#about broadli

[broadli]

Moving beyond connections to true friendships

In The Curse of the Connector, Lane Wood writes about being "part of an inter-connected, pseudo-incestuous group of `influencers.'" These influencers seem to be connected to everyone, but Wood classifies their relationships as friend-like rather than true friendships. And he finds them ultimately unfulfilling. This is because they never move beyond mere connection to real friend:

The world needs more friends. More specifically, the world desperately needs more "connections" to become true friendships.

We launched Broadli to help you transform your connections into real relationships. By making it easier to know each other's key concerns and help each other over hurdles, Broadli gives you a way to invest in those relationships. Over time, these investments can yield a deep friendship.

Our approach syncs up nicely with Lane Wood's conclusions:

Proximity (both physical or virtual) can give the illusion of intimacy. If we're not careful, we forget what it really means to give and receive true friendship and opt for just being friendly.

Maybe it’s time to be honest with ourselves about the quality of our relationships, to truly identify the real friends in our lives and invest deeply in them. After so many parties, trips, conferences and dinners, maybe it’s time to build a true community, not just a network of endless connections that feeds our collective ego.

Let Broadli help you build a true community of friends by helping you invest in the relationships that matter to you.

[Photo Credit: Duncan Hull]

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No strings attached

Life can seem very transactional at times. Some of us worry about getting ripped off or taken advantage of so we want to know upfront the terms of every deal. Others of us want to be sure that we maintain a sense of fairness in our relationships so we keep tabs on whose turn it is to buy a round of drinks, invite us over for dinner, or take out the trash.

Many of us have been taught to be what Adam M. Grant calls "matchers" -- people who try to keep a balance in the giving and taking within a relationship. In fact, this behavior can seem supremely rational. After all, why wouldn't you want to hang out with folks who don't take advantage of you?

Yet, there is an alternative approach. Dave Kerpen (CEO, Likeable Local) calls it: Show Your Friendship First. This alternative approach encourages you to start by giving, not taking. Here's how he describes it:

[W]hen you want something from someone, give them something instead, with no strings attached or expectations. Ask how you can be of service. Act like a true friend, even before you've established a friendship. Are you guaranteed to be able to leverage this later? Absolutely not. But that's not the point; the point is that when you act unselfishly; when you behave as you would to a great friend; trustworthy and trusting, respectful and kind; then more often than not, good things will come in the relationship.

Here at Broadli, we want to make it easy for you to experience this alternative approach. Our app helps you help others -- with no strings attached. We agree with Dave Kerpen and Adam Grant that this is the better approach. Not because it necessarily leads to short-term benefit, but because in the long-term it makes all who try it better people and it makes the world a better place.

Try living with no strings attached.

[Photo Credit: Stuart B]

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What's the point of Broadli?

We believe networking for reasons of ambition alone is a thing of the past. As Adam Grant demonstrated in Give and Take, when you operate solely for personal gain, you actually limit your potential and make the world a poorer place. However, when you act with generosity, you inspire generous behavior on the part of others and collectively help to make the pie bigger for everyone.

The new networking is intentionally generous. It’s supporting people without regard to what you might get in return. It’s supporting people to help them achieve their dreams because, when they do, you get to feel the win yourself. It’s supporting people because you care about them and want to make a difference.

Broadli makes it easier for people to be generous with their networks and with their help. And we think this sort of generous behavior can take us -- all of us -- big steps forward.

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Make your network work

Broadli helps you make your network work.

Sort your LinkedIn network to uncover your trusted network, and see ways you can help (and be helped by) the people that matter most to you. Sort Your Connections: A fun and easy way to make sense of who you really are connected with: who inspires you, who you want to know, who you don’t know, and those people you haven't connected with in a while. Help Your Network: See who in your network needs help with a mission and connect them to people in your network who might be able to help move those missions forward. Get Help from Your Network: for the things you want to accomplish. What do you need to move forward in your life? You don’t have to broadcast it widely; Broadli engages your trusted network to help you. Why Broadli rocks:  Broadli uses a unique system to enable trusted introductions that can help you accomplish your life missions: • Sort/Filter your network to connect with people who really matter to you • Add missions and have your network recommend people who can help • Introduce people, increase your impact score to get points and rewards • Get notified when you receive a recommendation for your mission • Eliminate noise and see the people in your network that really matter

Download Broadli for iPhone 5 to Make Your Network WORK!