Why Curiosity is a Career Asset

The Problem with How We've Been Taught to Network "Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers." – Voltaire Most of us were taught that networking is about selling yourself. About having the perfect pitch. About making sure everyone knows how valuable you are within the first 60 seconds. In my experience, that approach makes people run in the opposite direction. Think about the last networking event you attended. How many people walked up to you, handed you a business card, launched into their elevator pitch, and then looked over your shoulder for the next person? After the event, how many of them do you actually remember? Now think about the person who asked you a thoughtful question about your work. Who seemed genuinely interested in what you were working on. Who actually listened to your answer. That's the person you remember. That's the person you want to help when an opportunity comes up. Curiosity First: The Foundation of Authentic Connection This is the first principle of what I call the CONNECT framework, a system I've developed and refined over decades of career transitions, relationship building, and to be completely honest, plenty of failures along the way. Curiosity First means approaching every interaction with genuine interest in learning about the other person's experiences, challenges, and aspirations. It's not a tactic. It's not manipulation. It's a fundamental shift in how you show up in conversations. Here's what it looks like in practice: Instead of thinking, "How can this person help me?" you think, "Who is this person and what's their story?" Instead of waiting for your turn to talk, you're actually listening to understand what “makes them tick.” Instead of treating conversations like transactions, you're treating them like discoveries. The Result of Genuine Questions When I was preparing to test for captain in the fire service, I reached out to dozens of people. I didn't ask them to write me a recommendation letter right off the bat. I asked them about their experience testing for captain. What surprised them? What would they do differently? What advice would they give? They opened up. They shared stories. They offered insights I never would have discovered otherwise. And at the end of those conversations, many of them offered to write me letters of recommendation without me ever asking. Curiosity creates connection. Connection creates trust. Trust creates opportunity. It's a pattern that's repeated throughout my entire career. From the Garcia family who hired me as a dishwasher when I was 13, to Señor Garlant, my high school Spanish teacher who asked me one simple question: "Have you ever considered being a firefighter?" That curiosity about my potential, not my grades, (which were mediocre at best) opened the door to a 23-year career in the fire service. None of my connections came from having a great pitch. They came from being genuinely curious about other people. What Curiosity Looks Like (and What It Doesn't) Curiosity is NOT: The difference is obvious. People can tell when you're genuinely interested versus when you're just going through the motions. The Skill That Transfers Across Every Career Transition Here's something I've learned through multiple career reinventions; from dishwasher to soldier, from soldier to firefighter, from firefighter to MMA fighter, from captain to battalion chief, from fire service to banking and entrepreneurial ventures: Technical skills become outdated. Industries change. Job requirements evolve. But genuine curiosity and authentic connection? Those connections come with you.  They’re genuine.  They last. When I transitioned into banking, I didn't know a balance sheet from a bedsheet. Financial statements might as well have been written in hieroglyphics. But I knew how to ask questions. I knew how to listen. I knew how to genuinely care about the business owners I was meeting with. While other bankers were leading with product pitches, I was asking business owners about their challenges. What kept them up at night? What was harder than it should be? What would make their lives easier? That curiosity didn't just help me learn banking faster. It helped me build relationships that led to opportunities, referrals, and a client base that wanted to work with me. A Teaser: Self Made Everything I'm sharing with you is pulled from decades of real-world experience. The wins, the losses, and the lessons learned in between. I'm currently finishing my book Self Made: From Poverty to Published - A Blue-Collar Approach to Professional Networking, where I break down the entire CONNECT framework and show you exactly how to apply it in your own career. We'll dive deep into all seven elements: But it all starts here. It all starts with curiosity. Your Challenge This Week This isn't theory. This is practice. Here's what I want you to do: In the next three days, have one conversation where you ask three genuine questions before saying anything about yourself. That's it. Three questions. Really listen to the answers. Ask follow-up questions based on what you hear. It'll feel uncomfortable at first if you're not used to it. That's normal. Do it anyway. Notice what happens. Notice how the conversation flows differently. Notice how the other person responds. Notice how you feel afterward. Then do it again. You can have all the skills in the world, all the credentials, all the experience. But if you can't connect with people authentically, you're going to hit a wall. Curiosity breaks through that wall. Michael Greenwalt Don’t miss the launch of Self Made, live at the Orpheum Theatre in Flagstaff on December 11th.  Join me for an evening that redefines success and connection.  Every ticket includes a copy of my book and access to an unforgettable keynote experience.  Get your tickets at https://wl.eventim.us/event/not-self-made/668207?afflky=OrpheumTheater Curiosity means nothing without good active listening skills! I love this, Mike! The first time I asked myself who I was becoming, I didn’t know I was asking it. I was standing in a National Guard… Everyone is talking about what AI can do. Nobody is asking what it's doing to you. You have a self-leadership problem. It’s a familiar phrase: “I’d love to start that, build that, learn that, do that… I… The greatest barrier to entry is rarely lack of ability. It is the fear of being seen trying. Sometimes the hardest part of growth is admitting that a chapter didn’t fail. It simply finished. Why Blue-Collar Leadership Is the Model for 2026 For a long time, we have been sold a very specific version of… We've all been there. An idea for a business. This week, we dive into step six of the CONNECT framework - Create Win-Wins. What does that really mean? Simply put, it… A handful of years ago, I was invited to a conference that had nothing to do with my career at the time. It was hosted… Many people treat networking like a hunt: They frantically wander an event, pass out business cards, and hope that…