Why Did I Bother?

On Tue, I went to my first ever Wyndham Biznet function.

My accountant encouraged me to go.

So did a school mum whose accounting firm is represented.

And a bank executive I met at the Small Biz Festival last month.

And the Biz Devt Officer at council, who even explained what to expect on the night and how to make the most of networking opportunities.

Trouble was: I had no idea how to dress up for the occasion.

It's been 6 years since I've had to present myself as a professional person. Since coming to Aus, I've attended ONE wedding, and that occasion caused me quite a few internal dramas too because I realized all the young people were naturals at the eyeshadow, mascara and hair curling/straightening stuff. And I'm clueless.

10 minutes to leaving time, I was still fussing over outfits and trying to get my face to look made up and my hair to behave.

Why did I never pay attention to these important life skills when I was in my 20's?

Oh but wait, I wouldn't have known who to ask anyway. And my job didn't require me to put my best face forward too much.

Hubby told me to just relax and go have a good time.

And in the end, that's just what I did.

My coaching muscles got a pretty rigorous workout too.

I practised my listening skills (very hard when you're doing the "Do I look okay?" "Wonder what they think of me?" self-talk) and focussed on being 100% present.

I asked questions that showed curiosity about the other person.

I embraced the fear of not belonging, and ended the night making some fantastic one-on-one connections with people who looked friendly and approachable.

When they asked who was new, I raised my hand, took the mic and introduced myself and my coaching business. I could feel my face burning as I spoke, but I made the effort to be as articulate and authentic as possible and to let my conviction shine through.

Afterwards, several people told me I had spoken really well and that the issues I had raised were common problems we experience and they could think of friends etc who could really use my services.

One of the highlights of the evening was discovering that the guest speaker - retired minister of the church and author Noel McCrea - was someone I knew.

We'd met 2 years ago at the gym and were in the same Body Balance class every week for several months.

I loved his friendly smiles, his energy and attitude, his friendliness towards the other members, and the way he fully participated in every class.

Until I dropped out.

Noel never forgot it, and when he rose to deliver his speech, he made it a point to acknowledge his friend "Serena - the gym dropout".

Instant notoriety!

It was great to be able to go over to his table and say hi to him, his wife and friends, and to see the fantastic support and encouragement they gave him: positive feedback on his speech; helping him collect the money for book sales... What a great way to live at 82!

If I do no other business networking, I think showing up regularly to Biznet and contributing through it would be a very doable way to establish my presence in the community.