Teach kids to network for financial success. Real relationships open real doors. Help your mini millionaire build people skills & map their network early
Networking sounds like a super grown-up word for something many adults actually dread: small talk at stuffy events, handing out business cards to strangers.
But when you actually just boil it down to basics, it's really just about building real, genuine, and authentic relationships with people.
And in South Africa, where who you know so often opens more doors than what you know, this is a life skill worth planting early.
This week we're unpacking how to help your mini millionaire understand that the relationships they're building right now (yes, even now), are already part of their financial future.
People skills are the OG job skills.
Many parents place a big emphasis on their mini millionaire getting good results at school, doing well at sports, and even enjoying their favourite extramural activities.
Now, don't get us wrong, these are all really important. But a Harvard University study found that 85% of career success comes from people and soft skills, with technical knowledge making up just 15%.
That's not a small number. That's basically the whole people skills game.
Your mini millionaire’s ability to communicate, connect, and build trust with others is one of the most bankable skills they will ever develop.
Takeaway: Getting along well with people is a core life (and money) skill.
A thank-you costs nothing and builds everything.
One of the most underrated networking habits in the world is a genuine, well-timed thank you.
We’re not talking about a quick "k thx" or “🙏” on WhatsApp, but a genuine, heartfelt one.
A handwritten note. A voice message. A small gesture that says: "I noticed what you did, it meant something to me, and I appreciate you for it."
Dale Carnegie (the guy who wrote How to Win Friends and Influence People) built an entire philosophy around this idea: people remember those who make them feel valued.
That reputation, built over years of small, consistent acts of appreciation, becomes relationship equity. And relationship equity, over time, becomes opportunity.
Takeaway: A genuine thank-you is free to give and priceless to receive.
Draw the network that already exists.
This week, sit down with your mini millionaire and grab a piece of paper.
Put their name in the middle and draw a simple circle map of every person in their world, from family, teachers, teammates, neighbours, church friends, and even their sports coaches.
Most kids (and even adults, to be honest) don't even realise how rich their existing network already is.
The best networks are built over time, starting with the people you already know, not from scratch when you suddenly need something.
Once the map is drawn, pick one person on it.
Ask your mini millionaire: what's something kind or genuine I could say or do for that person this week? Not because they need a favour. Just because.
And there you have it, that's networking.
Takeaway: Your mini millionaire's network doesn't start at their first job interview.
This week's free resource is the My Connection Circle, a simple, visual activity that helps your mini millionaire map out the people already in their world like family, friends, teammates, and neighbours, and then help them recognise what makes each of them special.
Because before you can build a network, you need to see what you've already got.
It takes about ten minutes, needs nothing more than a pen, and opens up a really rich conversation about relationships, appreciation, and the kind of people we want to have around us.
All a great starting point to understand networking. 🤝
So grab the My Connection Circle resource. Print it out. And let your mini millionaire see just who is already in their circle, and what makes that person special.
