The 7 People to Add to your Network in 2026

I woke up this morning sure we were somewhere in mid November 2025. Instead, I’m horrified to report that we’re already over 5% of the way through 2026 (if ChatGPT’s maths is to be believed; I can do many things, but counting is not one of them). The let’s-look-back-at-2016 trend taking over Instagram isn’t helping my time processing challenges, and while I’m a big fan of all things New Year, New Me, I haven’t even made my vision board for the year yet. I’m unfortunately still working on my resolutions from 2017 (get skinny and rich). Luckily, I’ve decided to stick to the lunar calendar, and since the Year of the Snake turns into the Year of the Fire Horse (bring it on, I say) on 17 February, I’m granting myself until then to get my goal-setting ducks in a row.

All this chaos has got me thinking about just how important tiny consistent actions are when it comes to achieving our work and life goals, and so while I might not have plotted the coming year, I have been thinking about how I want to leverage and expand my network in 2026, and the kind of people I want to meet. I love that Jim Rohn quote: “You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” You might as well align the people you’re surrounded by to the kind of things you want to do in life. That’s not to say I don’t have lots of friends and work connections who do very different things to me, or who have very different goals to me (I do, and they’re some of my favourite people), but it’s definitely a good way of framing your approach to networking.

Back in October I posted about the 100 Connections Challenge on my Substack, and was very pleasantly surprised to hear that many of you are as into the concept as I am. It’s something I’ve been doing in various configurations for almost 10 years now, whether the goal has been to move countries, meet people in different industries, sign more clients, or literally to have more fun, which is probably the most important goal of them all anyway. The great thing about the challenge is that 1) it’s easy, and 2) you can ramp up or ramp down your effort depending on how busy you are in the rest of your life.

That said, we don’t always have the time or energy to meet 100 new people. I’m about to make it even easier by breaking it down into the 7 people you should add to your network this year, no matter what you’re looking to achieve. Slow and steady is key here, and if you focus on adding these 7 types of people to your network this year, you’re guaranteed to have an interesting time. Sorry that these titles all sound AI-generated — I’m currently on the plane from London to NYC (god bless in-air wifi) and not feeling hugely inspired.

My favourite kind of person, naturally. You’ll mention you’re heading to Mexico City, or to a conference, or for a day trip to a nearby town, and they tell you there’s someone they just have to introduce you to. They seem to know everyone, and they’re always willing to introduce you to someone who might be able to help you in some way. Keep these people close: they (we) are very useful friends to have. Also, make sure to be a connector as well — whether that means introducing two friends who you think would get on, or hosting a dinner bringing together friends and work contacts from different groups.

Back to that Jim Rohn quote. I love being surrounded by people who inspire me in different ways, whether it’s a doctor friend who just moved to Ghana to work in healthcare in a rural community, or someone who quit their job in finance to become a filmmaker. I don’t have the skills or indeed interest in being a doctor or filmmaker, but I’m endlessly inspired by these friends. This year, spend time with people whose approach to life you find inspiring.

Not a million miles away from the inspiration, the motivator takes an active role in helping you achieve your goals. For me, this is in the form of a great friend who I can message saying I need a pep talk, and she’ll reply within 10 minutes with a personalised motivational rap. More of this in 2026, please.

I’m a big fan of mentors: people who’ve walked the path you want to walk, and who are happy to help you follow in their footsteps. I’ve never had an official mentor, but this is something I’d like to explore this year. Many people around me have had mentors, both in a specific career path and in life more generally, and I think it’s a great way of learning from someone who’s a little further along than you.

Given we’re trying to increase our good karma this year, I’m also enjoying mentoring. In the past I’ve been involved with the amazing work of I LIKE NETWORKING, and have also mentored early stage startups through my work with universities like HEC in Paris and Sisterhood Collective’s project with NatWest bank. If you want help from mentors, you’ve got to be willing to do the same for others—and you don’t have to have achieved anything particularly interesting yet, either. A more junior team member, an intern, or a student who’s younger than you are all great mentee candidates provided they’re in the market for a mentor (obviously).

These are the people who you meet once, and immediately suggest you join their book club / dinner party / Crossfit community (if that’s happened to you, I’m sorry. I can only assume if someone invites you to Crossfit, that means they hate you). The best kinds of invite extenders drop you a message when they’re going to a networking event or a panel talk that’s aligned with your interests, and ask if you want to join. As much as possible, I try to be an invite extender, and lots of people repay the favour, which is always great, even though of course we have to pretend that networking isn’t reciprocal, and that we do nice things out of the goodness of our hearts blah blah. Next time you’re going to a talk, or a reading, or a mixer, drop someone in your network a message inviting them along. It’s always more fun to go with someone else, and you’ll get to catch up as well as meet new people. Win win!

Wild Cards can take many forms, but the only requirement is that they live life for the plot. Maybe they’ve just sold all their possessions to open a retreat in Goa. Maybe they’re flying solo around the world in a plane they built themselves (although that’s assuming they survive the voyage I guess). Maybe they’re just a really quirky individual who works full-time as a tax lawyer, but who still manages to moonlight as the lead in community theatre productions, run the local animal shelter, and manage a Heated Rivalry fan account. Keep these people close — you’ll never be able to predict their next move, and they’re the ones who keep life most interesting.

I might not know where I want to end up in 12 months’ (or 12 days’) time, but at least by surrounding myself with a mix of inspiring, motivating and eclectic characters, it won’t be boring. Apologies for my month-long Substack absence: I’ve been a little busy travelling Western Australia, moving from Sydney to NYC with an 8 day interlude in Amsterdam and London, and trying to count how many days there are until 2027. See you next week!

On the Social Currency Substack, we unpack the art (and science) of connection: from who to meet and how to meet them, to building your own ecosystem and creating those right-place-right-time moments that spark opportunity, whatever your goals in work of life. Expect interviews with people who do it best, practical hacks you can put to work immediately, and recommendations on tools, events, and strategies to grow your own network. You can find Phoebe at the imaginatively named phoebedodds.com.