So, if you’ve poked around here on my website, you know I offer a homestudy program on how to be better at networking.  And if you’ve read the description, you know that once upon a time, back when I first started my business, networking terrified me.  Made me cry.  Made me think seriously about giving up my business, even though I loved the work I was doing with clients, and couldn’t imagine going back into the corporate world.

For a few brief months, I even worked with a coach who told me I didn’t have to network.  Wonderful woman, in many ways a good coach, but that wasn’t realistic, and it really wasn’t what I needed to hear.

Networking is a crucially-important activity for anyone who’s self-employed.  You can’t just decide you’re not going to do it.  And yes, I know there are successful people out there who say they hate networking and it’s not necessary for success – but in every case I’ve come across, they’re doing it, just calling it something else.  A rose by any other name…

Whether online, in person, or a combination, if you’re serious about your business, you’ve got to do some sort of networking.  (For that matter, even if you’re not in business – networking is pretty crucial for your career as an employed person, too.)

And you need to keep pushing the boundaries if you want to keep expanding your network.

That’s something I’ve had to remind myself about recently, especially as it’s gotten more difficult for me to find new people to meet.  Yes, as hard as it is for me to believe, I’ve actually met so many people that I’m spending most of my networking time saying “Hi!” to folks I already know, instead of making new connections!

So I’ve recently started doing something I swore I’d never do again.  (Yes, I know.  Those proclamations get me every time!)

I’ve started going to local Chamber of Commerce events.

I swore I’d never go again – and in fact, I even say say so in the networking program – because I’ve had some pretty awful experiences there. 

Chamber events are heavily attended by self-employed people and small business owners.  And my memory told me that they tend to be like I was way-back-when:  nervous, a tad panicky about meeting people, a tad needy for clients.  (On one memorable occasion, I actually saw someone handing out business cards from a big box under her arm.)  In short, not particularly conducive to making quality connections.

Or so I thought.

But my clients are self-employed independent practitioners and small business owners.   Chamber events are where they go.

And it didn’t hurt that these events are local to me – no beating my way through Southern California traffic to get to downtown or mid-county events.

So I figured, why not?

Let me just say, humbly, that I was wrong to put down Chamber events.

And let me just remind you all, as I have been reminding myself, that you must know who your audience is and where to find them - and then go there, wherever it may be. 

Even if it’s someplace you swore never to go again.

I’ve met great people.  People who want to hire me and people who want to refer me.  People I’ve enjoyed getting together with for coffee.  People I expect to stay in touch with because I like them, never mind the business connections.

And one lovely woman who was so thrilled to meet me – she’s been looking for someone with exactly my skills to help her clients – that she actually gave me a big hug.  In the middle of a Chamber of Commerce networking event.

I love networking!