Whom you know will not help you build the reputation which is a by product of good work but it will open doors that will allow you to do what you need to do and spread the word about how well you do it.
Your network of highly engaged friends and acquiantances is your social capital. The size and level of engagement determines how rich that capital is. What you need to do to increase your social capital and how to benefit from it are some of the things you can consider from this blog post.
