036: Taking the fear out of networking, Anesha Collins
Networking is one of those words that can either totally energize you or make you shake a bit in your boots. Either way, its a word that means lots of different things to lots of different people and for some people it can mean having to walk into a room full of strangers and somehow convince them to all fall in love with you and either buy from you or send all of their friends from you. It doesn't have to be like that and today we are chatting with Anesha Collins from Unashamed Imaging all about how to make networking work for you!
More about Anesha:Anesha Collins is a well recognized Wedding & Events Photographer and Cinematographer based in Central Florida who's works have been featured in The Huffington Post, The NFL, MunaLuchiBridal Magazine, HowHeAsked, Borrowed & Blue, Pretty Pear Bride and more.
"I'm a lover of action movies, Chic-Fil-A, Italian food, and football. I'm the girl that sits
on the couch with the fellas on Super Bowl Sunday, screams at the screen and enjoys
every moment of it! I'm also a sucker for love. This is why I love shooting weddings. At the end of the day, I want you to feel the emotions in my creative art."
Show Notes
How does networking work for creative small business owners?
- Mindset is important. Goal can't be to be popular and friends with EVERYONE.
- Sometimes you have to just walk through the fear and just do it. The worst thing they can say is no.
What does the word "networking" mean?
- Serving and connecting
- Kind of look at it like dating
A lot of creative small business owners network and they don't know they are actually networking. It's not as formal as "I'm now in networking mode", its more organic than that.
Why is "networking" sometimes scary?
- Rejection
- Not understanding or knowing the energy of the group
Online vs In person networking
- Your real self will show quicker in person than in online
- Online people can put on a mask or craft their persona
- Your connections can grow deeper from in person connections
Three steps to make networking easier
- Check your motives, WHY are you networking
- Write down your expectations, but don't set them
- Be yourself, don't try to be someone you think people want, just be you
Personal lessons learned
- You will have both positive (it results in something positive) or negative (it may not go anywhere or leave a bad taste in your mouth), but you can learn from both.
- We won't all get along perfectly all the time, so learn what you can from each interaction and continue moving forward.
