Networking Events
I thought last week I was telling you about interruptions to my business schedule, eh? This past weekend away sure topped all that!
Could you have passed up such an opportunity? I couldn’t. I decided that I would catch up somehow or other. I will focus on that this week.
On the other hand, I think I did advance my business ventures a bit too. Just because of the kind of woman I am, whenever I turned around and made a new friend, I was able to shift gears quickly and talk with them about whatever we appeared to have in common. Sometimes it was missions and eternal spiritual goals, but with some individuals it was about my years as a caregiver for my parents and grandma, for another it was about pro-life activities, for some it was about writing books, or self-publishing them. I gave out my business cards as liberally as my “prayer card.”
I discovered that I love this kind of networking. It’s exciting and so much fun! But, it is also physically exhausting! The first night, as I got into my bunk bed I wondered how I would ever fall asleep with those girls giggling and talking down the hall. That night it was no problem.
The next night I had a roommate in a late arrived mission rep, and was also interviewed by some of the girls for an assignment. Sharing stories from my life became so emotionally intense for me, that I was too hyper to fall asleep that night. Maybe I had a few short doze-offs but that is all. I woke up tired!
Fortunately, they had scheduled a nap-time into the Saturday afternoon agenda. I took advantage of it.
Back to this networking - meeting strangers and talking with them about many things in short conversations standing by the booth, or eating together in the dining room, or late night dorm talks - this is a whole new world to me. I’m wondering if more of this is on my horizon. What can I do to polish and prepare myself for it?
If you have had some experience, maybe you would have some practical tips and counsel for me?