When Fashion is the Topic of Conversation #Fashionforthought

An event where the guests actually networked? You know it!

Thanks to Joy of The Joy of Styling for continuing to bring us creatives together. This was her first event of the New Year and all I can say is if you weren't there, you missed out on a good time.

With social media, socializing isn't as easy for us as it used to be. Us millennials can be so used to hiding behind a phone or a computer screen, but when it comes down to actually meeting people in person, we can barely exchange looks. It's so weird. Even though I'm sure we're all guilty of this, none of the guests who attended this event were.

Joy provided a space for us to be comfortable and open to telling someone that we didn't know, our personal stories. Since most of us had a background in fashion, we all could relate. Which made it that much easier to talk about everything from the struggles we faced to our accomplishments and even our future goals. I for one, collected at least 5 business cards and followed almost everyone in the room on Instagram.

How did she do it, you ask? How did she get everyone to actually have a decent conversation? Well, we simply played games! She created ice breakers for us to loosen up a little. And instead of leaving it up to us to volunteer, she randomly picked on different people to either give one of their favorite networking tips or stand up and introduce themselves. There wasn't much sitting going on either. She even provided wine and finger foods. We were so busy talking and getting to know each other that the event was over before we felt like it even got started.

Besides her business card, the one other thing Joy included in our goodie bags were her list of ten networking tips. I figured I'd list them below for those of you who weren't there.

TJOS's Ten Networking Tips

1. Dress the part. Your outfit sets the tone before you speak!

2. Be present! Make sure that you are fully engaged in all conversations

3. Keep your phone out of your hands. only use if it if needed in conversation

4. Skip the entourage. It's okay to branch out at the event. Remember why you are attending

5. Do your homework! Stay current on what's happening within the industry

6. Never leave your house without business cards and make sure you always ask for one from others

7. Use social media to your advantage. Make sure to follow all people you encounter to stay current with what everyone is doing

8. Follow up on all connections made within 72 hours of the event

9. Prepare your elevator pitch, don't be long winded with what you do

10. Find your purpose in networking. As long as you know your purpose, so will everyone else

We took these tips and ran with them. I didn't even realize I was utilizing these until after the fact. After a couple of glasses of wine, everything came so naturally haha.

You never want to come off to sale-sy at networking events. As tip number 10. stated; "Find your purpose in networking". Your purpose, like mine, could be to collaborate with talented individuals in your industry. Like I mentioned in my recent post, "A Night of Networking #ThePerfectPackage", collaboration is KEY. But let me break down what an actual collaboration is.

col·lab·o·rate

noun

1. the action of working with someone to produce or create something

They collaborated on a photo shoot

Being able to create magic with someone who has similar goals then you is the best feeling. With a collaboration, ALL parties should be benefiting. Not just you or not just the other people you're working with. In this case, this is not considered a collaboration. My suggestion to you all would be to do research on the people you are looking to collaborate with. Meet them in person. Talk with them over the phone. Get a feel for that person and make sure that you both are on the same page before committing to working on a project together.

Alright, that's enough on collaborating but I'm sure you get the point.

And the best dressed award goes to...

ShaDiamond Jones of "ShaDiamond Jones Presents"

I loved everything about her look! Ya'll know I always enjoy layering a white button up underneath a dress. It's the easiest way to give your simple dress a different look. The tassel detailing on her shirt and the exaggerated sleeves really caught my eye. I asked her if she added the tassels herself and she mentioned that she purchased the shirt like that off of Boohoo.com; one of my favorite stores. We both agreed that they had some great pieces at a good deal.

I also love that textured tights and lace up bootie she paired with this look. Very edgy but still classic. One of my fav combo's.

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Even though I got home way past my bedtime (yes, I have a bedtime), attending and covering the #Fashionforthought networking event was well worth it. And if you missed this one, don't worry. Joy plans to have an event every month for the year of 2018. Be sure to follow her on social media and subscribe to her site for event updates and more!

Website: The Joy of Styling

Instagram: @thejoyofstyling