The power of weak ties: why broader connections strengthen our Industry
Last month, I had the privilege of joining an Australian Women in Agriculture (AWiA) panel in Canberra, hosted by Rebecca (Bec) Bazley, Director of AWiA. I was joined by fellow panelists Georgie Somerset AM, respected rural leader and advocate, and Verity Price, Deputy-CEO of the Chicken Meat Federation - both excellent company to keep, if I do say so myself! The conversation centered around leadership, opportunity, and the networks that keep our industry moving forward.
AWiA’s Connect to Cultivate Pane Session Speakers, Verity Price, Georgie Somerset AM, Madie Hamilton and MC Bec Bazley.
It was wonderful to be in a room filled with truly inspiring women - both those who have paved the way and those emerging as the next generation of leaders. The event was held the evening before the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award Gala Dinner, so there were a number of alumni and finalists present. I have to admit, I was a little nervous at the thought of speaking to such an accomplished crowd! However, in the spirit of my current word of the year, “Confidence,” I took a few deep breaths and pushed myself out of my comfort zone to speak about a theory I believe is highly relevant, whether you are new to the industry or a long-standing stalwart.
In thinking about what I wanted the audience to take away from the evening, I focused on sharing stories around the power of weak ties - the connections beyond our immediate circles.
I shared some examples of how even small, occasional interactions have sparked unexpected opportunities throughout my career and then encouraged the audience to think about how they make these connections too, and how they can invest in them. It felt especially fitting in a room full of accomplished women whose networks and experiences have shaped our industry in so many remarkable ways.
It’s a theory I first came across on ABC’s This Working Life podcast hosted by Lisa Leong, and originally developed by sociologist Mark Granovetter. His research found that it’s not our closest friends or colleagues who most often open new doors - it’s the acquaintances, the people we meet occasionally, the ones on the edges of our network.
Granovetter’s 1973 study revealed that those “weak ties” act as bridges between otherwise disconnected groups. They give us access to information, ideas and opportunities we’d never find within our usual circles. Decades later, research backed by LinkedIn’s data confirmed the same thing at scale: people’s acquaintances were more likely than their close friends to lead them to new jobs or collaborations.
In other words, it’s often the person you bump into at a field day, the colleague you meet once at a conference, or the contact who pops into your inbox or even pops up on LinkedIn months later who ends up changing your trajectory.
LinkedIn is a powerful tool for nurturing weak ties. It allows you to stay connected in small but meaningful ways - giving a like, leaving a comment, or acknowledging someone’s achievement.
These simple, time‑effective gestures keep your network alive, so that when the right opportunity arises, you’re already part of that bridge. Someone in their network might need your skills, and thanks to those small connections, the path is already open - something you wouldn’t have had otherwise. If you want to grow your network, I’d happily support you and accept your LinkedIn invitation. If you aren’t on LinkedIn - get on there now!
During our panel, we put the theory into practice. We challenged everyone in the room to make at least three new connections before the night was out, to deliberately build out everyone’s web of weak ties.
The result was electric. The room came alive with conversation.
By the end of the evening, people were swapping stories and having fun with the process. Several came up afterwards to say they’d never heard of the theory before, but that it gave them a new lens for how they think about networking - it’s more about genuine connection, that could lead to endless possibility. There is nothing stopping you from saying ‘hello’, that is all it takes to start and having a shared experience of being in the room that night was the cultivator.
Reflecting on my own career and life, I realised it’s been largely built on a series of weak tie connections. I’ve been doing this instinctively for years, and it has added so much richness to my life, through new friendships, opportunities, experiences… even love! I only met my husband because he saw we had a single connection on a particular dating app (think early app days circa 2014!) and wanted to know how on earth I knew his brother in Wagga… who I happened to have friended on Facebook after a chance meeting in a pub in Cowra after the Cowra Picnic Races a few years earlier. Funnily enough he then went on to partner with my best friend from first year Agricultural Economics at Sydney Uni, when she subsequently moved to Wagga after swapping to Pharmacy in second year. So here I am knowing all three separately, with each not knowing the other - except of course the brothers! Uncanny how life weaves together through a few loose threads!
