#5: Celebrating Two Major Milestones!

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Hey friends,

Today is an exciting day in Baily Land - I'm celebrating two pretty big deals.?First up:

THE SEEKING THE OVERLAP PODCAST IS LIVE!

I'm beyond thrilled to finally share my newest baby with the world. I dropped not one, but two episodes today, and I'd love for you to take a listen and let me know what you think!?

My desire to create this show came from a very personal place. I’ve always thrived on relationships (I’m a "Professional Friend-Maker" after all) and in high school, I was the girl who flitted between 10 different lunch tables, collecting friends from every social circle. But lately, I've been reflecting not just on the number of friends I had, but on the quality of those relationships.?

We often think that the more connections we have, the better off we are. But quantity doesn’t always equal depth—you can be surrounded by people and still feel deeply lonely. And that’s why I felt the need to start this podcast—to have conversations that dig deeper, to help people (myself included) forge stronger bonds both with themselves and others.

In today’s divisive times, feeling connected is more crucial than ever. Throughout this season, I talk about the significance of community, meaningful relationships, and how being deeply connected can transform our lives.

My guests are AH-MAZING (really), and the conversations I've been having have already changed my life and relationships for the better.?

I made this for us, so I hope you enjoy listening as much as I've enjoyed recording it.

The next big thing I'm celebrating is…

TODAY IS MY 40TH BIRTHDAY!!

I grew up hearing that 40 was “over the hill” - in fact, my childhood friend's dad even threw her mom a funeral-themed 40th surprise birthday party, complete with a casket and tombstone! Somehow he lived to see another day… but that definitely made an impression on my younger self. Hell, I dreaded turning 30 because even THAT felt old!

Now that this big birthday is here, I'm thrilled to be getting my membership card to Club 40, because I realize that my life is just truly just getting started. No decade is without its own series of challenges, but I feel better equipped to handle whatever comes my way than I ever have before.

?I'm infinitely grateful for the life I have right now, especially the relationships I've cultivated through the last 40 years. I can't imagine where I'd be without the people in my life who love me, go to bat for me, and cheer me on in whatever phase I'm in. Lucky is an understatement.?

Your mission (should you choose to accept it):?

?I would be SO grateful if you'd be willing to subscribe, rate, review, and share Seeking the Overlap with a friend as a birthday gift to me!?

?And no, I don’t feel bad about asking for exactly what I want - I’m in my 40s now, after all ??

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And with that, I give you this week's 3Cs Digest!?

Want some 1:1 support in making a plan for building, nurturing, and leveraging relationships in your career and life??Book a 90-minute 3Cs Strategy Session with me!

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In lieu of individual 3Cs tips this week, I thought it might be helpful to back up a bit and explain what exactly they are and why you should care.?

In a world where everyone seems constantly connected, many of us still feel isolated and unsure of how to tap into our network's potential. We want to meet new people, deepen existing relationships, and receive the kind of support that propels us forward, but the path to doing so feels unclear.?

Maybe you’ve been to countless networking events that led nowhere or tried to reignite dormant connections only to be met with silence. The struggle to balance your busy life with the desire for meaningful relationships can leave you feeling stuck, unsure of how to leverage the people you already know, or meet those who could make a difference in your journey.

This is where the 3Cs - Community, Connection, and Collaboration?- come into play. ?

By curating a community, you surround yourself with like-minded individuals who share your values and aspirations, creating a network that supports you through every challenge.?

Cultivating connection goes beyond simply meeting new people; it’s about fostering relationships that are deep, meaningful, and mutually beneficial. These connections provide you with the insights, encouragement, and opportunities needed to navigate life’s transitions with confidence.?

Catalyzing collaboration allows you to harness the collective strength of your community, turning shared ideas into powerful actions that propel everyone forward.?

Through The 3Cs, you can transform the way you engage with others, enabling you to thrive in times of change and achieve the success you’ve been striving for.

?? Earlier this month I had the pleasure of joining my friend Tracy Borreson on the Crazy, STUPID Marketing Show to talk about Marketing Your Business with The 3C's. If you missed it live, you can catch the replay here!

?? Jenny Weigle-Bonds asked if I could recommend any books on connection that she could include in her latest newsletter, and boy did I - fourteen to be exact! Four of them were written by guests that I've interviewed for season 1 of the Seeking the Overlap Podcast, including The Connection Cure: The Prescriptive Power of Movement, Nature, Art, Service, and Belonging?written by my guest for episode 2, Julia Hotz which is available now! You can read through the full list of connection books here.

