Why your cold emails aren't paying off | Best of Luck - November 10, 2026 -
Everyone tells you it’s who you know. But what do you do if you don’t know anyone?Marshall Kosloff is really good at building genuine connections, and it’s really paid off for his career. And when he first moved to DC, he didn’t know a single person.
Marshall says his job is to "throw parties." Officially, he is the host of the political podcast The Realignment, and Senior Fellow and Director of Special Projects at the Niskanen Center, a think tank in DC.
In this episode: how to start a conversation that turns into a professional connection, why your cold emails aren’t getting answered, and how to de-risk your big career leap.
00:00 Marshall is the best networker I’ve met
00:48 A message brought to you by AlphaSpace
01:36 Remember Abercrombie models?
05:57 How to network as a nobody
10:06 A message brought to you by AlphaSpace
11:18 Just be confident! On taking action
14:33 #1 career tip: just show interest
16:25 How to write a good cold email
22:05 Rethink risk in your career
24:37 Your manager’s feedback might be wrong
31:34 Grad school is a trap
32:18 Do you take an unpaid internship?
36:30 Applying to be Gandalf
39:56 Luck questionnaire
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Follow Kyla Scanlon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kylascan
This interview was taped at Aspen Ideas: Economy: https://www.aspenideas.org/attend/economy
Our theme song is "Frolic" by Jake Xerxes Fussell. Discover more of his music and tour dates here: https://www.jakexerxesfussell.com/
Produced by: Megan Cunnane, Wendy Mullin, Devan Joseph, Garrett Williams, Coby Weiss
