networking

How To Throw An Event That Rocks The House

November 24, 2010 by Steph Auteri 6 Comments

A Dramatic Reenactment of the Entrance to Word Nerd Networking

Last week, about 75 people crammed themselves into a small back room at the Galway Hooker for an event I’d planned with the fantabulous Marian Schembari.

Needless to say, I was shocked. It was my very first foray into event planning, and I had assumed we’d be lucky if even five people bought tickets.

But apparently, we had hit upon a real need amongst word nerdy types.

In the end, the event was a success. People raved to me about the great conversations they’d had, and the connections they’d made. They even asked me when the next event was taking place! (To which I began laughing maniacally because I was having a nervous breakdown… you’ll soon see why…)

Still — as I assume happens with most events of this sort — not everything went smoothly.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: marketing, networking Tagged With: event, event planning, networking, speed networking, word nerd networking

How To Build Your Network Without Having a Panic Attack

November 10, 2010 by Steph Auteri 17 Comments

That time you saw me at that thing? I was screaming on the inside.

There are sooo many things that terrify me about networking events. I agonize over the best way to approach people, and then wuss out and don’t approach anyone. I assume that, when people see me cowering in the corner alone, they instantly know I’m lame. I worry that my obvious social awkwardness is turning off anyone I happen to be speaking with. I berate myself for being so completely boring.

I’m an introvert. Extended social interactions exhaust me and, after awhile, I hit a wall. I also have social anxiety. Drinking helps. My shrink has suggested pot. My Xanax just puts me to sleep.

But as I mentioned yesterday, taking networking from online to in-the-flesh is SO. IMPORTANT. It can solidify a relationship that you’ve developed online, or lead to new, promising connections. Also? Despite the fact that y’all terrify me so damn much, I love meeting new people and forging new connections. It’s just so gratifying to connect with someone who shares my interests… who can act as a sounding board… who I can swap tips and war stories with. And maintaining those relationships can be key in moving a career forward. Remember my post on bringing in new projects without lifting a finger? The bulk of the work that comes to me nowadays is thanks to people I’ve worked with in the past, or people I BS with on Twitter, or people I’ve met at this or that networking event, thanks to several large glasses of wine.

I want you guys to have that, too.

I’ve been reading Networking for People Who Hate Networking, and the book mentions several times that introverts benefit the most from events that combine structure and open time. Which is pretty darn great, because Marian Schembari and I have been masterminding an absolutely EPIC event.

Networking For People Who Hate Networking: Network Roulette

November 9, 2010 by Steph Auteri 3 Comments

A few months ago, I read a piece over at Lemondrop on IRL Syndrome, and immediately diagnosed myself as a victim of the disability.

As I read through the piece, I nodded with dawning recognition at passages like these:

“When I email a gal, I’m imbued with all these crazy powers. Confidence! Wit! Charm! On my Powerbook or my iPhone, I’m George Clooney at a cocktail party. On a date, without my assorted Apple products, I become … the Mac guy.”

I knew of what he wrote. Because, you see, I’m better in writing, too.

It makes the prospect of building my professional network somewhat daunting. And while being an introvert doesn’t necessarily have to be a liability (as I’m coming to learn from reading books like Networking for People Who Hate Networking), social interactions don’t only drain me of energy. They also terrify me. Which means I have to ease myself in slowly.

Bring In New Projects Without Lifting a Finger

July 29, 2010 by Steph Auteri 22 Comments

Things have been awesomer than usual lately, and that’s a relief.

Because 2009 was a rough one.

This time last year, it seemed that — no matter how desperately I looked — it was impossible to find paying work.

But then, at the end of 2009, shortly after I had started a new part-time job at YourTango, Ian Kerner contacted me about co-writing an ebook with him for his newÂ Good In Bed web project. Several months later, I was contacted by someone at AOL’s Patch about copy editing. The other month, an editor at The Frisky asked me if I’d be interested in writing a regular sex column for them. And then, the other week, someone at Psych Central e-mailed me, asking if I would be interested in writing for their site, as one of their editors had seen my LoveMom piece on depression, and had been impressed.

