Through my dealings I’ve come to understand that people of power recognize people of potential. And people of potential need people of power.
A lot of my success that has allowed me to get the leg up was by adding value for free to people of power.
This got me recognized and gave me the opportunity to team up with them once they saw the potential.
When you meet someone of power - try to understand what they need or want and work out a way to provide real value that aligns with their wants for free