I don't think most introverts hate networking.
I think they just don't enjoy the way most networking events are designed.
At least, that's how Mei and I(Jessie) have always felt.
Whenever someone invited me to a networking event, it wasn't the idea of meeting new people that made me hesitate. It was everything that usually came with it.
Walking into a room where you are told to just talk to people.
Sometimes, everyone already seems to know someone. Or you are trying to figure out whether you're interrupting a conversation.
Or maybe you feel like you should have the perfect answer ready when someone asks, "So, what do you do?"
And sometimes it can feel like everyone is trying to sell something before they've even had a chance to get to know each other.
The funny thing is, I actually enjoy meeting people.
I love hearing about what someone cares about, how they ended up doing what they do, or the random stories that somehow come up when nobody is trying to impress anyone.
It made Mei and me wonder if maybe introverts don't dislike networking as much as they dislike environments that don't really make room for the way they naturally connect. And many of us crave deeper conversations beyond just the what do you do question.
That thought stayed with us for a long time, and that is what helped us to create our events and what we named: Slow Networking 🦥 for Introverts.
We didn't want to create another event where people were expected to "work the room."
We wanted to create an evening where conversations could take their time, and where people did not have to worry about what to say or do. Mei and I create the activities and prompts, so all you have to do is focus on connecting!
We wanted that space where it was perfectly okay to spend twenty minutes talking to one person instead of trying to meet twenty people.
We spend a surprising amount of time thinking about the questions we ask.
Not because we're looking for clever icebreakers, but because we've seen what happens when someone is asked something that invites a real story instead of a rehearsed answer.
One person who's now been to several of our gatherings told us something that has stayed with me.
He said our prompts helped him articulate himself, and that he talked far more than he normally would at networking events.
That was probably one of the nicest things anyone could have said.
It reminded us why we started doing this in the first place.
We're hosting another Slow Networking gathering this Thursday near Dupont Station.
We'll have two small sessions, one in the afternoon and one in the evening, with a maximum of 12 people in each group.
This time we're also experimenting with something new.
During the second half of the event, we're setting aside some time for group brainstorming sessions.
Sometimes talking through an idea with thoughtful people helps you see something you'd never have arrived at on your own, and we thought it would be fun to make space for that.
There is a ticket price of $25, which helps cover the venue and allows us to keep these gatherings small.
If this sounds like something you'd enjoy, feel free to join:
1:30 - 3:30pm: https://luma.com/u9y9y1sy
6 - 8pm - https://luma.com/z5j2ry7h
We cannot wait to slow network with you all!
And whether or not you come, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Do you think networking is something you dislike... or do you think you've just never found a version that feels like you?