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It turned out that one of the other moms was a scuba diver, a sport our family enjoys. Generous and warm, she became one of my first “mom” friends. That boosted my confidence -- maybe I could do this. Gradually, as I grew to know these wonderful women, the conversations grew warmer and the friendships blossomed.

The result? My daughter now enjoys a plethora of play dates and birthday parties. She is fully clothed, in part due to wonderful hand-me-downs that we receive from other moms -- gifts that we, in turn, share with our friends. When a meeting runs late or a client needs help unexpectedly, I have a ready supply of friends, in addition to my family, on whom I can rely. More importantly, my mom friends, like my daughter, enrich my life much more than I could ever have imagined.

The take-home message? We can all build the network we need. The first step is to assess where the strengths, and the gaps, in your current network lie. Then, whether your network needs a better personal sector, as mine did, or the professional side needs a jump start, you craft what you need.

Build a network for what you do and who you are.