The value of showing up
by Geoff Shepherd, Oct 19
Progress often belongs to the people who are simply there.
Not the loudest or the most visible online, but the ones who keep showing up and doing the work. Being present over time creates an edge that no campaign or introduction can buy. When you appear consistently, people start to remember you. They trust your reliability before they know your detail.
Showing up says you are invested enough to give time, not just attention. Most people underestimate how rare that is. In a world built around quick replies and remote meetings, being physically present now feels unusual. It stands out.
Business communities work because of repetition. You see the same faces, conversations develop, trust builds, and information flows more freely. The people who only appear occasionally stay on the edge of things. The ones who keep turning up start to become part of the structure itself. They are known. They get called first when something new happens.
Showing up is not glamorous, but it creates opportunity through momentum. One conversation leads to another. Over time, patterns form. People start to link your name with consistency, and consistency is what earns invitations, recommendations, and deals.
Most success stories are built quietly by those who made time when others did not. The discipline of turning up matters more than almost anything else. It proves intent. It gives you proximity to information and people that others never see.
If you want to build influence, stop talking about it. Be there. Attend the meeting, the event, the discussion. You will find that the more you appear, the less you need to sell yourself. People already know who you are. They have seen you do the work.
