A Review of: The Big Power of Tiny Connections; How Small Interactions Spark Awesome Outcomes

This is my very first review of a non-fiction piece of work that focuses on self-help, specifically: empowering oneself and making positive connections in their work as well as in daily life. I received a free audiobook for review, so please, take a seat as we delve into the nuances of this interesting book. Written by Jen Nash, a trained public speaker and professional specialising in life coaching and consultancy for companies and published by Big Shift Press in July 2022.

The author of this book, Jen Nash, has covered a huge amount of ground about how to change your life for the good, and how to feel empowered to make use of opportunities to make connections. One thoroughly interesting example the author makes to support her idea is to make connections with others who seemingly may not be a ‘big fish’, one can still have a meaningful relationship. Nash describes how to make a positive connection and cherish that connection, as who else knows what it may lead to?

Nash describes how tiny connections are all around us, for e.g. when we are at school we might need to ‘make nice’ with the friend of the popular kids in class, to be able to be picked for the team we might want to be in, and she discusses the idea of ensuring we stay in touch with everyone as best as possible as this could help further us in our careers or social standing.

You might be thinking: that this comes across as selfish, in order to progress in life we have to take advantage of what others might be able to offer us? Nash goes into detail about making these connections genuine and being interested in people because you care for them and want them to do well, rather than it being for oneself. It’s not all about progressing what we want but supporting others to achieve the best that they can as well, a very humanitarian approach to life.

Over a year ago, I had great interviews with Sebastien de Castell, Katherine Hutson, Hannah Reed and many more authors, which you can view on this blog. They have all shared a lot of insightful advice about writing and getting passionate about the industry. Had I not had a good connection with these amazing writers, I may not have been able to have these brilliant conversations that inspired me to continue with my own writing and blog.

Nash is a fantastic storyteller, and a keynote speaker and you definitely get the feeling that she has plenty of experiences in life to be able to provide this book, and the advice she has written about. Jen wrote about how hiring a coach or having a mentor can be a huge positive in your life, which absolutely makes sense. Should you need advice in life, you go to the person you see as being the most experienced like your parents or grandparents. I have done this in my writing work and asked fellow authors for support and advice on my writing or how to improve my work, so having a mentor can really help you, an idea that companies like Forbes support and universities like Southampton University in England.

You may have noticed from my other reviews, that I love to source my work and the work of others, so references or bibliography are really important to me as a reader to stay informed so I can make good decisions. I do think that the book lacks this, I did have the audiobook and I don’t believe there was any mention of references about how the author solidifies her points, which I think is a shame as it would be a great option to offer listeners so they can go out, be informed and be inspired even more. As we all know, people will experience life differently, and having the voices of others from different cultures and backgrounds included in this book would have been fascinating to me. I think what the author talks about in this book is accurate, with maybe some cultural differences to me living in little England, as I have been able to verify a lot of the information she puts across since listening to the book.

Therefore, whether you’re looking for something different to read or listen to, or whether you want to kick yourself into action to really do that thing that you’ve been dying to do for weeks, this may be the sign you’ve been waiting for to actually get up from your sofa, and just do it.

Recommendation

I would absolutely recommend this book to adults, who have potentially lost their ‘zest’ in life, are thinking about a different career path or even want some inspiration to go out and meet new people which would open them up to new opportunities. There are a lot of tips and advice and while it’s not exclusively a guide about how to do new things, the book is more of an inspirational guide about getting the motivation to actually do the things you’ve been mulling over for weeks, months or even years.

Big Power of Tiny Connections Summary

Theme: This book is a self-help novel, that talks about how to support new connections, making friends and improving your social as well as private life.

Description: There are references to sex, as being a normal and healthy thing in the book, so I would give this a 12A rating, and suggest it’s appropriate for people aged 16+. This book may not be suitable for individuals who are easily influenced, as the book does specify you have to make your own decisions, it would be easy for someone who doesn’t have that initial boundary to not recognise that line and cross it, potentially becoming inappropriate for them.

Narration: The book is written from the author’s point of view, talking about her own life experiences as well as identifying the experiences of others she knows, with their permission. The author also narrated the audiobook, so not only is she sharing her life with the reader, but while Nash reads the book for audio, it hits the point home in a deeper way and you feel more connected with her.

The Author

As a Connector in Chief, she helps people and companies add more meaning to their lives through connection. She is a master story-telling facilitator, a connection-focused keynote speaker, a sought-after executive coach, and the author of the book: The Big Power of Tiny Connections— How Small Interactions Spark Awesome Outcomes.

With two decades of dedicated learning and professional experience working as a senior consultant for Fortune 100 Pharma, Health, Tech, and Finance giants—Jen integrates human behavioural theory with real-world practicalities. Jen understands that you can be critically successful and yet still wonder if there isn’t meant to be more for you? To that end, Jen has coached and trained hundreds of individuals on stepping into their potential, mastering connective speaking, and being the best leaders they can be. Jen has completed training as a Coach For Life and is a member of the ICF. She is regularly interviewed on a wide range of podcasts talking about coaching and her book The Big Power of Tiny Connections. Born in Canada and raised around the world in such countries as Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Australia, Jennifer confuses people by speaking French with a French accent and trying her hands at over 40 other languages.

She studied Communication Design at Parsons & The New School for Social Research in New York City. When not travelling the globe learning new ways to say ‘thank you’ and finding bright souls with whom to foster lifelong friendships; Jen Nash can be seen biking around New York City, Los Angeles or striding around el Centro in San Miguel Allende, Mexico.

References

Bhattacharya, P. (2020) ‘What Makes A Great Mentor, And The Importance Of Having One’. Forbes Council Post. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2020/02/24/what-makes-a-great-mentor-and-the-importance-of-having-one/?sh=58753fbd556f.

European Commission – European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations: Humanitarian Principles. https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/who/humanitarian-principles_en

Jen Nash – Contact. https://www.jennash.com/about

The University of Southampton – https://www.southampton.ac.uk/professional-development/mentoring/benefits-of-a-mentoring-relationship.page.