Liked, Respected… and Broke

Your network can’t support you if you don’t tell them how

Can I be super honest with you?

Cool, because this one’s going to be a vulnerable one (even for me).

Photo by Emil Kalibradov on Unsplash

Last week, I shared the positive outcomes from my first year back in business after I started using a 3Cs Strategy for myself. What I didn’t fully share were the numbers that weren’t so impressive—aka my revenue.

Since December 2023, I’ve sold:

• 6 one-on-one Strategy Sessions

• 4 digital products

• 4 paid Substack subscriptions

• 3 paid workshops

• 1 customized podcast guest playbook

Add ’em all up and that’s a grand total of $6,342 in revenue since launching my business 16 months ago.

{Insert sad trombone noise}

Now that I’m fully financially naked, I want to share why some of my stats were fantastic—and why the ones with dollar signs attached were not.

The Clarity Gap

For the first five months after returning to entrepreneurship, I was in a full-on spaghetti-throwing phase, trying to figure out:

• What my specific offer was

• Who I wanted my target clients to be

• How I wanted to serve them

Narrowing in was a challenge. I came into this business with a wide skill set, major hangups about pricing, and a huge desire to help everyone with everything.

Because I lacked clarity around what problem I wanted to solve, who I wanted to work with, and how I wanted to work with them, talking about my business felt… fuzzy. I avoided specificity because I didn’t want to niche down too soon. So while the 3Cs sounded compelling to most people, they weren’t tethered to a clear, outcome-driven offer—and no one was buying what I was selling.

I was growing my social following and email list, but not my bank account.

In the 300+ conversations I had with both new and old connections, I dreaded the part of the call when someone would say, “So tell me about your new business—how can I help?” I felt so insecure about not having a clear answer that I’d usually deflect with something like, “Oh, I’m still tightening things up, but I’ll keep you posted!”

What Happened When I Was Clear

While it took some time to figure out my business model, one goal was crystal clear from the get-go: I wanted to be a guest on 15 podcasts in 2024.

Podcast guesting was something I loved doing in my last business. As a self-proclaimed “Pro Yapper,” I thrive on talking about my favorite topics, connecting with new audiences, and creating evergreen content I can repurpose.

In fact, my first client project when I relaunched my business was a customized podcast guest strategy for a former client, which eventually led me to create my first digital product, the Podcast Guest Playbook.

Here’s one of my first LinkedIn posts from the start of last year where I made that podcast goal clear to my network (I even turned this into a free template for others to use, too):

My LinkedIn post asking for help getting booked as a guest on podcasts

Finally, I had something to say when friends and colleagues offered to support me—which made helping me so much easier for the people in my network.

Not only did I surpass my goal of 15 podcast appearances (I ended up landing 25 guest spots by year’s end), but I also created a framework called “The ABCs of Seeking Support” to help others better equip their own networks to support them.

Looking back, it’s no mystery why that worked:

• I told people exactly what I wanted

• I was specific

• I highlighted my credibility

I made it easy to recommend me. And people did.

Most folks want to help others—but they’re not going to bend over backward or try to read your mind. That part? That’s on you.

What I Learned (and What You Can Steal)

Specificity unlocks support.

When I didn’t know what I wanted, neither did my network. When I got clear, the aligned opportunities started flowing in.

It’s not that people didn’t want to help me before—I just wasn’t giving them anything to grab onto.

I see this happen all the time with so many of the service-based entrepreneurs I know. They’re amazing at what they do, ambitious, and deeply respected in their circles—but because they’re used to doing everything themselves, they don’t ask for help. And when they do, it’s vague:

“I’m trying to get the word out.”
“I’d love to connect with aligned people.”
“Let me know if you hear of anything.”

And then they’re surprised when nothing happens.

Here’s the truth: Vague asks get vague results. Clear asks get clear support.

Your network—aka your community—can’t show up for you unless you tell them how.

The ABCs of Seeking Support

Next time you want to enlist your community’s support to achieve a goal in your business, try using my ABCs of Seeking Support:

A – Ask for What You Want
Be direct and confident when asking for support—whether it’s feedback on an offer, an intro to a potential collaborator, or insight from someone who’s been where you’re headed.

B – Be Clear and Specific
Outline exactly what you’re asking for. The more context you give, the easier it is for others to say yes and be helpful.

C – Clarify Your Credibility
Help people feel confident putting their name next to yours. Share a quick snapshot of your experience, results, or track record to show that you’re trustworthy, reputable, and ready to deliver.

So… What If You Got Clear, Too?

If reading this made you think, “Ohhh… I’ve definitely been hoping people will just read my mind and send me clients/opportunities/support,”—you’re not alone.

Most of the entrepreneurs I know are wildly capable—but not always comfortable asking for help, let alone doing it clearly.

That’s exactly why I’m launching the 3Cs Accelerator—a 6-week group experience to help you activate your relationships, attract aligned opportunities, and amplify your visibility (without needing to post more or attend another awkward networking event).

It’s for high-performing, service-based entrepreneurs who are ready to stop doing everything alone and start receiving the support that’s already available to them.

We’re kicking off the beta group of 10 participants or less at the end of April, and I’d love to include you if this resonated.

Just reply to this email if you'd like more information or to be included in the beta group.

Let 2025 be the year you stop doing it all alone and start unlocking the power of your relationships.

Until next time, have a great weekend and happy connecting!

Baily Hancock is a Connection Strategist, Keynote Speaker, and Host of the “Seeking the Overlap” Podcast. She helps ambitious professionals go from overachievers to Overlap-Seekers, finding the people and partnerships that make success sustainable and burnout a thing of the past. Learn more at OverlapCollective.com and connect with her on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Threads.