In the earliest stages of my career as a designer and developer, I would visit networking events because I thought that’s what I was supposed to be doing. Meeting people and “getting out into the community” a bit. Giving a little to get a little, right? The more business cards I handed out, I thought, the more my phone would be ringing off the hook.



You know the scene: small business owners gather, desperately hoping that handing out 25 cards will mean new business. The type of event where you leave feeling a bit empty inside. You act like you’re interested in insurance sales, or cabinet fabrication, or steam cleaning services, but you’re not.

Looking back on those first experiences, I realized I was not only visiting the wrong events, but I was also somewhat ill-prepared for why I was there in the first place. I didn’t have a concrete story to tell (or sell) let alone a game plan if someone sincerely wanted to take steps forward with my company in that moment. I’ll come back to that thought.

In addition to being misguided when it came to the general context of those networking events, I noticed the thick awkwardness that has a tendency to befall such social situations.

Whereas some personalities have no problem walking into a room and talking for hours—the outwardly energized sales personality, no doubt—there are others that understand the value of connecting with new people, but falter in shyness.

As I started moving away from random local business gatherings and into industry specific or targeted events, I came across more creative types—designers, developers, and software folks—than I ever had before. Be it a small local event or a massive conference experience, then and now, I’ll consistently see bright minds and observe just how awkward they can be.

But the thing is, it doesn’t have to be that way. I’ve realized that there are a few pillars in being successful when networking opportunities arise for shy (or less than supremely confident) creatives. The first thing to remember is: