Staying Connected

One of my 2020 goals was to up my networking game. What that meant for me was more in-person networking. It was something that had been a challenge for me. I prefer one-on-ones to large events, so I decided that’s where I would focus my time. I had been doing pretty well, then March came and I’ve been home with my family since March 16th. This has meant an entirely new work schedule based around who can keep eyes on the toddler at that moment, so scheduling meetings, calls, and video chats is more challenging than it used to be. At the same time, getting to listen to a bunch of toddlers have circle time over Zoom is adorable, hilarious, and warms my heart.

I haven’t been doing one-on-one coffees or meetings as I would have if the world was still operating as was before. I’ve accepted that things can’t be the way they were. What I’ve found though, is that I’ve been able to strengthen connections with those closest to me because we have more time to connect. Dan and I are learning how to become astronauts on MasterClass, which we probably wouldn’t have done otherwise. I have more time to chat with my mom, dad, and sister, which had been harder over the last few years because of everyone’s busy schedules — I used to call my mom everyday until I became a mom myself. I’ve also leaned harder into my online communities and even joined a new one. Having mom’s to connect with online soothes my soul.

It’s a new path, but everything for the foreseeable future is going to be different than it was before. I’m looking forward to the days when in-person coffee can happen again, but for now I’m figuring out what works given my circumstances. I’ve also noticed that a lot of people I know are joining TiKTok, I’m not there yet but who knows…

What are you doing to stay connected to your community?