For years, we’ve been told that proximity no longer matters.

Follow the right people.
Build a global audience.
Grow your network digitally.

And while global reach has value, something critical has been lost in the process.

Because when it comes to real opportunity, real relationships, and real momentum, being near someone often matters more than following them.

The Illusion of Connection

Following someone online feels like access.

You see their updates.
You react to their posts.
You watch their career moves unfold.

But visibility is not the same as proximity.

Platforms like LinkedIn have made it incredibly easy to observe people at scale. What they have not solved is contextual connection.

You might follow 1,000 professionals.

How many of them are within 200 metres of you right now?

How many are sitting in the same café?
Working in the same building?
Attending the same event?

Digital networks optimise for reach.
Human networks thrive on context.

Proximity Creates Relevance

When someone is physically near you, three things change instantly:

1. Timing Improves

Opportunity is time-sensitive. If someone is nearby now, the window for interaction is open now.

2. Context Is Shared

You’re in the same environment. The same neighbourhood. The same room. That shared context reduces friction.

3. Action Becomes Easier

A conversation is one decision away. Not a cold message. Not a connection request. Just a moment.

Proximity compresses the distance between awareness and action.

Following someone keeps them in your feed.
Being near someone puts them within reach.

The Power of Familiarity

Psychology tells us that repeated exposure builds comfort. It’s known as the mere-exposure effect.

If you pass the same person three times at your local café, something shifts. They stop being a stranger and start feeling familiar.

Now imagine if you knew:

• You share similar interests

• You work in adjacent industries

• You’ve crossed paths before

Suddenly, the barrier to saying hello drops dramatically.

Proximity reduces perceived risk.
Familiarity increases confidence.
Shared space creates natural openings.

This is something digital following cannot replicate.

Global Reach vs Local Leverage

There is nothing wrong with global visibility. In fact, it can be powerful.

But most career breakthroughs are not born from passive digital reach.

They come from:

• Conversations

• Introductions

• Serendipitous encounters

• Repeated local presence

Even in major cities like Auckland and Wellington, professionals often feel isolated. Surrounded by people. Connected to thousands online. Yet disconnected in real life.

The irony is simple:

You may be following someone in London.
But your next opportunity might be sitting two tables away.

The Shift Back to Human Context

For years, platforms have optimised for scale.

More followers.
More reach.
More impressions.

But connection is not built on scale alone.

It is built on:

• Shared space

• Shared time

• Shared intention

When you know someone is nearby, interaction feels natural rather than forced.

You are not interrupting.
You are participating in the same moment.

That changes everything.

Following Is Passive. Proximity Is Active.

Following someone requires almost nothing from you.

Being near someone introduces possibility.

Possibility requires choice.

Will you start the conversation?
Will you introduce yourself?
Will you take the small social risk?

Proximity does not guarantee connection.
But it creates the conditions where connection becomes likely.

And in a world saturated with passive consumption, that is powerful.

The Missed Moments We Never See

Every day, we walk past potential collaborators, future clients, creative partners, and friends.

We just don’t know it.

We scroll through hundreds of updates from people thousands of miles away, while missing the person standing five metres from us who shares our ambition, our interests, or our direction.

The future of professional networking is not about replacing global reach.

It is about restoring local awareness.

Because when you know who is near you, networking stops feeling forced.

It starts feeling human.

And that is where real opportunity lives.