15 Jun Networking… for the rest of us.

Posted at 10:05h in Connecting and Networking, Dream. Think. Do., Mitch's Blog by Mitch Matthews 0 Comments

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When it comes to going after our big dreams and achieving more… you will need to network. Guaranteed.

The problem is… if you’re like me… networking can be tough.

Photo kudos: Biznik

How about you?

Does the thought of entering a room filled with people you don’t know make you break out in a hives? Would you rather run a marathon… than walk into a room of strangers?

Me too.

Yeah… it might surprise you… but I’m an introvert who has learned to be extroverted. So my natural default is NOT to seek out opportunities to meet new people. Nope.

But here’s the deal. We need to… don’t we?

Whether we’re pursuing a big dream… or just walking out our daily life… we need to be able to connect with others. We need to be able to navigate situations where we don’t know everyone in the room.

Well… recently… a graduating senior approached me after a speaking gig at a university. She shared that she knew she needed to be able to meet new people in order to find a job after school… but she also admitted that typical networking put her on the brink of panic attacks. (Can you identify?)

As a result… I shared what I call a little “bike shop wisdom.”

Yup… yup. Here’s a little pearl that I learned from Marty Doane. The owner of the bike shop I worked in as a teenager.

It’s something that has exponentially increased my ability to connect with people… grow a healthy network of freakishly awesome people… and in the end… even enjoy networking opportunities!

I shared the story and the pearl this morning on my segment on Life 107.1 fm.

[audio:https://mitchmatthews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Mitch-Matthews-2012-06-15.mp3|titles=Mitch on 107.1 FM – A pearl of wisdom for introverts]

Photo kudos biznik

So… whether you use this strategy the next time you attend a networking event… the next time you’re invited to a party that involves people you don’t know… or the next time you’re sitting down with someone new… I hope it helps!

I know it’s made all the difference for me!

Keep dreaming big and helping others to do the same,

Mitch Matthews