I’m not trying to gloat (though sometimes I like to point at my husband and say neener-neener). I’m just sayin’… it’s totally possible to bring in new projects without lifting a finger. How?

How To Avoid Social Media Fatigue in 5 Easy Steps

April 8, 2010 by Steph Auteri 3 Comments

[Image via]

Oh my god, you guys. The other week, I asked for suggestions on what I should include in my Job Hopping for Word Nerds e-book. Heather of CraftLit provided me with a goldmine of great suggestions, some of which I deemed outside the scope of my book. Still, I thought they would make for some great blog post fodder. So today, I decided to address this one:

How can I use social media without being swallowed by it?

So I opened up my Freelancedom dashboard, typed in the title of this post, aaand… then proceeded to spend the next four hours on Twitter.

Oy.

I Skipped SXSW. Am I An Idiot?

March 17, 2010 by Steph Auteri 2 Comments

So apparently, just about everyone in my Twitter feed was at South by Southwest (SXSW) this past week, a conference (and seemingly non-stop party) that somehow brings together “music, independent films, and emerging technologies.” It’s that last that is of greatest interest to me and, as the web developers, bloggers, content producers, and new media entrepreneurs in my feed live-tweeted talks and workshops, party-hopped, and networked, I started to feel that I was totally missing out.

The Road To Freelance Success Is Paved with Good Karma

January 25, 2010 by Steph Auteri 6 Comments

[Image via]

Work has been pretty damn good lately (aside from the occasional seasonal slump). And — conceited as it may sound — I credit myself for a lot of that. After all, I’m the one who got me here. When I was unhappy at my 9-to-5, and daydreaming about freelancedom, I figured out the steps I’d need to take in order to make it work, and then took them. I self-educated myself with a shit-ton of how-to books. I took writing and pitching classes through MediaBistro and at the New School. I attended a ton of MediaBistro networking events, and formed a writing group. I secured a freelance gig before jumping ship and, during the transitional period, was working two jobs at once. And when I’d left my 9-to-5 behind, I took on another unpaid, post-college internship in order to gain more experience, contacts, and clips.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: community, networking Tagged With: good karma, grateful, karma, pay it forward, thankful

What I Learned About Running a Business from Tabatha Coffey

October 26, 2009 by Steph Auteri 3 Comments

NUP_130199_0199, select, retouched, single

I channel-surfed my way toÂ Tabatha’s Salon Takeover during today’s lunch break. I had never seen it before and, honestly, had never felt compelled to. What did I care about the trials and tribulations of hair salons across the country?

Silly me. I was quickly sucked into a three-hour marathon (I know) and, aside from constantly wondering where she got that fierce black jacket she’s always wearing, I realized: Tabatha Coffey has a lot to teach me about running a business.

October Monthly Goal Meet-Up

September 30, 2009 by Steph Auteri 14 Comments

monthly goal

In the weeks since Brazen Careerist launched their new and improved site, I’ve discovered anew how fabulous it can be to have a dedicated network of bloggers all gathered in one place. Several posts of mine have been featured on the site, bringing greater traffic to my blog. I’ve been learning about new blogs, and meeting new bloggers. And then there are the groups.

Which brings us to this post. Rebecca Thorman of Modite recently created the Monthly Goal Meet-Up Group, in which members post about the next month’s goals on their blogs, and then look back at how they did the month before. After the post goes live, they then head on over to the group page and post a link back to their blog. It’s a way to be held accountable, and also a means of keeping on track with your own self-expectations.

So here it is. My first monthly meet-up post:

[Read more…]

Filed Under: motivation, networking Tagged With: goals

How To Throw An Event That Rocks The House

How To Build Your Network Without Having a Panic Attack

Networking For People Who Hate Networking: Network Roulette

Bring In New Projects Without Lifting a Finger

I Skipped SXSW. Am I An Idiot?

The Road To Freelance Success Is Paved with Good Karma

What I Learned About Running a Business from Tabatha Coffey

October Monthly Goal Meet-Up

Search

Archives

Categories

Blogroll

Job Boards

My Stuff

Resources