As we move through a season built around gratitude, it’s a good time to think about the people who’ve enriched our lives—the ones who influenced us on our journey and the ones who continue to influence us today.
We talk a lot about networking in our professional lives, but have you ever stopped to think about your first network? It wasn’t formed at a conference or on LinkedIn. It started with the people closest to you—family, friends, teachers, or anyone who gave you direction. As you moved beyond school into a career, new people started to shape your path. Professional relationships emerged that challenged you, supported you, and helped you grow.
Each group played its part, from the early influences in your young life to the people you work with now and everyone in between. We tend to remember the obvious names first—the mentor, the former boss, the one who gave you your first shot. But this season is a chance to widen the lens and acknowledge the relationships that shaped you in quieter, less-visible ways.
Here’s what that might look like:
- Someone from a past life whose influence only made sense later: There’s always a person whose impact lands long after the fact—a manager who held you to a higher standard, a colleague who pushed your thinking, or someone who nudged you into new territory. You didn’t realize what it meant back then, but it stuck with you.
- The people who took things off your plate so you could focus: These are the folks who stepped in to handle the details, steady the busy days, and keep work moving when you were pulled in other directions—whether they worked beside you, managed you, or reported to you.
- A peer who’s grown alongside you: Working next to someone over time creates a kind of shared rhythm—tackling projects, comparing approaches, and working through challenges together. That influence builds slowly, and it’s easy to miss until you look back.
- Someone who backed you when they didn’t have to: At some point, someone probably spoke up for you, vouched for you, or made an introduction that shifted your path. You didn’t ask for it. They didn’t get anything out of it. They just stepped in because they believed in you.
- Someone you learned from by watching: Some people teach by example—even without realizing it. Maybe you watched how they handled pressure, navigated conflict, carried themselves, or kept work The way they approached things still shows up in how you work now.
Examples of influence are endless. When you take a step back and think about how you got to where you are, you’ll find more people in that story than you expect. Some were central while others played a small but steady role. All of them left something behind.
If someone shaped your path, tell them. A quick “hey” and “thanks for the role you played” can revive a connection that’s been quiet for years, strengthen your network, and most certainly make someone’s day. Most of us would appreciate hearing that we made a difference. Offering that same acknowledgment to someone else is a simple way to give back this season.
At J2, we make a point to recognize the relationships that guide and support our work. This is a good moment to do the same in your world—one small message at a time.