“Why do you waste time connecting with people outside the US?”

A local LinkedIn connection asked me this. Sadly, this wasn’t the first time I heard the question.

At first, I was frustrated. Why wouldn’t you want to connect with, learn from, and help others around the world? Why limit yourself?

It wasn’t until I learned why they asked the question that I understood. It’s because some only see people in their network as dollar signs. They’d ask, “How are you going to monetize them?”, like my network is a commodity waiting to be exploited. They couldn’t be more wrong.

One of the reasons I invest in LinkedIn is because of the kindness, empathy, and hustle I see from those outside the US. Their work ethic and ambition is intoxicating. Especially considering the hardships some have to endure for the same freedoms and resources we take for granted in the US.

It doesn’t take me much time to share little bits of knowledge. But for those that see it, maybe it will create a new opportunity, a reason to get strated on a goal, or help someone get through a bad day.

It’s a small investment that yeilds a massive reward: helping and empowering others.

You can serve someone and help them once, or empower them to help themselves for a lifetime.

It’s not always about money.