I recently attended my first Fulltime Families rally event at Sid Turcotte Park in Mattawa, Canada. I think many of us think that you have to fly to Alaska or cruise there. But, Doug Boudreux and his family are going to be part of a caravan that would be driving there next summer!
The planning process like routes, food and timing fascinated me. In particular, he talked about going during the “shoulder season”, which is just before and after peak travel time. I might not have learned about this trip or gotten to know Doug better if I hadn’t arrived early for the rally event. Actually, I got to know people a lot better after the event, as we stayed a few days extra. I had accidentally “shouldered” the event, and as a result, developed some great new friendships.
Thinking about it, some of the most interesting conversations I’ve had at networking events have been before or after the event. I don’t know why, but during the event there seems to be this pressure to meet as many people as you can. When I’ve arrived early or hung around after, the conversations feel more casual. And because of that, good things can happen.
The next time you head out to an event, try arriving a little earlier or staying a little later than you normally do. In either case, you’ll beat some of the crowd whether they’re coming or going. And, you might find your next interesting connection.
Keep telling your story,
A.C. Chan
