Sep 27, 2026 · 14 min · 11 segments
What turns a promising business connection into a relationship strong enough to support referrals, opportunities, and meaningful collaboration? Susan Jarema introduces the ASCEND Collaboration Ladder…
Susan JaremaHost
Have you ever met someone at a networking event and thought, this is a great person, we should collaborate? But collaborate on what? They might not come to you right away.
Or perhaps you've had someone you've just met immediately ask you for a referral or ask for an introduction or even suggest creating and doing something together.
One of the things I've learned through the years of networking and building the grand connection is that the strong collaborations rarely begin with a big proposal, right? You're not going to get married on the first date.
And that's what the Ascend collaboration ladder is designed to help us understand.
Are Ready, Referral Ready, asks, Am I clear, credible, and prepared enough that someone can confidently refer me? Ascend asks, Where is this relationship right now, and what is the next natural step? They both need to be aligned, right? Because not every connection is ready for a referral, and not every referral relationship is ready for a collaboration.
Have you ever met someone at a networking event and thought, this is a great person, we should collaborate? But collaborate on what? They might not come to you right away.
Or perhaps you've had someone you've just met immediately ask you for a referral or ask for an introduction or even suggest creating and doing something together.
One of the things I've learned through the years of networking and building the grand connection is that the strong collaborations rarely begin with a big proposal, right? You're not going to get married on the first date.
And that's what the Ascend collaboration ladder is designed to help us understand.
Are Ready, Referral Ready, asks, Am I clear, credible, and prepared enough that someone can confidently refer me? Ascend asks, Where is this relationship right now, and what is the next natural step? They both need to be aligned, right? Because not every connection is ready for a referral, and not every referral relationship is ready for a collaboration.
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