Give Before You Get: What Showing Up for Your Business Really Takes

From Our Entrepreneurial Lives | The Struggle and Strategy of Building a Business · 44:56

Show by Jen Howat and Erica Bollinger

Not every conversation at a networking event has to end with a pitch. In this episode, Jen and Erica sit down with a friend who has built her business on relationships, to talk about what changes when you walk into a room looking for ways to help instead of ways to sell. She shares how she shows up when motivation isn't there, what keeps her committed to the people around her, and how the business owners in her life have grown right alongside her. What you'll learn: Why giving first changes the way you network. How to decide which rooms are worth your commitment, and how long to give them a chance. How to listen for the key phrases that tell you who to connect with whom. Why explaining what you do one small bite at a time makes it easier for people to refer you. What to do on the days you don't feel like showing up. Why rest and grace belong in your strategy. Learn More About MaLane in Her Own Words After spending decades helping other business owners start, grow and strengthen their companies, I decided it was finally time to go all in on myself. I launched my own Stroll magazine, and in January 2027, I'm projected to own my second publication. As a mom of two boys, I've wrestled with a question so many ambitious women face: How do I pursue success while still being the mom I want to be? I've found entrepreneurship to be the best fit for our family, giving me the opportunity to build a career around the life I value most. I'm originally from Alaska, where I spent my entire life before moving to Oklahoma in 2017. My relationships and connections there had been built naturally over a lifetime. Moving to Oklahoma meant starting over in a place where I knew almost no one, and I was honestly intimidated by "big city" life. It also made me question something I had never really considered before: Was I successful in Alaska because of who I was and what I was capable of, or because I had spent my entire life surrounded by relationships and connections? Oklahoma gave me the opportunity to find out. I built my life, my relationships and my professional network from the ground up, and in the process, proved to myself that my ability to connect with people, create opportunities and build something meaningful could follow me anywhere. I'm still in awe of and incredibly thankful to God for giving me a path to make my own way, continue challenging myself and discover what I'm capable of. Outside of work and being a mom, I love to travel, find new hobbies and experience new things. I don't see a point in my life where I'll ever stop wanting to learn, grow and explore this beautiful world. Connect with MaLane WEBSITE https://www.strollmag.com/locations/brookhaven-ok/ SOCIAL CHANNELS LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/malanedowl/

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