In business, relationships are everything. Whether it's with your vendors, suppliers, customers, clients, or partners, strong relationships can make all the difference. But it’s not just about those direct connections. Sometimes, the most unexpected people in your network can open doors you didn’t even know existed. Maybe that friendly face from the grocery store turns into a customer, or a magazine article you read leads to a future event speaker, or perhaps a fellow parent at your child’s school becomes your next business partner. The possibilities are endless!
Just last month, I hosted my first Master Class in Tampa, FL (which, side note, is currently being pummeled by a hurricane as I write this—I hope everyone is staying safe!). I can’t believe it’s already been almost a month since the event! The Master Class was a huge success, and I’m so glad I took the leap to make it happen. It was something I felt drawn to do around March or April of this year, and I'm thrilled I followed through.
My favorite part of the whole process was planning—connecting with speakers, finding the perfect venue, and coordinating with vendors. That part came naturally to me. However, marketing the event? Not so much! As someone who doesn’t find marketing to be second nature, this was definitely the more challenging aspect, but I pushed through and got it done. Then came the day of the event itself, which was an adrenaline rush! Public speaking has never been my strong suit (or at least that is what I thought – a false true I told myself), but I was determined to face that fear—and I did!
Since I was hosting the event and introducing each speaker, I practiced my introductions beforehand. Every time I practiced, the words came out differently, which was fine because I knew that on the day, I would say exactly what needed to be said. However, when it came to the transitions between speakers, I hadn’t practiced much. I figured I’d improvise and share a bit about who they were. But about a week before the event, I had an idea: instead of just introducing them with their bios, I’d make it more personal by sharing how I met each speaker.
So, for each introduction, I told a brief story about how our paths crossed. Of the four speakers, I had known one for years, while the other three I met for the first time through this event. One speaker was a long-time friend, colleague, and business partner. Another was introduced to me through a referral from her assistant in a business social media group. I connected with the third through an article I published for Women in Business, and I met the fourth in a Slack group that's part of the Women Technology & Entrepreneurship (WTE) nonprofit. I also found my event volunteer through the WTE group!
The connection with the WTE speaker was particularly interesting. I had joined the group after meeting its founder, Raechel Canipe, who I reached out to after reading an article about her in the magazine, Florida Trend. I was struck by how aligned our goals were—empowering women to advance in business—so I sent her an email, and we hit it off.
The point of all these stories is to show the power of connections. You can meet people anywhere, and you never know where those relationships might lead. Some connections will turn into lasting partnerships, while others may be brief encounters, but both can have a lasting impact on you and your business. In the case of my Master Class, five women from completely different backgrounds came together to create something amazing, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we achieved.
Never underestimate the power of your network—you never know what opportunities might arise.
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