Never Go Alone

Years ago, when I attended my first large event with 2,000 of my non-closest friends, someone strongly suggested that those of us who knew each other split up and not sit together, tour the expo together, or do pretty much anything together. 

The idea was you’d meet more people and have a better experience alone. 

I spent a good chunk of time alone in my hotel room on the first day, meeting no one and wondering if I had made the right decision to be there. 

Eventually, I ran into someone I knew; we broke the rules and stuck together, and then, guess what? I started meeting people and having a great time. 

Since that first event, I’ve made it my mission to make it easier for people to feel comfortable and meet others at events. 

I’ve hosted meet-ups (once upon a time called tweet-ups) so people could meet each other pre-event, I’ve hosted small receptions where I’ve invited people I wanted to meet (including speakers) at events to join me, and I’ve made it a habit to bolt on learning experiences and bring groups of people to other people’s events. 

I love doing this for so many reasons. 

People go to events to learn and meet other like-minded people. When you facilitate an experience that guarantees they will meet great people, you exponentially increase the value of their experience. 

The first time I created an official event at an event was after attending an Archangel Summit event in Toronto which feels like almost ten years ago.  I bought a dozen VIP tickets and sold them to clients who wanted to attend with me and have a separate learning experience after the event.

We all met in advance for a meet and greet reception, gathered in the morning, walked to the event together, sat together, and then mingled and met new folks throughout the day. Each evening, we’d meet up, discuss the day, have dinner together, and top off the event with an extra day together where we unpacked our learning and masterminded together.

It was a rich and magical experience.

You can go to an event alone, but when you go with a group of like-minded people, it’s so much better because you get to experience shared learning, and you’re guaranteed to meet great people by design.

Entrepreneurship doesn’t have to be such a lonely journey. Find your people and invest in experiences that help you grow and stay motivated and inspired to be all you’re capable of being.

Want to hear more? Tune into my podcast She Talks Business so that you can learn how to master, market, and monetize your business.