companies, universities and conferences, Kelly has worked with include: Google, Capital One, Bank of America, Indiana Conference for Women, Mechanical Contractors Association of America, J.P. Morgan Chase, Canadian Digital Media Network, INBOUND, Comcast, PGA of America, Prudential, National Association of Urban Debate Leagues, Texas Conference For Women, New Zealand Trade & Enterprise, University of Texas Law School, Yale Law School, Penn Law School, National Australia Bank, AON, Pfizer, Bristol-Myers, Startupfest, Barnard College, Louis Vuitton, Wall Street Women Forum, and Brock University.

Kelly has been lauded from Forbes ("1 of 5 Women Changing the World of VC/Entrepreneurship") to Fast Company ("1 of the 25 Smartest Women On Twitter") to Business Insider ("1 of the 100 Most Influential Tech Women On Twitter") and Inc. ("1 of the 10 Most Well-Connected People in New York City's Startup Scene"). EBW 2020 included her on their list of the "100 Most Influential Global Leaders Empowering Women Worldwide".

Kelly has appeared on CNBC's Power Pitch, moderated a speaker series at Apple, and contributed to publications such as The New York Times, Forbes.com, Fast Company, and Inc. Kelly's insights have been featured in Real Simple, Working Mother, Good Morning America, AARP, Vogue.com, Brit & Co, The Muse, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, CBC Radio, Monster.com, The Ladders, Parade, Business Insider and many more, as an authority on networking.

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Tags: Leadership, Management, Social

1 Speaker Certification
Certified Virtual Presenter
National Speakers Association
January 15, 2021
This presenter has passed a rigorous assessment of their equipment, environment, and skills presenting remotely using tools like Zoom, WebEx or GotoMeeting. You can be assured that your virtual event will run smoothly with this Certified Virtual Presenter.

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Tags: Marketing, Public Relations, Social

2 Speaking Engagements
Networking Expert J. Kelly Hoey, Speaker Reel
PRH Speakers Bureau
September 14, 2020
J. Kelly Hoey offers a new approach to a classic business topic: Networking. In her book, Build Your Dream Network, and dynamic talks, she offers young professionals, creatives, managers, and entrepreneurs advice on how to connect for success in the social media age. A favorite with entrepreneurial audiences, her modern roadmap to genuine relationship building in a hyper-connected world is a fresh departure from the days of handing out business cards in stale conference halls.

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Tags: Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Social

It's Not Ideas That Count, It's Relationships
Startupfest
November 19, 2018
You’ve mastered the elevator pitch and produced a slick pitch deck but you’ve forgotten one thing: the network. In this lightening keynote J. Kelly Hoey, Author of BUILD YOUR DREAM NETWORK shares why genuine relationships are the differentiator in a world overflowing with good ideas.
Startupfest 2018

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Tags: Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Startups

7 Webinars
Networking Strategies for Founders
Tory Burch Foundation
August 25, 2021
Networking can be uncomfortable at best, and stressful at worst. Thankfully, J. Kelly Hoey, the expert behind the book Build Your Dream Network and the podcast of the same name, helped our community to rethink how we extend and nurture our networks during a recent webinar. “Networking needs a rebrand. When we think about what networking is, we have a really limited, narrow kind of view,” she said. Hoey wants us to reframe networking as “every human interaction.”

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Tags: Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Startups

Optimizing (and Enjoying) Virtual Networking
Vancouver Startup Week
July 21, 2021
It may be quite some time before we find ourselves sharing hors d'oeuvres and shaking hands at a networking event again.

So what does that mean for the future of creating professional connections? Can you build a powerful, dream network in a virtual world? Networking expert and author J. Kelly Hoey, firmly believes we can.

At VSW, Kelly will share her fresh take on networking and the ways you can adapt for a future of more virtual, fewer in-person IRL interactions - and not lose out on the opportunity to forge meaningful, lasting connections in virtual settings.

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Tags: Entrepreneurship, Social, Startups

Accelerating Your Career: The Networks Women Need
IEEE - WIE ILC 2021
June 28, 2021
Have you played it safe with your career in the old boys' club-but dream about a network of like-minded women who support your ambitions? Are you thinking about taking a courageous leap with your career, business, or life, but lacking the support network to make the transition? The path to success is paved by intentionally building a network around your career needs and ambitions. There is no reason for women to lag behind. In this motivating talk, J. Kelly Hoey focuses on the unique opportunities women have today to create proactive and focused networks, as well as strategies for leveraging the powerful social networking tools at their disposal and the explosive power of women's networks (which rival those of their male counterparts).

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Tags: Diversity and Inclusion, Leadership, Management

The New Networking Roadmap: Building the Relationships You Need to Succeed
California Conference For Women
June 01, 2021
In this hyper-connected world, where everyone is posting, liking and friending fast and furiously, are you actually leveraging your connections successfully? In this 30-minute teleclass, networking expert J. Kelly Hoey will provide some of her innovative strategies for forming strong relationships—the genuine, long-lasting kind that is mutually beneficial. Master the social tools at your disposal, and never clutter your calendar with dead-end coffee dates and endless informational interviews again!

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Tags: Management, Marketing, Social

WFH Webinar Series: Careers in the Time of Crisis
LUMA Partners
May 20, 2020
The global pandemic effectively disrupted the economic structure of multiple industries resulting in thousands of furloughed and laid-off professionals. Overnight, many employment positions and opportunities vanished, and even more are threatened. Acclaimed author J. Kelly Hoey joins Terence Kawaja for an in-depth discussion on approaches to career strategies in times of crisis.

