Networking. A word we have all heard a lot of times lately. Really, you may think it’s overrated but it’s not. Let’s take for example December. It’s an extremely busy month. Everyone gets invited to Christmas parties, either they are work related, school reunions or just friends getting together. There’s always a change you may bump into someone you know that you haven’t talked in a year or years even, and they introduce you to someone else. So, two little stories for you.
The first one, I got invited to a Post-Christmas dinner, I show up thinking the usual gang is going to be around, when I get introduced to two guys I’ve never heard of… But I’ve heard about their work. We start talking, I already realized who they were and was surprised when they also knew who I was. How did that happen? Well, the answer is Facebook. Yes, Facebook. I was in a group that they created announcing some photography/design services, and turns out that they have so much more to offer than what expected. As a photographer, I usually do all the work with what I have around. I don’t have any lights or a huge white canvas where I can do my product shots, but rather I get to build one (a very simple one) when I need it. They have a fully equipped photography studio that they rent to other photographers in need.
Story #2, on the new year’s party, the gang sitting next to our table seemed pretty cool, and after the usual “Hi” and “Have a great 2009!” chats, we ended up having great conversations with them, and one of the guys turned out to be a photographer and designer that has so much experience in Fashion photography. We exchanged cards, a few days later a couple of emails. We meet throughout the week and his work is amazing. Around the same time, I get a call from a friend that sells women clothing and she needs a catalog. Full works: concept, photography, design and print. Now, I could pull it off just like that and give her something she’d be Ok with, but I’d rather hire this fellow designer and photographer so we can work together and give my friend a really cool concept and overall a great catalog so we can share the profits.
Networking can happen in the most unusual places, and it’s up to you to make things happen… But it’s well worth it!
I hear you, Kitty: although I must polish my networking skills, I have met some amazing people through the years, just out of pure chance. Hope we get to meet some day in person, and share some of our mutual interests: design, photography, and blogging of couse 🙂
Great thoughts. I think every once in a while it’s good to hear this kind of stories.
I don’t have an easy time doing this..but it’s one of those things that you have to just force yourself to do and the more often you do it, the easier it gets, I guess.
Well, it’s definetely not easy the first couple of times. You get used to talk to other people but it’s definetely something you can do. It’s kind of scary at first, but hey it’s just a little conversation and you never know what comes out of those 😉