Networking or Pitching? How to End Cold DMs and Build Real Community as a Woman in Business

Stop sending copy-paste pitches. The fastest sale is not the strongest relationship. For ambitious women in business, the shift from transactional outreach to genuine connection is non-negotiable. If you are exhausted by the noise of cold DMs, it is time to build a community that actually converts.

Episode Breakdown: Networking vs. Pitching with Jenay of The Empire

In this episode of the Boss Women Network Podcast, host Leilani welcomes Jenay of The Empire to discuss a critical issue: are entrepreneurs truly networking, or are they just pitching? Jenay shares how transactional outreach feels spammy and why she immediately stops conversations that jump straight to selling. Instead, she builds trust by researching profiles, asking questions, and only pitching after days of genuine dialogue—if at all.

Jenay explains how she grew her Empire Creator Lab on Skool to 644 members in about ten months through collaboration, speaking at online summits, and bartering workshops with other creators. The conversation also dives into the Trust Recession, engagement strategies, free vs. VIP tiers, and the AI tools Jenay uses to streamline her business—emphasizing that strong businesses are built on trust, consistency, and real human connection.

Key Takeaways for Entrepreneurs and Leaders

1. Audit Your DMs and Stop the Spam

Treat the DMs like a real-life networking event. You would not walk up to a stranger and immediately demand they buy your product; do not do it online. Start by researching their business and asking open-ended questions. Let them talk, listen for pain points, and only offer a solution if you genuinely have one. If the only goal is to sell, it comes off that way. If the goal is to actually give someone a transformation, that comes off that way too.

2. Build a Free Community Tier First

Use platforms like Skool or Facebook to create a free entry point. Let people absorb your vibe, learn from you, and build trust before asking them to join a paid VIP tier. In a Trust Recession, people crave a place where they can actually talk to the creator and feel seen—not another PDF they will never read.

3. Collaborate, Do Not Compete

Find peers in adjacent niches. If you specialize in AI and they specialize in Pinterest, swap masterclasses in each other's groups. This audience bartering builds authority and provides free marketing to a warm, engaged audience. Jenay grew to 644 members in ten months using this exact strategy—no ad spend required.

4. Solve Information Fatigue with Interactive Experiences

Stop offering static PDFs as lead magnets that no one reads. Offer interactive experiences—like a Prompt of the Day challenge or a live Q&A—to cut through the noise and provide immediate, tangible value. People are exhausted from information overload. Give them a reason to show up and engage.

5. Pick One AI Tool and Master It Before Expanding Your Stack

Jenay uses Claude for strategy, ChatGPT for content, Perplexity for research, Make for automation, and Lovable for no-code app building. But her advice is clear: do not try to learn every tool at once. Pick one, get good with it, then expand. The same principle applies to building your business systems—start with structure, then scale.

CEOess Insight: The Systems Behind the Connection

Building a community is not just about being friendly; it is a strategic business system. When you automate the backend of your community—using tools like Make to handle onboarding, Claude for content strategy, and targeted AI agents for engagement—you free yourself to focus on the high-level relationship building that actually drives revenue.

You cannot scale a business on cold DMs, but you can scale a community ecosystem that runs on automation while feeling deeply personal. The women winning right now are not the ones sending the most messages. They are the ones who built the most trusted rooms. Structure creates the freedom to connect authentically.

Listen to the Full Episode

Ready to stop pitching and start building a community that converts? Hit play on the full conversation with Jenay of The Empire on the Boss Women Network Podcast. Watch it now on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MODUELr2byE

Ready to Build Systems That Scale?

Stop doing everything manually. If you are ready to transition from exhausting outreach to running a fully supported, automated ecosystem, it is time to elevate your strategy. Explore the CEOess Experience and learn how to build scalable systems that position you to grow, lead, and scale without burnout. Join the next Boss Women Network roundtable to connect with women who are building empires—not just sending pitches. Follow for more strategy, systems, and leadership insights at www.bosswomenetwork.com.