This conference was very productive: I reconnected with many of my existing professional and personal contacts and established many new connections. I know very well that out of ten people who express interest in my projects and my conference, not more than one will end up coming back to me or participating in my events. Still, I need to talk to everyone, because that’s the only way to find new partners and allies.
It was work. Both days at the conference were work and work. Today, I spent more than 10 hours emailing and messaging people solely about conference-related topics: sponsorship, volunteering, promotion, and participation. I’m tired. My head is heavy. But I am happy I’ve expanded my network, and that I did it in real-life, not following the LinkedIn algorithm :).
It’s insanely difficult, but I am building trust and recognition, and I hope that all of this contributes to community building.
Hettie's Reflections 