Emerging Better Together: The Power of Connection and Collaboration, PART 1
Today I had the honor of speaking at the Sales and Marketing Professionals of the Pine Belt monthly meeting. Great group of local professionals committed to encouraging and supporting each other and the local sales and marketing community!
The topic:
Emerging Stronger Together: The Power of Connection and Collaboration
How did my small, solopreneur events business, that relied solely on local, in-person events, survive the pandemic and expand to working on events globally?
When the world shut down in the spring of 2020, the in-person events industry was shut down with it. My entire way of making a living relied on in-person events. In all of my experience planning events, and developing Plan B’s and Plan C’s, I did not have a plan for:
WHAT IF WE CANNOT GATHER IN-PERSON. AT ALL. FOR A LONG TIME. ANYWHERE.
How did I survive?? Through connection and collaboration.
TIP #1
Connect and collaborate with those doing similar things as you.
Local or global, depending on your particular need/interest. In my case, I rely on both local and global groups.
For example, locally the Women Business Owners of the Pine Belt group played an important part of my survival during the pandemic. Having a group of fellow women business owners to talk to, share resources with, vent to, and just try and figure things out together was very important and still is!
On a national and international level, I found fellow event planners through Facebook and LinkedIn groups. The pandemic completely transformed my network. I have never felt so connected to my industry than during the pandemic. Especially to others like me, independent event planners.
The techystalk Community, a simple Facebook group, was one of the most important factors to my survival as an event planner during a pandemic. This group focuses on technology and events, just what I needed when a pandemic shut us all down! Liz King Caruso, the founder of techystalk, had been speaking about and utilizing event tech for 10+ years prior to the pandemic. The information shared in groups like this helped so many event planners survive through the pandemic. We shared information, felt comfortable asking dumb questions, found out about new technology as it was launching, tried out technology together in event-planner-only events, got together to vent and share the latest mishaps, we learned by each others’ mistakes and successes, and simply rode the waves of the pandemic together. Groups like this have fostered global partnerships, collaborations, and the idea that independent event planners are not alone.
If you can’t find the group you are looking for, maybe consider starting it!
TIP #2
Audit and prune your current connections and commitments.
Things have changed a lot since before the pandemic. Take time to audit your commitments and connections based on the current season of your life. Life is seasonal! Consider both personal and professional commitments and be sure to look into what the next year holds for you professionally and personally. Prune away what doesn’t fit during this season.
TIP #3
Use the power of connection for growth and accountability.
Find connections who can help you stay accountable and continue to grow, such as: a mentor, mastermind group, accountability person or group, business counselor, business coach, therapist, etc.
TIP #4
Give back.
Find ways to give back through your connections: connect with students, be a mentor, speak to young professional groups, share your knowledge.
