Oprah and the mosh pit

I write weekly on insights and tactics around building an incredible network of clients, collaborators, and community. Reminder - I’m hosting a free live workshop on Friday.

Ever seen a mosh pit and thought, 'That's my dream network'? I did. Weird, I know.

This past weekend, I found myself basking in 90-degree direct sun with seventeen thousand friends in the midst of a punk rock music festival. As I was swaying to the bands that defined my youth - the festival was called “When We Were Young” after all! - a mosh pit erupted right in front of me. Now, the younger me would have instinctively started weaving my way to the back, as thrashing around with a bunch of sweaty teens wasn’t my idea of fun. Older and supposedly wiser me, however, stood and watched in awe.

The Mosh Pit as a Metaphor

At first glance, a mosh pit looks like absolute chaos—people slamming into each other, a violent whirlpool of flailing limbs and sweat. You wonder how people aren’t consistently trampled or lose all their teeth. It would be understandable if you initially wrote it off as a bunch of drunken losers looking for a fight. You’d be wrong.

Look closer, and you'll see a supportive community. When someone falls, they're instantly helped up. When someone's shoe comes off, a human chain forms to protect them while they fix it. When someone clearly got the wind knocked out of them, they’re pulled to the side and checked on. Someone picked up a lost phone and held it up so the owner could retrieve it. I saw more strangers hug than punch each other.

It struck me that this is the essence of a strong network: a group that's there for you when you stumble, when you're vulnerable, when you need a hand.

Your Action Plan

So, who in your network needs a hand right now?

Who's down on their luck or could use some support? Reach out to them.

Offer your help, your time, or even just a listening ear.

Cultivate a network that acts like a mosh pit—where everyone is there to lift each other up.

And as I’ve learned recently, don’t hesitate reaching out when the person that needs support is you.

To the power of supportive networks and life lessons from mosh pits,

-Zvi

P.S. Remember, the strength of your network isn't measured by how many people you know, but by how many would form a human chain around you when you're down.