Best places for introverts to network

You’ve got limited time, money and energy. So how do you know where it’s all best spent?

This week, I turned to some of the most thoughtful networkers I know for advice on WHERE to network. Introverts can feel pressured to conform to extrovert-centric spaces but turns out there’s a lot of ways around that!

Contributor Jasmine Jae shared what it’s like to feel at home in INFJ communities and Mitchell Clements talked about realizing he could really shine in online conversations which led to better offline ones. Now, people approach him for his expertise, making it easier to start conversations.

Knowing your own preferences about networking can help you laser in on what’s worth your energy. Do you prefer to have time to respond in a thread? Would you rather get off the computer and be in a room with others? Is the 1:1 coffee chat better for you than a group setting?

We uncovered three important pieces to consider when it comes to where to network as an introvert:

1. Look for dual purpose communities: Meaning that you’re not just there for business. You also have something in common. Featuring Jasmine Jae of Boss Copy Editing on experiments exploring local and online groups plus a clip from a conversation with Tara Reid (known as the Introvertpreneur) and Kari Ginsburg of Uproar Coaching on what they look for when seeking out those meaningful relationships in the wild.

2. Curate with coffee chats: Whether you book them from the start or surface them in a group setting, coffee chats can help you preserve energy and ensure you have adequate time to communicate. Featuring freelance instructional designer Kortney Ross on moving from group to 1:1 and freelance product designer Krisztina Szerovay on how to leverage conferences and events to find opportunities for coffee chats. I also share three tips to make your coffee chats easier to book and more effective.

3. Find your sense of belonging: You set the boundaries and choose where you feel best showing up. Featuring Design Manager and Speaker Mitchell Clements on shifting from walking into rooms cold to adding value to online conversations. And founder of Like Minded Collective Inbal Claudio on how she searches for friendly local events.

This series is brought to you by Connection Club, run by Kat Vellos. Connection Club is a truly rad membership community for those of us working on how to forge better connections and friendships.

Watch the episode or listen on your favorite podcasting app. If you watch on YouTube or Spotify, there’s a little tour of a couple of my favorite event spots in Atlanta at the top of the episode!

P.S. My free livestream “The Growth Gym” is back this Friday at 12pm ET! We’re talking about how to Choose Your Next Marketing Channel.

P.P.S. Devin Lee won August’s newsletter referral contest! Devin wins a sponsor spot in an upcoming episode of the show for referring the most subscribers. September’s prize is a feature in this newsletter. Scroll to bottom of this email for more.