Katapult X’s Post

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀  They say, “It’s not just what you know, but who you know.” Over the years, I’ve experienced firsthand how the right connections can transform your journey—professionally and personally. Today, I want to reflect on the profound impact of these connections and express my gratitude to those who have played a pivotal role in my growth. Here are 5 key benefits of meeting the right connections: 1️⃣ 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 The right people can open doors to opportunities you may not have imagined. Ratna Juita is one such connection, through whom I became connected with PCF schools, reaching more educators and making a meaningful impact. 2️⃣ 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 Connections often come with wisdom and insights that propel you forward. Steven Koh encouraged and mentored me in designing and delivering impactful workshops with confidence and precision. 3️⃣ 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 Partnerships can amplify your reach and results. 🎵Josephine PL Ong (Dr)🎵 is an amazing example of this, as we now collaborate to deliver talks at the National Library Board (NLB), inspiring families and the general public together. 4️⃣ 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 Some of the greatest encouragement comes from unexpected places. Every view, comment, or direct message I receive from this community reminds me that there are people out there who resonate with my work and believe in its value. Richelle Christianne S., Ai Yat Goh are some of them. 5️⃣ 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 Being introduced to new platforms can elevate your credibility and extend your impact. Pui Chan Ho connected me to NLB, where I held my first public workshops in 2024 and am honored to continue doing so in 2025. 𝗔𝗰𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗠𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 There are many other wonderful connections I’ve made along the way through LinkedIn and other platforms, and while I may not have named each of you specifically here, please know that your presence, advice, and encouragement are just as valuable to me. Every interaction has left a meaningful imprint, and I am truly grateful for each one of you. 🙌 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 To my LinkedIn community, how has a connection positively impacted your career or life? What do you look for in building meaningful professional relationships? #Networking #ProfessionalGrowth #Gratitude #CareerJourney #ConnectionsMatter

What Lens Are You Looking Through? I attended the Rising Tide networking event at Splash in Moneymore this morning, where two incredible speakers shared something that deeply resonated with me—the concept of the lens we look at life through. It got me thinking about how the lens we choose shapes everything. When we’re stuck in self-doubt, looking through a lens of fear, we see obstacles instead of opportunities. We tell ourselves stories about why we can’t, why we’re not good enough, or why it’s safer to stay small. But what if we changed the lens? What if we dared to look through one of curiosity, self-belief, or boldness? For years, I looked through a lens clouded by comparison and expectations. I told myself stories about who I should be and silenced the voice that asked, What do I truly want? It wasn’t until I started stepping into my authenticity—flaws, fears, and all—that I realised I had the power to change the lens. Now, I help female business owners and leaders do the same. To question the stories they tell themselves, to break free from the expectations weighing them down, and to see their own potential clearly. So, ask yourself: What lens are you looking through right now? Is it one that empowers you, or one that limits you? The choice is yours, but the impact can ripple across every part of your life. If you’re ready to change the way you see yourself and what’s possible, let’s connect. The lens you need is already within you—it’s time to focus. The incredible power of the cold water and authentic connections 👌 ✨️ Thank you Ciaran May Caroline McKenna Assoc CIPD Mark Hutchinson CDir

Grateful for this! 🙌 Helping sales leaders shift from selling to solving is exactly why I do what I do. Rachel Smith and the team at DriveAlive are already making huge strides in refining their sales approach, and it’s been fantastic to support them on the journey. Sales success isn’t about pushing harder—it’s about understanding the real problems your buyers face and positioning yourself as the partner who can help solve them. Thanks for the kind words, Rachel! 🚀 #B2BSales #SalesLeadership #ProblemCentricSelling #SalesSuccess #TrustedAdvisor

How many of these do you answer yes to? 👇 Are you the most successful person in your friendship group? Have you ever been called boring for not drinking? Are you the one doing things differently in your family? Have you ever felt guilty for wanting to achieve more? (Unless you answer no to all of these, keep reading to the end) This is the impact of your circle. For most entrepreneurs and business leaders, you would have answered yes to most, if not all, of those questions. I did too. And the remedy isn't to cut off your friends. Getting together, having a few beers and being kids for a weekend is fun and has its place 🤣 BUT you also need to make sure you have a circle that pushes you to be more. What would it be worth to you to have a community, a team, that were striving to be the best. 🍻 One that encourages you to keep going on nights out without drinking as it will all be worth it. 🏋♂️ One that pushes you to show up to all sessions and be as fit and strong as you can be because that will help business. 🤝 One that you can network with to help grow each others businesses. 💫 One that holds you to the highest standards in your career and relationships (and cuts the all the BS). What more could you achieve in that environment? PS On Friday the Be Elite+ programme launches where your community of high performers are waiting!

