How to Survive Networking Events as an Introvert
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Walking into a room full of strangers at networking events can feel like a nightmare for an introvert—especially when you're at a major event like Podcast Movement.
The pressure to make connections, engage in small talk, and be “on” all day can quickly become overwhelming. As an introvert who recently attended this event, I understand the inner struggle.
But what if I told you that surviving—and even thriving—at these events is possible?
With a few strategic approaches, you can turn what feels like a daunting experience into an opportunity to grow your network and build meaningful connections, without compromising who you are.
Here’s how I did it, and how you can too.
I'm a big-time introvert and I had the opportunity to attend a major industry event in August 2024 named Podcast Movement. It’s an event that I’ve been wanting to attend as a speaker for a long long time.
I applied for Podcast Movement back in May 2024 and they said yes. Three months later, right before my birthday, off I went.
The experience was a very interesting one. I'm going to share it with you here in this blog post.
If you're a big-time introvert like me…
who is really, really trying to network and make content
and you know that your business and content depend on the connections that you make with other creators, your clients, or your prospects and being social and putting yourself out there
…this blog post is for you.
Here’s what’s inside this post:
Before we start, if this is your first time here, Welcome to the Pod Sound School! I’m Veronica, the marketing director and instructor in our programs.
My job is to help you make a podcast that attracts the right audience so you can hit your personal or business goals.
If you’re a business owner, this is a great time to:
start a podcast to educate prospects about what you do
become a trusted authority in your industry
connect with your customers
If you’re interested in learning more about how podcasting can help you grow your business, take my FREE mini course Idea to Podcast Simplified for Business Owners.
Intro to Networking as an Introvert
If you're an introvert running your business, you know how hard it is to go to bed every night thinking that you didn't speak with one person that day.
Everybody is telling you — all of your business coaches, the business coaches that you follow on social media, maybe you have a business coach — that business is all about people and the connections that you make with people, and the importance of attending networking events and becoming a speaker.
So if you're an introvert, you go to bed with this thought that you are letting people down and your business down.
You're not alone. I have that too. Let's just put it that way.
And here's my experience.
My Podcast Movement Experience
I went to Podcast Movement very excited to be there.
I think that the whole venue and event are so well organized and put together. They strategically invite everyone from new podcast creators, businesses in the industry, and experts in podcasting like me so we can get together at this one event and network, learn from each other, and connect.
The podcast community is a great community to be part of because we are all a very welcoming group!
When I got there, the first person I saw was one of the sponsors we had created content for.
Everything was going well until we went to the opening social event and I started to feel a little uncomfortable.
There were a LOT of people there and I started having a little bit of a panic attack.
I don't entirely know why.
However, we're getting to a point where our main YouTube channel, Pod Sound School, is approaching the 100,000 subscriber milestone, and we're starting to become more recognized in the industry so I ran into people who recognized me and wanted to say hi.
And, wow… that was a thing, that was an interesting experience. I didn't know how to respond to that.
I was friendly of course but it took me by surprise.
During the three main days of the event, I attended just one keynote presentation and maybe a couple presentations more.
I also did my presentation and connected with a few sponsors for our channel.
Common Challenges Faced by Introverts at Events
On night one, I had a big freakout in my hotel room.
I felt like I didn't want to leave my hotel room.
I felt like I didn't know anybody. I just started feeling very isolated and wanted to go home the very next day.
So there it is. I just put it all out in the open.
Last year, in 2023, I attended another event and had a similar experience where I wanted to go back home and did want to connect with people. I would just go back to my hotel room, feel very exhausted and depleted, and just want to hide.
So thinking about this whole experience and how I could have done it better, I found there are many many things I could have done better.
So I came home and did a little research, wondering, “Is there hope for me? Is there hope for us introverts?”
And yeah, we just have to deal with the fact that we are introverts — probably not what you wanted to hear.
BUT that doesn't make us any less worthy of attention, or connection, or not deserving to take a seat at the table.
It's just that we have a different way of interacting with people.
And I hope that you take this to heart and know that there's nothing wrong with you and that there are plenty of introverts out there who are successful business owners, leaders, and experts who are really incredible at doing what they do.
And there are a LOT of introverts who create incredible content and make a huge impact in their industries and communities.
So know that it's okay for you to be an introvert. You can still hit your goals and accomplish all of your dreams.
5 Tips for Introverts to Survive Networking Events Successfully
So I have some tips for you because I'm not here for you to feel sorry for me or to share my stories.
You want to know…
“Veronica, how am I going to survive my next networking event as an introvert?!?
Let's say I have an event I'm supposed to attend next month. What am I supposed to do?”
