05/26/2026
Fun while Networking? Who does that?
Well.....
me!
If it's not fun, how do I make it fun? Am I a naturally fun person? Do I have that pollyanna-ish outlook on life that makes so many people think bleh!?
I've been to a lot of painful networking events and meetings. Some in person, some online. Two things I've noticed. No one wants to do it and no one knows what to say or what their 'ask' is.
So I'm a natural introvert - hello law school- and my kids will tell you I am not very fun and my husband will say that I am definitely not pollyanna.
How do I make it fun? I gamify it. Yes, I used to use my brain to gamify it. 'Can I get this person's card?' was an early one. (I said painful, right?)Sometimes it's more of a 'can I get the grumpy old man to crack a smile?' Sometimes it is more of an on-the-fly ai prompt of how to make it fun. Somebody have fun socks? How do I get that into my ask?
The deeper the relationships, the easier it has gotten. Do I still run into groups of grumpy old men who make the guys from the muppets look like pollyanna? Absolutely. Do I intentionally try to 'turn' them? Of course. Do most of them know how they come across? Probably not.
All of this to say-yes sometimes I have to work at it. But the biggest part is that I continue to show up and decide I'm going to get some kind of 'win' whether it's business or personal. Sometimes I share with friends what nonsense I'm up to-co-conspirators make it so much more fun!
If you ever want to join an adventure with me, reach out and let me know.
