No music, no intro, this is The Morgan Snyder Show.
I have a weird relationship with networking.
I simultaneously love it and hate it.
As an introvert who has an extrovert switch, networking for me can at times be as enjoyable as a root canal, but at other moments, so rewarding when you meet someone and you think, “Hey! I could be this person’s friend…outside of this room!”
These events are weird places.
You’ve got spinning blue lights and the heavy bass of electronic dance music beating into your head.
Then, the impenetrable conversation circles. There are three people, their backs forming this perfect defensive wall.
You can't get in. You do the hover. The slow, casual orbit, hoping a gap opens up.
“Did he just nod at me? Can I come into your little circle?”
Then you have the conversations where you feel like a trapped animal.
They’re explaining the entire history of vinyl siding.
You can't just leave. There are rules. You have to fake an excuse.
You do the slow pivot...the eyes start scanning the room...you give a little point. “Oh... is that... Bill? I have to go say hi to Bill.”
There is no Bill. You're pointing at a potted plant.
My personal favorite is the name tags.
They give you this sticky label…where does it go, exactly?
Is it a left-shoulder thing? A right-pocket thing? Do you put it in the center of your chest letting everyone in the room know you need serious help?
Steve the VP has it on his lapel, but Sarah from marketing is a high performer and she’s decided to put it on her right shoulder pad of her jacket so when she goes to shake your hand with an iron grip her name is right here. She’s Sarah.
So, I get to a table with a small plate of teriyaki chicken in my hand, and there are three other networking hopefuls sitting with me.
The conversation is great. I make new friends. A brief reprieve from the EDM…or at least, a few minutes when I’m not annoyed by it.
I stand up and start making the rounds again, but this time, I’m facing a new challenge.
I’m fielding ALL the questions about writing, like I’m the representative for all writers everywhere on the planet:
“How does someone get into writing? Do you identify as a writer or a business owner or as something else? Do writers make a good living? Are writers afraid of AI? What do you do for your clients with all the posts that you write? I hate social media…Thoughts?”
After doing the QR code thing on LinkedIn and having people take my phone to put in their information, I’m tapped.
I’m imaging the work I could be doing instead of this weird business dance for adults.
Plus, I just talked to several INNOVATORS, FOUNDERS, and…DISRUPTORS!
I’m tired.
By the way, what does DISRUPTOR mean?
Are you breaking things? Are you running into important meetings yelling, Booooo!?
“I'm sorry, is this your quarterly planning session? Well, it's been...DISRUPTED!”
And then the room claps for you like a bunch of seals in the pirate show at Sea World.
These days, everyone is a disruptor, a synergizer, a master connector. Nobody just works anymore.
You can't just be 'a guy who sells paper.'
No, you're a Lead Evangelist for Cellulose-Based Communication Platforms. Ohhhh yeah.
That’s probably why people aren’t intimidated by me.
Writer of Posts for Leaders on LinkedIn isn’t cool enough. I need something better like:
The Greatest Thought Leader of Human History—even better than Gandhi or Aristotle.
After the event, you get a follow-up email or text. Of course there is. That’s standard networking protocol. You have to be polite to the people you’ll never talk to ever again.
The line is always, 'Great Connecting!'
Was it a great connection? You were telling me about vinyl siding, remember? I was trying not to drop teriyaki on my shoe.
Is that connection?
The message always ends with the ultimate empty promise: “We should talk sometime!”
It's the business world's, “I'll call you.”
It means nothing! “Sometime” is not a day of the week.
There's no “Sometime” on my calendar.
As far as gestures go, it’s one of the most hollow and empty, right next to the head nod as you pass someone you’ve already talked to at the networking event.
It's a hypothetical chat that will never, ever happen.
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Ok, I have to ask:
Did any of these jokes make you laugh?
You probably smiled at a few.
After all, you’re probably listening to this at lunch or in your car.
You’re not going to belly laugh.
It’s not cold enough in the room and you probably haven’t been drinking.
Plus, my delivery is not as good as Seinfeld’s.
I’m working on my comedy writing.
My posts on LinkedIn have generated hundreds of thousands of views over the last 90 days.
They’ve all been satire, written in a self-righteous style mocking the ridiculous leadership posts we sometimes see.
I had to laugh when a friend texted me the other days and said, “You’re really building a funny brand.”
Engagment has been high, conversations keep happening, I’ve landed a few new clients, I’m having a ton of fun, and I’m just beginning to understand what ‘funny’ can do for my business.
So, I want to open it up these conversations to more people.
Since February, I’ve done these short episodes.
What I’d really like to do in the next couple of months is get some of you on here with me, talking about everything under the marketing umbrella, and what’s working with your own strategies.
Obviously we can talk about how you’re writing and developing your content, either for your personal or business brand, but it doesn’t have to be that.
I’m fine to talk about anything.
If that sounds interesting and you’d want to be on the show, come and find me on LinkedIn and send me a message or drop me a line at morgan@thoughtleadertoday.com.
Either one.
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Thank you for listening to The Morgan Snyder Show. Don’t forget to give it five stars and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. It tells people that this is worth listening to.
Need help with your social media presence? You can find time with me at thoughtleadertoday.com.
Also, I published a book called, Keep It Light. It’s a year’s worth of content starters and posts that you can use to build your personal brand. Read it for free on Amazon Unlimited.
My friends: Keep writing, keep publishing, and I’ll see you next time.
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