QUICK LOOK
06:53 – Networking is Omni
11:05 – Listen to What Your Network Says About Yourself
22:06 – Be There For Your Network, Especially When You Don’t Need Them
31:01 – The Ask & The Give
44:58 – COVID-19 Checking Dos & Don’ts
55:00 – Career Switching at an Unconventional Time

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Tags: Entrepreneurship, Management, Social

Unity Hour: The Art of Networking
The Mom Project
May 08, 2020
Welcome to The Mom Project's Unity Hour!

This week's edition is about The Art of Networking, featuring J. Kelly Hoey, author and podcast host, "Build Your Dream Network."

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Tags: Diversity and Inclusion, Entrepreneurship, Social

HOW TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH YOUR NETWORK DURING THESE DIFFICULT TIMES
General Assembly
March 25, 2020
Each of us has hundreds, thousands, of connections. People at our workplace. Customers. LinkedIn connections. Followers on other social media networks. But how can we turn these contacts into a valuable network? And how can we harness the power of our networks to achieve our career goals?

Meet Kelly Hoey. Kelly is the author of 'Build Your Dream Network', a book with fresh new approaches to mastering networking in a world where everyone is posting, liking, and friending fast and furiously, but many are failing to leverage their connections successfully.

On March 24th join Kelly in conversation with Ian Sanders in an online conversation courtesy of General Assembly London. Kelly will share her secrets with you: how to use the power of relationships in making big career leaps; how to develop and maintain relationships. She will provide insights into strategies that will help you form genuine relationships and harness the power of your network to accomplish any goal, from landing your dream job or a coveted customer to successfully attracting investors to crowdfund a new business venture.

Your startup. Your career. Your opportunities. They all rest on building a network. And when it comes to building a network Kelly is a real expert with practical strategies on how to connect for success in the social media age.

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Tags: Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Social

1 Webinar
Ask Me Anything ft. networking expert and alumna, J. Kelly Hoey
University of Victoria
June 29, 2021
Interactive Q&A answering career and networking questions for students hosted by the University of Victoria alumni office.

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Tags: Entrepreneurship, Management, Social

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Who Revolves Around Your Ambitions? Time to Find Out.
Thinkers360
November 04, 2025

As friends, followers and readers of my newsletter already know ...I've been working on my second book, for the better part of the last four years.

Yes, I've been researching, writing, ripping apart and re-writing, editing — and 'm bucking publishing industry norms by giving a sample chapter of that book away - no strings attached.

Chapter 2 is yours, free to download.

My gift to those of you who are seeking to achieve more.

Why Chapter 2?

Because you can put Chapter 2 to work, right away.

This chapter requires you to do something you might otherwise not undertake: an audit of your network. Yup, most people never stop to actually look at their network. And for ambitious women - an audience I care deeply about - taking the time to figure out what network resources you have at your disposal, is essential!

You can rattle off your BFF's and your calendar is filled with networking commitments, but when was the last time you sat down to reflect on:

Wbo you turn to routinely for advice and career guidance, and why?

Whether any of the networking activities you've committed to are moving you closer to your goals - the goals you say you want to achieve - and if so, how?

Here's what I know deeply, and have been saying for years (well before I published my first book, Build Your Dream Network): every problem has a networking solution.

Your challenges are not novel - yes, they are unique to you - and more than likely, someone has faced similar challenges before.

You won't find the best solution to whatever you're facing if you don't ask the best person - and who is the best person? Well, that requires understanding the social capital resources you've already got.

Why I'm Offering Up This Chapter of My Next Book

Because I'm tired of watching brilliant, motivated people network inefficiently. You've got the ambition, and drive - so let's get your network optimized!

Because I run across too many who are floundering (or drowning) when networking, when they already have the connections they need! They're just not using them strategically (if at all!).

The power to transform your career is likely there, in the relationships you have - and to unleash the power (which is buried under assumptions about the strength of your network and outdated notions on networking, is my guess), a network analysis is required.

What Chapter 2 Is All About

This chapter is a clear-eyed audit of your network.

After completing the network audit, you'll gain clarity on key elements of your network:

       Your Go-To's — the people you rely on first.

       Your routine networking activities — where your time and trust are actually going.

      Your wider network ties — the acquaintances, second degree and more distant network connections (likely the connections you're overlooking!).

       Your past networks — relationships which may have drifted, and which, quite possibly, could be revived.

Why This Chapter Matters

You can't effectively build the network your ambition needs until you understand the one you already have. What's the base of support you are starting from? Are your networking choices based on strength, routine or ignorance?

You likely have more networking power than you realize — so discover it, and leverage it.

Chapter 2 isn't busywork ('cause no one needs that!).

It's critical information gathering, information that is foundational to leaping ahead in your career. It's why I chose this chapter as the sample chapter to give away.

What's Inside Chapter 2

       Worksheets and prompts to map your network and networking habits as they exist today.

       A fresh and factual perspective on where your relationship building time and trust are really going.

      A starting point to shift from networking harder to smarter and sustainable social capital construction.

But enough of my talk - time to shift into action. Download Chapter 2 - because your network isn't going to audit itself.

Download your free copy of Chapter 2, here: https://jkellyhoey.co/download/chapter-2-of-the-social-billionaire/

Questions? Reach out to me at hello@jkellyhoey.co

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Tags: Careers, Coaching, Social

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