Highly Effective Networking: Rachel Rozen Of Connection Catalyst On 5 Strategies for Successful…

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion about networking, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?

My journey to becoming a Networking Coach spanned over two decades in hospitality, from cooking to managing F&B operations in hotels and restaurants, and eventually transitioning into hospitality tech, where I rose to the role of Chief Customer Officer at a food tech company. I had made it to the top and realized I didn’t want to continue down that path. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do next, but I knew I didn’t want to stay in hospitality operations or customer-related work. While I was great at it, the work had become draining, and I no longer found joy in it.

Seeking clarity, I took a quiz called “Finding Your Zone of Genius” by Laura Garnett. Initially, I thought I wanted to become a Chief of Staff to gain a different perspective on leadership. It also became clear that my network wasn’t as wide or deep as I needed it to be. I started networking from scratch, reaching out to five Chiefs of Staff, which led to meetings with over 40 — from Fortune 500 companies to nonprofits and everything in…