Reach Out Book Summary - Reach Out Book explained in key points
Listen to the Intro
00:00

Reach Out summary

Molly Beck

The Simple Strategy You Need to Expand Your Network and Increase Your Influence

4.1 (31 ratings)
16 mins

Brief summary

Reach Out by Molly Beck is a practical guide on networking. It teaches how to create meaningful connections and pitfalls to avoid. The book offers actionable tips that can help in both personal and professional endeavors.

Topics
Table of Contents

    Reach Out
    Summary of 6 key ideas

    Audio & text in the Blinkist app
    Key idea 1 of 6

    With the right attitude, Reaching Out can be a life-changing process that will help strengthen your network.

    Starting a career isn’t an easy thing to do. For the author, things didn’t really kick off until she started to Reach Out – actively cultivating the network of people she knew using emails and social media. As a result of Reaching Out, she was hired by the media giant Hearst – the first breakthrough of her career.

    So how exactly do you Reach Out?

    Before we move on to specifics, there’s a bit of preparation for you to do.

    First, think of everyone you know. These people constitute your network. Naturally, within this crowd of people, there are those closer to you, such as friends and family, and those less close, like former coworkers or a university professor. You can think of the former kind as your strong ties and the latter as weak ties.

    Contrary to what you might think, it’s your weak ties that can have the most transformative effect on your career. This is because your strong ties usually move in the same circles, while people you only have a weak connection with tend to know information that you don’t.

    Through Reaching Out, you’ll aim to get in touch with these people and increase your number of weak ties.

    Put simply, the goal is to expand your network of people who can let you know about an opportunity, such as a job or interesting project. The more people you know, the more likely you are to know someone who can recommend you as a contractor or employee. And that’s something you definitely want – as many as two-thirds of people recommended by a company’s employee get the job!

    That sounds exciting, but what if you’re nervous about putting yourself out there?

    All the more reason to do it, and do it regularly!

    Megan Bruneau, a Vancouver-based psychotherapist, says that the best way to fight anxiety is to face it over and over again to get used to the discomfort. Sticking to this strategy when Reaching Out helped her not to dwell on the non-responses, as she simply had no time to. Like the author, she Reaches Out to a new person once a day, every day – and so should you.

    Now let’s see what Reaching Out involves in more detail.

    Want to see all full key ideas from Reach Out?

    Key ideas in Reach Out

    More knowledge in less time
    Read or listen
    Read or listen
    Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
    Find your next read
    Find your next read
    Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
    Shortcasts
    Shortcasts New
    We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

    What is Reach Out about?

    Reach Out (2017) by Molly Beck is a simple manual that helps you further your career goals through reaching out to people and expanding your network. In this book, Beck leads the reader through the dos and don’ts of reaching out, providing helpful examples of how to best make use of this strategy.

    Reach Out Review

    Reach Out (2021) is a valuable resource for anyone looking to build and maintain meaningful connections in today's digital age. Here's why this book is worth reading:

    • With practical techniques and insightful strategies, it empowers readers to strengthen relationships and expand their networks.
    • By combining personal experiences and expert advice, the book offers a well-rounded perspective on the importance of human connection.
    • Through its engaging storytelling and relatable examples, the book ensures that readers stay captivated and find genuine value in every chapter.

    Who should read Reach Out?

    • Anyone who wants to kick-start their career
    • Those looking to expand the network of people they know

    About the Author

    Molly Beck is a creator of the successful lifestyle blog Smart, Pretty & Awkward and the founder of Messy Bun, a website for recording, editing, and publishing podcasts.

    Categories with Reach Out

    Book summaries like Reach Out

    People ❤️ Blinkist 
    Sven O.

    It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

    Thi Viet Quynh N.

    Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

    Jonathan A.

    Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

    Renee D.

    Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.

    People also liked these summaries

    4.8 Stars
    Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
    34 Million
    Downloads on all platforms
    10+ years
    Experience igniting personal growth
    Powerful ideas from top nonfiction

    Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.

    Start your free trial

    Reach Out FAQs 

    What is the main message of Reach Out?

    The main message of Reach Out is to build meaningful connections and expand your network for personal and professional growth.

    How long does it take to read Reach Out?

    The reading time for Reach Out varies depending on the reader's speed, but it typically takes a few hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in about 15 minutes.

    Is Reach Out a good book? Is it worth reading?

    Reach Out is worth reading for its practical tips on networking, building relationships, and increasing opportunities for success.

    Who is the author of Reach Out?

    The author of Reach Out is Molly Beck.

    What to read after Reach Out?

    If you're wondering what to read next after Reach Out, here are some recommendations we suggest:
    • How to Be a Power Connector by Judy Robinett
    • Love is the Killer App by Tim Sanders
    • Coffee Lunch Coffee by Alana Muller
    • The First Minute by Chris Fenning
    • Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
    • Friend of a Friend by David Burkus
    • The 5 AM Club by Robin Sharma
    • 12 Rules For Life by Jordan B. Peterson
    • Become What You Are by Alan Watts
    • Becoming a Person of Influence by John C. Maxwell