Networking was supposed to finish at two.
That was the plan.
A sensible Friday lunch. A little conversation, a little business, maybe one wine, then back to real life with plenty of time for school pickup.
I left at 3:45.
Darren had been called in as the emergency designated driver, school pickup was now very much late and I had negotiated “no homework” as compensation for the child affected by my professional development.
So, all in all, a very productive networking event.
Putting Yourself Out There
The lunch came about after I connected with Steph through LinkedIn and Instagram.
One of the biggest lessons I have learned since starting my business is that opportunities rarely arrive while you are sitting quietly at home waiting for them.
You have to put yourself out there.
You have to send the message, accept the invitation and occasionally walk into a room where you do not know exactly how things are going to go.
That can feel uncomfortable.
You wonder whether you will have anything to talk about. Whether the conversation will flow. Whether the person you are meeting will understand you.
Or whether you will spend two hours politely discussing the weather before escaping to your car.
Thankfully, that was not what happened.
Enter Dean
We met at 360 on the Broadwater, where our waiter, Dean, quickly became part of the experience.
The lunch was meant to run from twelve until two.
At some point, two o’clock came and went without either of us noticing.
The conversation kept flowing. The ideas kept coming. Another wine seemed perfectly reasonable.
By the time I looked at the clock, it was 3:45 and the responsible version of me had left the building some time ago.
This is the problem with meeting people you genuinely connect with.
A scheduled coffee becomes lunch.
Lunch becomes two wines.
Two wines become a phone call to your husband that begins with, “Sooooo, what are you doing?”
My One and Only Designated Driver
Darren is my backup plan.
My one and only.
My occasionally reluctant designated driver, who arrives wearing the expression of a man who absolutely knew this was going to happen.
It is not the first time he has been unexpectedly recruited into the role.
He does frown when he picks me up.
But I secretly think he loves it.
At least, that is the story I have chosen to believe.
This particular rescue mission also involved a late school pickup and a child who quite reasonably wanted to know what was in it for them.
Apparently, “Mum was networking” is not considered adequate compensation.
“No homework” was accepted.
Negotiations concluded successfully.
Not Everyone Will Be Your Cup of Tea
The more I put myself out there, the more I understand that not every connection is going to be the right one.
You will not be everyone’s cup of tea.
Not everyone will be yours either.
That is okay.
Networking is not about convincing every person you meet to like you, hire you or immediately become your new best friend.
It is about being open enough to find the people who understand what you are building.
The people who make conversation feel easy.
The people who leave you energised instead of exhausted.
The people who care deeply about their work, take pride in their businesses and are willing to share ideas generously.
Those are the connections worth making.
Sometimes It Just Clicks
Starting a business can feel lonely.
There are days when you are making every decision yourself, wondering whether you are doing enough and trying to work out where the next opportunity will come from.
Then you meet someone who understands.
You talk about business, life, ideas and everything in between.
You leave with new energy, a few new possibilities and absolutely no chance of making school pickup on time.
Maybe that is what good networking looks like.
Not collecting the most business cards.
Not trying to impress everyone in the room.
Just putting yourself out there and finding the right people.
Preferably with a patient husband on standby.
Go easy. Grow steady.
