The Hollywood CIO Mixer: Relationships Trump Talent

This is one of my favorite stories about professional networks, and a GREAT career lesson about the important of relationships.

The CIO Mixer – As many of you know (and have attended!), I host three or four client mixers annually. Back in 2009, I hosted a CIO (Chief Information Officer) Mixer at Hollywood Park racetrack. Of the 25 CIOs on the guest list, only 15 showed up. There were 10 “no call, no shows.” Keep in mind, I paid $250 per person to host the event. My only purpose was to give these executives the opportunity to spend time with me, and more importantly, to meet their CIO peers. Did you know that 85% of job referrals come from your professional network, and 10% come from Executive Recruiters…like me?

The Day After - The next day, five of the CIO “no shows” sent me resumes asking for $400,000 jobs. You can’t make this stuff up! Let me think about it…nope. So why do people behave this way? I call it “American Apathy.” Most people don’t care about something unless it affects them personally. As a brilliant Executive Recruiter told me when I started my recruiting business 22 years ago, “Everyone is working right now. Unemployment is 5%. Nobody needs you. But just wait my friend, one day that pendulum will swing, and all the people that dismissed you, didn’t return your call, and treated you poorly will be lighting up your cell phone.” True: 2008, 2020, 2026.

Fast Forward to 2026 – I buy tables for charity events and invite people. Most don’t respond. I host client mixers and invite people. Most don’t respond. I put out a monthly newsletter for 10,000 executives. Every month two or three opt out. Yet every month, without fail, I get five to 10 resumes from the very same executives that didn’t show up and/or opted out of the newsletter. The worse offenders? Casino GMs and HR executives. They never bought me a cup of coffee, but I’m the first call when they need a $300,000 job. Let me think about it…nope.

Lessons Learned - If you only reach out to people for favors, no one is going to return your call. Build the bridge before you need to cross the river. Relationships trump talent.