Another great example is how I once gained a new role after talking to a friend of a friend at Easts Rugby Club, who was looking to fill his old role after he was promoted. It happened to be exactly what I was looking for and because of the loose connection it helped speed up the process. This particular business also valued staff referrals, so having someone recommend me as part of their employee referral program gave me an extra boost in the hiring process, and added value to that loose connection, win-win!
I am sure if you reflect upon your own experiences, you will find many opportunities that came about from the strength of your own weak ties.
Verity and Georgie shared several stories that followed the same theme: one connection often led to the next, creating a chain of opportunities. We all know Georgie is a master at forging and cultivating relationships, and she’s widely recognised for being generous with her network. She doesn’t just support those within her inner circle, she has an incredible ability to send ripples far and wide, strengthening our industry and creating opportunities for others along the way. I have been the fortunate recipient of Georgie’s network generosity and hope to follow in her footsteps in a way, with what I aim to deliver through my work with AgCentric.
As the panel session went on, it was clear that the term ‘weak tie’ really didn’t fit for how it feels when you create these special connections… between us, we landed on a name that felt more natural, warmer... loose threads.
Georgie summed it up perfectly: when you entwine multiple threads together, they become stronger.
Nurturing existing connections and making new ones. It was great to catch up with the ARLF team and meet the incoming President of AWiA, Cressida Cains!
Plant a Seed for Safety’s Alex Thomas and Madie Hamilton at Rural Women’s Award Gala Dinner
It’s a beautiful analogy for the way connection works in our sector. Individually, those threads might seem small or passing. But together, they form the fabric that keeps our industry resilient, informed and moving forward.
Across the two days including attending the AgriFutures Australia Rural Women’s Award Gala Dinner at Parliament House for the winner announcement, I had the absolute pleasure of extending, and reconnecting with, my own network of incredible women such as:
Nicole McNaughton, a very worthy state winner in the Rural Women’s Award for her Food & Agribusiness Network initiative and who was an absolute delight to speak with.
Brianna Casey AM, who has recently been announced as the new Managing Director of AgriFutures, exciting times ahead for her, that organisation and the team!
Jo Palmer, who I only just found out is a fellow Hulstonian and is doing incredible work through her new ventures, the Connection Table and Invest Rural - make sure you check these platforms out!
Suzi Evans who is a remarkable force; someone who has faced immense challenges and chosen to dedicate her life to helping others find their own strength. Having been personally touched by suicide, as so many sadly have, I deeply admire Suzi’s courage, compassion, and resilience with her initiative ‘workbench for the mind’ which was also a state finalist in the RWA previously.
Cressida Cairns, who has taken on leading the AWiA in their next chapter and one to watch as she steps out from running the family business into a fresh new venture.
And of course the life force that is Alex Thomas of Plant a Seed for Safety - who I first met at BeefEx 2024 when she was on our speaking program, and I just adore bumping into at any chance!
The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in Australia the Hon. Julie Collins addressing attendees at the RWA Gala Dinner at Parliament House
In agriculture, we’re good at leaning on our strong ties - the people we trust, we work with, and turn to. But our loose threads are what keep us fresh, adaptive and connected beyond our own backyard. They’re the bridges between sectors, between science and practice, between ideas and implementation. You can never have too many bridges!
So here’s my challenge to you… as you wrap up the year, make space for the weak ties - or, better yet, those loose threads. Reach out, reconnect, or say yes to that new conversation.
Because strong industries aren’t built just on strong ties. They’re built on broad ones - woven from a thousand small connections that, together, make us stronger.
You are the sum of your connections. If you’d like to discuss how to build your network of weak ties or loose threads, I’d love to help you - get in touch.