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝑬𝑶 Years ago (maybe 5) I felt the need to create a community with former dual students of Bausparkasse Schwäbisch Hall. The idea was to network, to discuss about current topics, to invite speakers into our community talking about recent developments in our company. And also to work on little projects on our own. So I asked my boss back then Julian Wenzel if I am allowed to set something up like this. He confirmed with the condition, that my normal job is going well. With that agreement I started to build up this community and reached out to all former students of the past 4 years. 4 of them were quite keen about the idea with whom we formed the core team (Max Mauser, Robin Bauer, Fabian Wieland and @Martina Augustin you remember ;)?) To realize little projects on our own we were looking for support or attention from the management. So we pitched the idea to @Manfred Leiser & Frank Schurr (At this time I was not brave enough to reach out to our former CEO Reinhard Klein. Which was my original aim, cause I really wanted to get to know how a CEO thinks 😁) They both liked our idea and said that they will support us with what we need. The core team & community kept going for about a year in which we talked about a lot of different topics and worked on one project. After a while the work got stuck more and more, cause all participants had to do their own „normal“ work as well. With that my believe or motivation to „Think like the CEO“ also disappeared. Why am I telling you this story? The feeling of motivation which I felt 5 years ago, which was the reason to create this community, which was completely gone, came back today in my life. Unbelievable. 5 years later. I was discussing with Andreas Becker & ARIANE ROTH about our business. Talking about our products, prices, marketing, partners, sales strategies, finances. The feeling just flashed into my system coming with an enormous motivation boost. Oh my god, this feeling is back 💪🏾🔥 Its not disappeared, it was always there. After 5 years I am allowed to feel it again. I am ready to let the inward achievements form the outside world 🤟🏾🚀 Do you have a similar experience where you once had a strong motivational feeling, which was gone for some time but then came back into your life? 💭

More and more I understand one thing: the genius of someone is not just in the brightness of their ideas, but in the potential and the growing scale of their network. You may reach far more through a large group of people who trust you, and are ready and willing to support your simple vision (and requests) - while aiming for joint success and prosperous outcomes, than you would gain from nourishing in silence a disruptive, even genius solution, that no-one shall know about for the next few months. If you can build a network, do it! Build this extra mile you'll come to the point to walk one day soon - as a network to the mind of a person is always an inspiration, a source of ideas, a well of progressive motifs, a generous input of details related to both problems and their solutions. I am honored to join any group of people who share a genuine concern how to better serve humanity with ideas, daily efforts and fresh human-made solutions. We are on this planet to communicate, to develop ourselves by learning from the wisdom of surrounding pains and concerns, to grow spiritually and to flourish professionally from the glimmering examples which accompany us so in silence, that we do not even realize sometimes how rich we are with answers for questions we never properly posed. Thank you massimiliano ferrari for making my day :) So inspiring to know about Medianos and to join your international network.

Dear valued network partners, As I reflect on 11 years of networking on LinkedIn, I'm filled with gratitude for the experiences I've made. Thank you for the enriching exchanges, new insights, and collaborative spirit that have defined our interactions. In today's fast-paced world, strong networks are more crucial than ever. They're not just career tools but sources of inspiration, knowledge sharing, and mutual support. Through our connections, we've gained fresh perspectives, exchanged innovative ideas, discovered professional opportunities, learned from and inspired each other and identified industry trends early on. What makes my network special is the quality of the connections we've built. Each of you has contributed uniquely to my professional and personal growth. Once again, thank you for the time you've invested in our professional connection. As we look to the future, I'm excited about what lies ahead. Let's continue to stay active, share insights, and nurture our network. I wish you all many more years of successful networking. Best regards, Eva #networking #gradtitude #community LinkedIn #development #professionaldevelopment #ai #imagecreation

What is social action, and how can you make the biggest difference? These questions frame a conversation between Malwan Johnson, international director of social action for Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated, and Dr. Rafael Matos:

Step out of your comfort zone!..... So, you’ve just bought a general admission ticket and a plane ticket to a huge networking conference. Woohoo! But then, the introverted side of you takes over, and suddenly you find yourself doing anything but meeting new people. What a waste, right? This happens to way too many people. (I've personally been guilty of it too many times as well) Here’s the thing: everyone at the event is there because they want to meet other people. So go and talk to them! They’re probably just as nervous as you are. Another important tip: Don’t be a taker. You need to consciously think about how you can add value to others' lives and businesses.

I don’t like judging people based on first impressions… But the truth is: We all do it. It’s a human survival instinct ingrained in us to perceive threat or friendship This thought came to me at the MedTech GenZ Meetup that Jenny and I co-hosted. (and it was my first time hosting an event outside uni! 🎉) Viraj asked us all an interesting question: “𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧?” I didn’t have a clear answer to this question But reflecting on it, we should all know how to introduce ourselves -Especially in professional networking environments People make snap judgement whether or not you can help them If the first impression isn’t good, Then you can undersell yourself and miss out on a great opportunity Here are a few things to consider when crafting about your introduction: 📬What can I offer? ⭐What makes me unique? ⛳What do I want/why am I here? Think of these things in advance to avoid fumbling your introductions! What else would you add? Massive thank you to Jenny Tang, Viraj Shah, Sam Jarada, Ramina Denova, Yuta Shiina and Subaita R. for the great conversations and time! (sorry we didn't take a photo with everyone!)