Event Roundup: Vancouver, Networking Summer Social
The Round-Up | July 15, 2018
Happy 1st birthday, Lean in Vancouver!
Last week, the Vancouver Chapter of Lean In Canada celebrated its first birthday over delicious drinks and appetizers at the H Tasting Lounge at the Westin Bayshore. We welcomed many newcomers to Lean In for this special occasion as it was our annual BOGO special event. Everyone had a chance to mingle and listen to the engaging Paulina Cameron talk to us about networking best practices!
“How many people in the room feel a bead of sweat forming when they hear the word Networking?” Paulina opened the floor to discussion. More than half the room had raised their hands, including Paulina. Most people were surprised – she is a well-known public speaker and a champion for Canadian females.
Prior to entering a room full of people ready to chat, Paulina would set goals for herself: “I will finish the night with three coffee chats in my calendar!” This helped her calm her nerves and served as a reminder that there is a professional and personal purpose for meeting new faces.
The key to networking, she explained, is about asking questions all the time and forming a genuine interest in the life of the person you are meeting. In an organic Q&A format, Paulina and Florence together answered many questions about what some of the best practices were: be introduced, be genuine, and be direct – and don’t forget the follow-up and thank you email!
Paulina closed the evening by sharing the best tip she had about networking: be authentic. In most conversations, two people feed off each other’s energy. You want the conversation to model the kind of relationship you want it to be. “It’s a boomerang.”
Lean In Canada is a community of professional women empowering each other to build purposeful and fulfilling careers. Please do not hesitate to share our cause with your network and people who want to join the conversation! If you have not signed up for our mailing list, sign up now to get updates for our 2018 events. The Vancouver Chapter is one of the fastest growing Lean In Chapters in the world – join the conversation now.