?? The parent-child connection is one of the most important relationships, and yet, it can feel impossible to find time to genuinely connect with our kids with so many competing priorities. Luckily, one of my upcoming podcast guests, Lilian M. Bazell, MS has created a guide to help make it easier than ever - "The Moon is Waiting" is an interactive activity book designed for parents and kids to enjoy together. Check out her Indiegogo campaign and grab your copy here!

?? Every job has highs and lows, and entrepreneurship is certainly full of both. My friend Yurii Lazaruk invited me to share my ups and downs on his two podcasts, Freelance Thrive and Freelance Sucks. On the Freelance Thrive Podcast, I talked about how to professionally build, nurture, and leverage relationships to attract great opportunities, and on the Freelance Sucks Podcast, I shared what I find the most challenging about freelancing (like pricing offers and sales.)

?? BRAND with Julie Ciardi - "Training for Your Next Decade: Your Future Self is Counting on You"

JULIE CIARDI ?? is basically me + 10 years (almost to the day!) I met Julie back in 2022 when I was her Community Strategist at my last day job, and instantly knew she was someone I wanted to connect with and learn from. I joined her signature program, Her Design Hub? earlier this year, and have since gone down the rabbit hole of Human Design and Gene Keys thanks to her simple, straightforward approach. Her latest podcast episode felt like perfect timing for me as I enter a new decade as intentionally and optimistically as possible. Happy birthday to us, Julie! ??

??? How to build your network like a playlist?

One of the incredible humans behind the Generalist World ?? community, Lindsey Lerner wrote a fascinating article inviting you to imagine your networking efforts as putting together an epic playlist of perspectives. “Just like mixing up your information diet keeps things fresh and exciting, tapping into a variety of viewpoints in your networking can lead to richer, more innovative ideas.” For someone who lives, eats, and breathes networking, I was delighted with a new perspective on something so many people dread. (read here)

?? Stacey Kauffman is an executive leader in the media and marketing industry who believes strongly in the adage, “The rising tide lifts all boats.” She reached out to me via LinkedIn DM with the message, “It appears your superpower is as a people connector, mine is a dot connector!” and after realizing we both have “Strategic” as one of our Clifton Strengths, we hopped on a virtual coffee chat and the overlaps kept coming. Stacey is also the Founder of The Athena Program, which helps create a supportive and fulfilling environment to keep girls from quitting club sports.??

?? Lizzy Okoro Davidson is an experienced founder turned consultant and speaker with a decade of experience building teams, designing strategy, events, and digital marketing. She and I were originally introduced by our fabulous mutual friend, Robyn Young back in 2019, and we managed to get one IRL coffee date in before I had my first kid a couple of months later, and our scheduled coffee date on March 13, 2020 was canceled for reasons you likely all remember! We've stayed on each other's radar through the last 5 years though, and had a long-overdue virtual coffee date last week. We're scheming ways to finally work together, so stay tuned for what's to come!

?? Phil Mershon is an Event Experience Coach, Speaker, and Author of Unforgettable: the Art and Science of Creating Memorable Experiences who I initially met on Threads where he invited me to be on his new podcast, The Event Innovator Show (which we're recording this Tuesday!) We had a fabulous virtual coffee chat to get to know one another, and discovered an exciting overlap in our mutual obsession with making it easier for event attendees to connect. More to come on that front!

?? Crystal Whiteaker is an inclusive brand consulting and trauma-informed leadership coach, keynote speaker, author, and DEIB trainer who creates inclusive, values-aligned, human-focused environments. Oh, and on top of all that she's also an incredible photographer! I met Crystal through the BRA Network , and we quickly discovered that we share a ton of overlaps, both personally and professionally. We got together last week for lunch and could have kept talking all day, so part two will be happening ASAP!?

?? Emily Race is the Host and Lead Producer of This Is How We Care, a podcast/experimental journey to imagine and embody a world rooted in collective care. Emily and I were introduced back in 2018 by my favorite fellow Super-Connector, Van Lai-DuMone . Our businesses and careers have gone through many iterations since we first connected 6 ? years ago, but we've been keeping an eye on what the other have been up to and angling for a collaboration ever since (which will likely come as an appearance on each other's podcasts next season!)

Thank you for celebrating these two big milestones with me, I don't take your time for granted and appreciate you reading and responding to these Digests every other week! Wishing you a spectacular rest of September, and I'll see you back here next month!

PS - Here's my question for you this week:?What's something you're looking forward to?

Baily Hancock ?? Professional Friend-Maker is a Connection Strategist, Keynote Speaker, and Host of the “Seeking the Overlap” Podcast who teaches people how to build, nurture, and leverage relationships to navigate challenges, thrive during transitions, and achieve greater success with the support of their community. Head to OverlapCollective.com to learn more, or say hello in the comments below!?