Hell, I can’t even remember clothes that I own once they are tucked out of sight. I think I need to buy a new shirt and then I open some strange drawer and it’s filled with shirts just like the one I was going to go out and buy.
A woman in my town emailed me every month about a different kind of networking event. None of the dates aligned with my sshhhhedule until last week. I went and I loved it!
It turned the usually god awful networking on its head. We ate first, then discussed a topic and then once everyone felt comfortable folks got up and dished about their biz for 3 minutes. It didn’t feel icky. It was really fun!
It was called Xperience Connections if you have a chapter near you.
The other networking way makes no sense. You stumble into folks you don’t know and exchange dull “so what do you do’s?” It always made me crazy. I’d try and make the networking experience my own but the other person had been trained – like a seal – to ask, so what do you do-ski? No one really cares what you do when they first meet you, but everyone goes around asking the question.
I’m going to put my own rebellious networking event together and you can, too. If the conventional model doesn’t appeal to you, then create your own. It can be as wild and wacky as you want to make it. And since so many of the folks I know find many of the “big” networking events mentally grueling — I’m sure you’ll easily be able to find a captive audience. It will also connect you with business owners you’re more likely to enjoy hanging around with — because it’s all about building relationships.
There is this bizarre tendency in the business world to follow “traditional” biz models and say, “but, it has to be done this way because it’s business.” Says, who? Maybe that stuff worked back in 1955, but times are a changing and biz owners need to be more adventurous.
What kinds of net or playworking events appeal to you? Got any ideas for your own?
Thanks! G.