Wrangling an End to 2024

Hi there,

Welcome to issue #52 of the Network Wrangler, our final issue in 2024.

As I put the finishing touches on this particular issue of the newsletter, I’m reminded of where I sat a year ago, screwing up the courage to publish the very first issue of the Network Wrangler.

At the end of December last year, I had only a handful of subscribers (friends) who had taken the blind leap of faith to sign up based on the promise of what was to come. To Mark, Shaena, Heidi, and Jim, thank you for being there for me from the very beginning when this newsletter was still in the idea phase.

As I’ve continued to write, week in and week out, the list of subscribers has grown by leaps and bounds, enough to attract advertisers and sponsors. For that, I’m extremely grateful, as it helps cover platform costs, but it’s not what drives my writing.

(FWIW, I’m still surprised how many people got stuck and didn’t make it past the “confirm your email address” stage of subscribing… kudos to you for mastering it).

What keeps me writing is the weekly opportunity to capture in words the patterns I see as I read, talk, research, and craft.

Your comments, suggestions, critical feedback, and even friendly hellos that appear as replies to my newsletters show me that you continue to engage with me and encourage me to write more.

As we move into 2025, the Network Wrangler will continue to evolve as I continue to live, learn, and connect with even more people.

You continue to remind me that the newsletters tend to run long each week, so I’ll aim to keep each week’s issue no more than 1,000 words, and if I feel I need to go long, I’ll push out a special edition to share those thoughts.

Otherwise, I’ll continue to publish each Thursday, and I look forward to having you join us as we enter our sophomore year of publishing.

And I hope 2025 will exceed all our expectations in the very best way.

Now, a few highlights from this, our first year of publication.

Top 4 Most Popular Issues in 2024

• The Power of Diversity in Your Network

• Are Chatbots Coming for Your Connections?

• Even More Benefits to Reconnecting with Old Connections

• How to Change Your Luck for the Better

Top 4 Books Read in 2024

(you should consider adding them to your list in 2025)

1. Social Chemistry: Decoding the Patterns of Human Connection by Marissa King

2. Survival of the Friendliest: Understanding Our Origins and Rediscovering Our Common Humanity by Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods

3. The Power of Strangers: The Benefits of Connecting in a Suspicious World by Joe Keohane

4. Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg

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Favorite Poem of 2024:

BEAUTIFUL THINGS by Lucile. B Ballard

As we hurry along on life’s journey today
With the joy and the sorrow it brings,
And never a thought what we pass on the way
Let us look for the beautiful things.

There is music that’s free, that will surely beguile
‘Tis the song of the bird as he sings,
And the sun-kissed breeze makes us linger awhile
Just to look for the beautiful things.

Let us close our eyes to the faults of a friend
Drop them deep in oblivion’s springs,
As we travel along to life’s golden end
We can always find beautiful things.

Best Advice of 2024: Preparation Always Beats Planning

Planning is based on the expectation of order, while preparation is based on the expectation of chaos. If you plan for order, you will be destroyed by chaos, while if you prepare for chaos, you will thrive in any condition.

What were your favorite books/posts/poems from 2024? I’d love to know them. Hit reply to let me know — your email goes straight to my inbox. 🤗