I forgot to post this last week!! What is wrong with me? We did an awesome collaboration with Hanging City Supply Co. yesterday and it reminded me to post this! If you haven’t shopped the boutique before go now, green pointe shopping center in Fort Smith!

I have spent the past five days at a Dermatology conference in Colorado Springs, CO. It’s alway great to learn what’s new and changing in Dermatology. It’s crazy how much changes in such a short period of time in healthcare. It’s always fun to learn but one of my favorite things to do at these conferences is networking. Shocker, I know. I love getting to talk with the different companies about where they are taking things with their drugs or devices. I love talking to other NP’s  and PA’s about how they do things. Sometimes I learn more from them than I learn from all the speakers and slide decks. One of my favorite people said to me this week, “I’m an extrovert but you make me look like an introvert”. I took it as a compliment. How great is it that God made us each different. We all can learn and improve so much by getting to know each other. The world really is full of good people. On my way to Colorado I met a man at DFW that was traveling to Colorado to surprise his friend that he served over seas with for years. While in Colorado I met so many great people that taught me so many new ways to help my patients. I had an uber driver stationed in Colorado that taught me all sorts of military FAQs that made me a better American.  On the way home I met the most inspiring woman in the airport. She was a welder working in a mans world and making the workforce more diverse. She is a serious boss babe who taught me how to be more fierce professionally in a short time at the bar over a glass of wine. My point is this: the more people you allow to influence you, the better life is! God made us all different in part so that we could make an awesome team. Together our world is better. So for those of you that don’t feel comfortable meeting new people or maybe new conversations are awkward for you this is the one blog you need to read. These are my tips on networking and meeting people.

1. Don’t hesitate to smile. Most people will introduce themselves after a simple smile. If I was walking past a booth I wanted to learn more about at the conference I would simply make eye contact and smile. That usually shows you have interest in engagement and the other party does the inviting. Seems simple but it works! 
2. Have a go-to. Everyone is different but if you find that one thing to say that feels natural for you and you’re prepared to approach people with it then meeting someone is easy. For example, at the airport I always say “where you headed?”. At the conference I always say, “Are you enjoying the conference?”. At work I always meet new patients with “Thank you for trusting me, welcome!”. Whatever feels comfortable to you use it. Then use it. Then use it again because practice makes perfect. The more times you use it the more natural it feels and the easier it is to strike conversation. 
3. Fear loneliness. Instead of fearing someone won’t want to talk to you or think you are weird or be annoyed by you fear what would happen if you didn’t say hello. Would I rather sit in an airport on my phone having zero interaction or would I rather get to know a little something about somebody that makes me cooler? Obvious choice! Fear the right things.
4. Surround yourself with extroverts. My husband has never met a stranger. I joke when we travel he talks to other people more than me! When we went to Vegas to get married he almost asked a couple at our hotel pool to come to our wedding(I vetoed it thinking my parents would be offended that strangers were at my wedding and they weren’t). If someone else has the gift to gab then ride their coattails! Let them be the icebreakers and you can be introduced and reap the benefits.
5. Make people feel like they are special. Tell someone you love their hair. Tell someone you think meeting them changed you a little. Tell people their company makes your life better. The more positivity you spread the more positivity will come back to you. Be nice. And don’t worry about alternative motives when being nice. People worry too much about making the wrong impression when being nice. 
6. Realize how short life is. Do you want to limit yourself in this short time we spend on earth? Do you want to shut someone out because of fear? The best thing about life is the people in it. If you have this realization it will conquer all fears.
7. Accept different. Some people will reject you. Some people will annoy you. Some people you will wish you didn’t meet. But who cares? Maybe you can learn from those differences. Maybe you won’t, but honestly, first world problems. Worse is happening everyday.

Or don’t network. Don’t socialize. Don’t meet the world. You will never know what you are missing. But that’s a whole other blog. 

Whatever you do, please! Please! Stay Skintastic, Nina

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