How to Leverage Your First-Career LinkedIn Network to Grow the Business You’re Running Now
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If you’re a founder in your second (or third) professional chapter, this might sound familiar:
“My LinkedIn is just all full of people from my previous career."
You may have spent 5, 10, or even 20 years building a network in a completely different industry. Now that you’re running a business, coaching, consulting, or freelancing full-time, showing up on LinkedIn might feel awkward—especially when most of your audience still knows you in your old role.
But here’s the truth: Your past network is one of your most powerful CURRENT assets.
I get it, the fear is real. But the opportunity is bigger.
I hear this all the time from clients who used to be:
Sales professionals
Department heads
Corporate executives
Now, they’re service providers in a totally different lane.
They say things like:
"I don't want to annoy people who knew me before."
"What if they don't take my new business seriously?"
"It feels cringey to show up and promote myself to this group of people."
All valid. But here’s what I gently remind them:
People from your past already know, like, and trust you. That’s a HUGE head start.
3 Reasons to Re-Engage With Your First-Career Network on LinkedIn
1. Relationships age well
Chances are, you weren’t a terrible colleague. You likely built relationships rooted in trust, professionalism, and likability. That means re-igniting those connections can happen faster than you think. When someone from your past (who liked you) sees a post about something you’re doing now, just think about it, the chances are they’ll cheer you, support the content, and think of who they know that could be a fit for what you’re doing now.
2. People evolve
Just like you made a career change, so did many of your connections. That director you used to work with? She may now be running a startup that needs your services. That old sales teammate? He might be in a leadership role with budget to hire you.
You have no idea how many people in your "old" network could be your next clients directly from LinkedIn.
3. Engagement creates visibility
Even if someone from your old career isn’t a direct fit for your offers, their engagement on LinkedIn matters. A single like or comment on your LinkedIn post introduces your business to their audience.
And that’s how this often goes:
"Hey, I saw your post through [mutual contact] and would love to connect."
That visibility snowballs into opportunity. But it won’t happen if you stay quiet.
And the data on how powerful ‘weak ties’ are for your career is VERY compelling.
A Real Example From My Clients
One of the most common things I hear from clients is this:
"Someone I used to work with just sent my profile to their friend who needs a consultant."
They didn’t pitch. They didn’t post anything super salesy. They simply started sharing their ideas, experiences, and stories on LinkedIn—and stayed visible.
That old contact remembered them. Trusted them. And made the intro.
How to Start Showing Up for Your New Business
Here’s how I coach my LinkedIn Intensive clients to start bridging the gap between their old and new roles:
Optimize your profile to clearly communicate what you do now
Share personal stories that connect your past experiences to your current work
Post valuable content that speaks to your ideal client (even if that’s not your whole audience)
Be visible consistently
Don’t overthink it
Don’t wait until you’ve rebuilt a 100% new audience. Start with the one you’ve already got.
Because when done right, LinkedIn becomes the perfect platform to evolve publicly—and profitably.
Has this happened to you?
Has someone from your first career become a client, collaborator, or referrer in your current business?
I’d love to hear your story!
P.S. If you had a successful first corporate career and are now in business for yourself—and want to use LinkedIn to consistently attract clients and grow your reputation—I’d love to support you. Feel free to reach out or inquire about my 1:1 LinkedIn strategy coaching.
