You're on LinkedIn. You're at the events. You're sending the emails. So why does building meaningful business relationships still feel so hard?
If that question resonates, you're not alone — and you're not doing anything wrong. According to Penny Power OBE, one of the UK's most respected voices on business community and belonging, we're living through a fundamental shift in how humans connect. And most of us haven't noticed it happening.
We're More Connected Than Ever — and More Lonely For It
London is a city that runs on relationships. Deals are done over coffee in Shoreditch. Partnerships are forged at Canary Wharf boardrooms. Referrals pass between friends at networking events across the City. For London's business owners, the quality of your relationships isn't just a nice-to-have — it's your competitive edge.
But here's the uncomfortable truth: the platforms we've come to rely on for those relationships — LinkedIn, email, social media — were designed by Silicon Valley engineers optimising for engagement, not genuine human connection. As Penny puts it, we've been participants in a "massive psychological experiment" that has quietly rewired the way we interact with one another.
The result? We treat relationships like transactions. We collect contacts instead of building trust. We perform connection rather than experience it.
What Penny Power OBE Has Learned — And Why London Businesses Need to Hear It
Penny Power is no armchair theorist. She co-founded Ecademy, one of the world's first business social networks, back in 1998 — long before LinkedIn existed. She's spent decades studying what makes business communities thrive and what makes them hollow. She was awarded an OBE for her services to entrepreneurship.
In this candid 42-minute interview with ActionCOACH Business Coaching UK, Penny explores:
- Why digital connection is leaving business owners feeling anxious and insignificant
- The difference between being seen online and feeling truly significant to others
- How to rebuild the kind of deep, trust-based relationships that actually move the needle in business
- What London's entrepreneurs can do right now to reconnect — with their clients, their teams, and themselves
This isn't a conversation about social media tactics or networking tips. It's a deeper reckoning with what it means to be human in business in 2024 — and how London's business community can lead the way back to something more meaningful.
Watch the Full Interview Now
Whether you lead a team of two or two hundred, whether you're a founder, a director, or a coach — if relationships are central to how you do business (and in London, they always are), this conversation is for you.
Set aside 42 minutes. Make a coffee. Watch this.
