Networking!

When I decided to take a leap of faith and start my own online copywriting business, I never realized until I got to the last few modules in Marie Forleo’s B-School, just gutsy I would have to be. This whole venture has forced me to take gigantic leaps I would have otherwise never taken.

Now to be quite honest with you, when I decided to start Frankly Speaking, I was more or less enamored with the idea of starting a web based business where I could more or less communicate and deal with clients and potentials virtually. While that is fifty percent true, what I didn’t realize is that starting an online business requires more than just merely hiding behind my computer screen, wasting money on failed Facebook ads and praying that someone somewhere would contact me to help with their next project, it requires perfecting the art of networking.

Being the born introvert that I am, the word ‘networking’ scares me. When I think of ‘networking’ my mind automatically goes to brief cases and power suits and high profile meetings in extravagant buildings.

In August of last year I was approached by a good family friend who had come to find out about my new business venture. To be quite frank with you all, when I first launched my website and business venture last year, I kind of felt like a bit of a ‘dill’ when I explained to people what I did; teacher by day, budding copywriter by night, btw I had no clients, zero, zip, nada! Luckily for me though, this friend had seen some of the work I had done in the past and as such she was very curious of as to how I was getting my name out there.

‘Well, for now, it’s merely word of mouth and simple Facebook posts to complement my website.’

Now, what you have to understand about this family friend is that she knows business. I mean we are talking this lady runs a well-established company that’s made a name for itself not only in Asia but the Middle East.

‘Oh my, tell you what. Come join me on Monday night’s six pm for my Toast Master’s meeting. It’s a good group of ladies who come together every two weeks to support one another on so many levels besides public speaking.’

Now when she said that my first thought was, no. Immediately I started coming up with excuses.

Monday night, oh no way, I work all day and there is no way I can afford to stay out at night, I have to get up early.

Toastmasters? Oh come on, I already know how to speak.

Well, I am a new driver, I don’t know how comfortable I feel driving to a part of town I’d never been.

I smiled politely and said,

“Ok, we’ll be in touch.”

The week leading up to the first official meeting I was to attend, I had anxiety because I didn’t know what to expect, I didn’t know who would be there and I didn’t want to feel ‘obligated to join Toastmasters once my time as a guest was up.

So my friend called me, as promised, two days before I was set to go. She asked me if I was still interested in going and I tried really hard to use the excuse that I was a new driver, I don’t feel comfortable driving at night, yada, yada, yada.

“Never mind, we go together.’

Great.

My stomach dropped, I hung up the phone and then I thought,

Well, what’s so bad about going to meet working professionals who could most definitely benefit from my services as a writer.

I know, rejection.

I think for me that is the hardest pill to swallow. You see I have this tape in my head that plays on loop sometimes that says,

You suck.

Why are you doing this?

Clearly you don’t know what you are doing or else they’d hire you

Give up now.

I think that it was this loop that was responsible for a lot of self-destructive creative blunders I’d been a part of in the past. But this time, this time circumstances are different, my attitude and mindset is a lot more positive and there is a bit more ‘belief’ and ‘faith’ in myself and in what I can do.

So, on the second Monday of the month walking into Toastmasters, I walked in with my head held high, not gonna lie it was super hard. I told myself that I am going to come from the empowered version of me, I’m going to tell people I am a writer I can do websites, marketing collateral, print, emails, anything you name it I am your girl. And if they smile politely, change the subject and I start to feel ‘dumb,’ I’m going to make sure that I hand them my card because the most important thing of every interaction is that I make an effort because the universe is listening. And when the universe is listening, the results can be astounding!

Networking!