30-year-old who reached out to 100 strangers in 100 days: My advice for making the 'big scary ask'

Five years ago, Carly Valancy challenged herself to contact 100 new people in 100 days, inspired by the book “Reach Out” by Molly Beck.

The challenge brought her “incredible opportunities” in her career, from new jobs to mentor relationships, says Valancy, the co-founder of growth consultancy Momentum Growth.

Valancy, 30, is repeating the 100-day challenge this year and sharing her skills through her networking strategy collective Reach Out Party.

Her goal is to make the process of building new connections less intimidating, she says.

“Reaching out has such a compounding effect, and the more that you do it, the better that you get at communicating who you are and what you want,” she says.