One of the many, many things I love about being a Forbes contributor is it affords me the privilege – and it is without question a privilege, to engage with and form relationships with those who work in the C Suite.

Large company or small company or somewhere in between I have met, interviewed and become friends with some truly amazing, talented and passionate members of the C Suite. One of those folks is Thomas White, who is CEO and a co-founder (alongJeffrey Hayzlett and Karl Post) of C-Suite Network, billed as the home of the world’s most powerful network of C-Suite leaders.

Prior to C-Suite Network, White started 10 companies in the fields of technology, publishing, market research and corporate consulting. He also holds four patents and is co-author of a book on business process technology, executive producer of a syndicated radio program, and professional speaker.

I had a chance to sit down with Thomas not all that long ago to pick his brain, as it were on the origins of the brand, where it’s going in 2015 and so on.

Thomas White, co-founder of C-Suite Network

Steve Olenski: Why did you and the co-founders decide to start the C-Suite Network?

Thomas White: There are a lot of organizations for the various roles we have in our companies There are CEO, CMO, CFO, President and other role based groups. They are valuable and yet, they often reinforce the orientation of the role without bringing the diversity of the perspectives of others who are vital to business success.

In the development of Jeffrey Heyzlett’s program on Bloomberg television, The C-Suite with Jeffrey Hayzlett, we saw a need and interest in an organization that supports a cross-functional dialogue and relationships. We decided to start the C-Suite Network to meet that interest.

It seems that Jeffrey Hayzlett is keynoting almost every single CMO event these days. Since it was Forbes that anointed Hayzlett the “Celebrity CMO” while he was the marketing chief at Kodak, because of his countless media appearances, we wanted to find out what all the current fuss is about. After questioning a multitude of active CMOs, it appears that they’re most interested in hearing Hayzlett talk about Friendsourcing, a concept that he unveiled in his latest book, “Running the Gauntlet.” We asked the Celebrity CMO to elaborate on this approach that might appear obvious but is building buzz with many brand leaders.

Brandon Gutman: Please explain “Friendsourcing”

Jeffrey Hayzlett: It’s crowdsourcing, but better. What’s the first thing you do when you try a new product or service? You tell your friends about it. Friends listen to friends when it comes to buying products, using services and trying new things. It’s the greatest word-of-mouth advertising you can get, because it’s coming from a trusted source.

Why is it more effective than crowdsourcing?

Crowdsourcing is going to the crowds, going out to everyone and asking the universe their opinion. It is a shotgun approach to obtaining and spreading information… But it isn’t the most effective marketing approach anymore. Friendsourcing is pulling in information or input from a trusted group of peers who are willing to assist your mission, spread your message and help you grow.

Jeffrey Hayzlett

How can marketers use Friendsourcing to build their brands?

Marketers need to do several things when it comes to using Friendsourcing to build their brands.

1. Find the people.

Find the people you are willing to pay more for to bring you solutions rather than whine about the problems. Miles Nadal, chairman, founder, and CEO of MDC Partners, Inc., says, “These people will ensure your organization is influential and can enable progress rather than avoid it.”

2. Make sure you find them on every level.

Don’t spend so much time on the managers and executives that you forget the frontline people. Every new person has the opportunity to drive change – both positive and negative. Don’t just look for managers and executives.

3. Make sure they have what is needed for the situations they will face.

Sarah Fay, an independent board advisor in the emerging  media space and the former CEO of Aegis Media North America, said, “We needed to have a culture of change—people who could deal with a shifting landscape; people who could deal with ambiguity.”

4. Train them.

Jeff Cleary, owner and managing director of Catalyst told me: “When restructuring the entire agency from the ground up, we missed the cultural challenges of change. We woefully overestimated our organization’s ability to adapt to change.” Stay personally involved and provide more hands-on training.

5. Actively manage them.

Take on the crucial task of managing investments of human capital—namely, talent—to build the strengths and capabilities of your people.

6. Retain them.

Ronn Torossian, CEO of 5W Public Relations, says, “Realize just how hard it is to retain really good, strong people. Growing (and retaining) my nearly 100 employees is more important than any individual action I can take.“

What is your most powerful advice for executives looking to optimize their personal network?

Know your personal brand and how you want others to perceive you; how do you want to be remembered? Use the tools that are available to you and use them well. Then look for innovative ways to extend your network. Are you following up with people you meet at networking events by connecting on LinkedIn and Twitter? How can you use technology to your advantage? Put aSnapTag on the reverse of your business card that directs your new connection to a recorded personal greeting from you. Send a handwritten thank-you card in the mail – yes, remember the post? – to let people know you value their time. Little things go a long way, especially when done effectively.

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