Daniel Mikus: Why traditional networking is being replaced with mental health catchups in the modern age of business

Australia's business leaders are rethinking what it means to connect and the lunch-and-laugh shop talk formula of old-school networking is quickly being replaced by something deeper, more honest and far more human.
 

According to Daniel Mikus, cofounder of MR Roads, one of Australia's fastest-growing road construction companies, the best business relationships now begin not with a pitch, but with a real conversation about how people are actually feeling.
 

"We're all tired of transactional networking," Mikus said.
 

"No one wants to sit through another fake coffee meeting full of surface talk and small wins or a lazy lunch bagging and bragging about achievements and competitors. What people really want now is realness. To talk about the mental load, the burnout, the challenges of leading teams or holding everything together at home. That's where genuine trust begins, not in the pitch, but in the pause.
 

"If I want to meet up with someone to talk about a business opportunity I drop the networking. I just don't do it. I want to get to know the people involved and I would like the opportunity for them to get to know me.
 

"The only way to do it, is to have a mental health catchup. It should be an opportunity to check in with each other and build a genuine connection of care and concern. This is where important conversations happen and where real connections are forged."
 

Authenticity over applause
 

Mikus, who helped build MR Roads into a national infrastructure success story, said it was only when he and cofounder James Rolph started having more vulnerable conversations with their peers, staff and industry contacts that the most meaningful business connections started to grow.
 

"The moment you start saying, 'Yeah, this month's been tough,' or 'I've been rethinking some of my approaches to things,' the person across from you opens up too. That's the new currency. Honesty," he said.
 

Mikus emphasised that it's not just a feel-good trend, it's good business. Leaders who are emotionally available are building deeper relationships, better partnerships and stronger teams.
 

The burnout era has changed us
 

Mikus said the last few years have fundamentally shifted how people want to engage.

"Everyone's been through something; COVID, interest rate hikes, team changes, business uncertainty. People are done pretending they're fine. Now, the most powerful thing you can say in business is: 'Things aren't easy. I'm dealing with a lot. How are you doing?' That vulnerability builds respect. It builds connection and ultimately it builds deals."
 

Mental health is a business conversation now
 

Where mental health was once a taboo or relegated to HR handbooks, it's now front and centre in many boardrooms and business circles. Mikus says he's had more business wins come out of mental health catchups than any structured networking event.
 

"I've had conversations where someone started by saying they were having a rough week and two months later, we were working on a seven-figure project together," he said.
 

"You remember the people who were real with you, not the ones who recited their LinkedIn headline."
 

Leading by example and building something stronger
 

As the head of a company known for making roads stronger, longer-lasting and more resilient, Mikus said it's time the same philosophy applied to business relationships.
 

"We talk about making unbreakable roads, but we should also be working on unbreakable trust. That starts by being real, being human and being present," he said.
 

For Mikus, that means more check-ins, more honest conversations and a culture where asking, "Are you okay?" is as normal as asking, "How's work going?"
 

The new way to build business? Talk about what's breaking you
 

"If we want stronger business, we need stronger people and that starts with connection. Not networking, real connection. That's what matters now," Mikus said.
 

"Let's stop pretending and start talking. That's how we'll change not just business culture, but people's lives."
 

About MR Roads
 

MR Roads is one of Australia's fastest growing civil infrastructure companies, specialising in road construction, asphalt works, pavement maintenance and large-scale infrastructure solutions. Founded by Daniel Mikus and James Rolph, MR Roads has quickly established itself as a trusted leader in the sector, delivering high quality outcomes for government, commercial and private clients across the country.

www.mr-roads.com.au