Networking—ew.
We all get that feeling after trudging through what feels like a meat market of business glad-handing.
I remember one event in particular, where I was surrounded by about 300 other professionals. Our name tags were color coded by industry. As I squeezed my way through the crowd—which was full of fake laughter, booze and sweaty faces as the tent we occupied seemed to grow smaller—I was constantly being grabbed by the arm, pulled aside and roughly introduced.
“HiI’mDaveWhatDoYouDo.”
Dude, take a breath Dave. Calm down. This is getting creepy.
Again and again, I was pulled aside by hands that seemed to pop out of nowhere.
I fucking hate that kind of networking. It’s gross. It’s cheap. It doesn’t lead anywhere. And it was created by men, from a time when men ran the world of business.
But that’s all changing, isn’t it? A wave of female-owned businesses is about to change our economy in a major way. We’re about to change the world. And first, we’re going to change the way networking is done.
Outside of these meat markets, new gatherings are happening and they’re mostly packed by women. Everything from fireside chats to lunch time meetups with pre-picked topics to leisurely dining with a table of ladies. All of these have one major thing in common: The focus is to engage in deeper conversations and form actual relationships rather than just handing off a business card and saying “see ya.”
Some of my favorites lately include AmplifyDinesLA, Tuesdays Together with The Rising Tide Society and Bossladies Magazine Fireside Chats and Work Sessions.
Dive in, babes. We’re changing the way networking is happening and soon we’ll rule the world (as though we don’t already).
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