Throughout my lengthy talk with Alex, one phrase stuck with me, “You are an average of the five people who you associate with.” Since humans naturally pick up the mannerisms, actions, mentalities, ambitions, etc. of those around them, it is your most important mission to only associate with people who will help you achieve your goals and make a better life for yourself. Sometimes confuse networking with simply getting to 500+ on LinkedIn, but real networking requires you to be prolific in your connections and deep in relationships. Your network is only as good as its usefulness to you, which comes from providing real value to those around you.