Before I write this, I just turned down an invitation to an “industry networking night” at Marina Bay Sands.
For the past two years, I’ve attended at least 50 of these events. I’ve worn my best dresses, practiced my elevator pitch endlessly, and collected over 300 LinkedIn connections. The result? Not a single person truly remembers me.
I work in PR, and I had hit a glass ceiling. I realized I didn’t lack effort; I lacked the “VIP pass.” A friend joked, “Instead of handing out 100 business cards at the door, why not just get to know the person who decides who gets in?”
That’s when I turned to an unconventional channel: Btcsugardating. My goal was strategic: find a “connector.”
I matched with “Mr. T,” a partner at a top executive search firm and a board member for several listed companies. Our arrangement was clear and platonic: I would be his intelligent and “safe” companion for business events he found dull.
The first event was a private dinner at the Tanglin Club. He introduced me simply: “This is my young friend, she has some very interesting insights on brand communication.” During the dinner, I was introduced to the CEO of a listed company. Instead of flattering him, I pointed out a subtle cultural blind spot in his company’s recent PR campaign. He was impressed. He gave me his card and told me to have my boss contact his secretary. That was the first time I felt the power of “effective networking.”
But the truly magical part came later. Through Mr. T, I started getting into more exclusive circles. At a private whisky tasting, I met a legendary crypto fund founder—a shy young man in a Lululemon hoodie who rarely speaks in public. I didn’t approach him directly. Instead, when talking to a mutual friend, I made one sharp, insightful comment about a niche blockchain project I knew he was invested in. Minutes later, that friend came back: “Hey, he wants your contact info. He was impressed by your point.”
That night opened up the world for me. The shy crypto genius became one of my most important clients. The listed-company CEO became a long-term partner. My contact list, once filled with useless connections, now includes several CEOs, those reclusive crypto tycoons, and three rising star startup founders.
At our last “work dinner,” I thanked Mr. T profusely. He just smiled and said, “I only opened a door for you. You walked the path yourself. It was your own value that allowed you to stay in the room.”
I only seriously got to know one person on Btcsugardating, yet he brought me the entire world. I finally understood that the highest level of socializing isn’t casting a wide net, but finding the one “navigator” who can lead you into the ocean.
