A startup CEO named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 says everyone should cold email their idols — here's how

Tiffany Pham Mogul

Want to become successful in your 20s?

Cold email your career idols.

That's the secret to success, said Tiffany Pham, the CEO and founder of women-only social media platform Mogul.

Of course, Pham said it's best to first scour your contacts for potential connections who can introduce you in person.

But if that's out of the question, send a cold email.

Pham, who was named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 in 2014, shared a few tricks to ensure your email won't languish unread in someone's inbox.

Most importantly, don't give the person a reason to decline your message.

"Essentially, find a way to not be declined," Pham said. "So that means asking if you could have a five minute phone call or a fifteen minute tea. Say you think that the initiatives that they're working on are so incredible and interesting that you'd love to support them in any way possible."

She said her own networking paid off.

"I just spent so much time learning from as many people as possible, people that I admired in the industry that I was focused on," she said. "I really reached out to those people that I admired."

Ultimately, some of those connections became valuable partnerships. Today, Mogul's board is made up of the president of BBC Worldwide North American, the former chairman and president of Hearst Magazines, and the co-founder of Match.com, among others Pham cold emailed.

But Pham added it's important to not get discouraged if your cold email campaign isn't successful straight away.

"Along the way, you may not get replies," she said. "You may get some 'nos.' Just know that those 'nos' are 'not right nows.' They probably won't even remember your name if you reach out two months later or a year later. It's always worth it to reach out. What's the worst that can happen?"

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