Often being a better freelancer or developing a better product or policy doesn't mean what we think it means.

At least not in the eyes of the people we seek to work with.

There are two ways to become better:

1/ To become better at your skills. But this is long and slow.

2/ To connect and organize your industry.

Imagine you're a wedding photographer. What will make a more significant difference, making slightly better pictures than your peers or connecting with other colleagues in your industry?

How to connect your industry?

What happens if this photographer organizes an event to invite prospects to meet caterers, wedding planners, folks handling invitations, and so on?

Now they have built trust and created value for prospects by saving them time and creating goodwill, reciprocity, and value to their colleagues by sharing new opportunities with them.

Who will they think about next time they have to recommend a photographer?

Or what happens if you represent the women and minorities in your industry? If you write the newsletter your industry should be reading?

Joseph Gordon-Levitt went from an unknown actor to winning awards in Sundance and acting in movies like Inception after starting a tiny community at HitRecord.

A Canadian illustrator, Lou Lubie started a community forum to draw together. This community has created many new opportunities for her and her members.

There is value in connecting the disconnected.

In every industry, there are clients with resources that are disconnected. What happens if you connect them?

To become better, and not just cheaper, to find better people to work with, who can you convene and connect?