I started showing up 20 minutes early to every Atlanta networking event and it changed how people talk to me | Atlanta Networking - Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals
I started showing up 20 minutes early to every Atlanta networking event and it changed how people talk to me
I used to roll into Thursday night mixers at the Roam Dunwoody spot right at 6, grab a name tag, and spend the first hour trying to break into groups that were already talking. About two weeks ago I got there at 5:40 by accident because traffic on 400 was lighter than normal, and the only other person in the room was the organizer setting up chairs. We talked for 15 minutes about her side gig doing UX for a Piedmont Park startup, and when everyone else walked in she introduced me to like 6 people by name. Now I show up early on purpose every time, and I stopped feeling like I am begging for attention at these things. Turns out the first 20 minutes are the real event and the rest is just cleanup. Does anyone else plan their arrival time around this, or am I just late to something obvious?