FIRST THING I SHOULD HAVE DONE
So, the first thing that I should have done that I didn't do that you should do — wow, that's a mouthful — is bring somebody with you.
This should be someone who is going to keep you accountable, kick you out of your room. and lock you out.
Just kidding. 😉
Bring somebody who is going to be there to walk you through difficult mindset moments, like if you're having a little bit of anxiety building during the event.
For me, I should have brought one of my kids or my husband, Stephen. However, he’s antisocial too so I don't know how that would have made things better. 😂
So if you are thinking about attending an event, consider bringing somebody with you.
It can be somebody from your team or a family member that is gonna help and support you.
The goal is NOT to stop being an introvert but to have them gently nudge you to do things because if you don't have anybody there with you, you're just going to hide in your hotel room.
At least that's what I did.
Make sure that the person you bring with you is not going to stress you out or make things worse for you, but be there to support you.
Bringing the right person is super important if you are going to be a speaker, especially if it's the first time you will be giving a talk.
So bring a person with you!
WHAT TO DO IF YOU’RE NOT BRINGING ANYONE WITH YOU
Another thing is if you're not bringing anybody, then you can connect with anybody who's going to the event.
Usually, these events have apps or they have communities on social media that you can join before the event, like weeks before the event, and you can see who is attending the event.
Look for someone who would be a good fit for you, somebody who you would like to connect with.
Then that way when you go there and there's not a lot of people that you know, you're not familiar with the place, everything is new, then at least you're going to have that familiar face there, and you'll be able to connect with that person.
You’ll probably be able to see if someone is an extrovert or not by looking at their social media accounts. If she jumps on Instagram stories like it’s nothing, she’s probably an extrovert.
For me to jump on Instagram stories, I have to plan it for like two hours! 🤣 It's just kidding. I'm not that bad, but you can easily see if they're extroverts and have attended other events.
It's even better if they are extroverts because they're going to be doing the networking and talking for you so you can just relax and focus on taking it all in and connecting with the right people.
SECOND THING I SHOULD HAVE DONE
Before I get into the second thing I should have done, let me preface this by saying, I’m not asking you to “lower your expectations” or to “have realistic expectations.”
Personally, I hate when people tell me I need to have realistic expectations. I can have any kind of expectation I want.
But I want you to go in thinking, “I'm going to connect with two or three people.
If you are an introvert and you have a list of 20 people that you want to talk to and have meaningful conversations with, that may not happen because that’s a LOT.
Instead, have a list of two or three KEY people that you want to connect with, whether you want to collaborate with them, whether they're going to help you to get more clients or you want to be on their podcast or whatever.
Have a list of those people because it's tough to connect at these events when you are an introvert.
I hate to go to the social events within the main event.
It’s easy for me to sit down, learn, take notes, and go to the keynote presentations and the different presentations.
But when it comes to social things at networking events, here’s the problem (maybe you can relate)…
the music is super loud
people can't hear you
you have to talk very loud (I'm not a loud talker)
you have to enunciate
when people talk to you and you don't understand what they are saying then you pretend that you understood and the whole thing becomes very uncomfortable
or it’s the other way around: you can see in their face that what you just said didn't register so the whole thing conversation is weird
And then you add alcohol, refreshments, or food to the mix and it's even worse because then your mouth is full of food when they ask you a question.
I tend to stuff my mouth with food to soothe my anxiety.
THIRD THING I SHOULD HAVE DONE
It’s VERY important to take breaks.
The perfect example of what not to do is my weekly workout routine. I start on Monday, do leg day, and go hard at the gym for an hour and a half.
Then by the time Wednesday rolls around, I'm already exhausted.
If you are someone who gets to an event and on the first day you try so hard to put yourself out there and talk, and then by the end of the first day you're completely depleted to the point that you can't leave the room the next day, then there's a problem.
One of the things I found is that it’s very good for us introverts to take breaks throughout the day.
You can still attend a special meeting or social party but then after an hour and a half, or maybe after an hour, go back to your hotel room.
You can attend a couple of talks before lunch, get lunch to go and eat it in your hotel room, and then go back and hit another talk or event after lunch.
Make sure you schedule breaks so you can go and be in your hotel room, breathe, take a shower, recharge your batteries, and then go back to connecting with people.
FOURTH THING I SHOULD HAVE DONE
Before you leave for the event, it’s VERY important to create a schedule.
I didn't have a schedule and was all over the place because I was focusing on putting my presentation together.
When you have a schedule and a plan mapped out before you even get on the plane or drive there, you will feel calmer.
And don’t forget to plan regular breaks in your schedule so you have time to recharge often.
When you stick to that schedule and commit to showing up to the events on your schedule, you’ll feel less tired and get more out of the event.
I don’t recommend winging it (like me), showing up, and not knowing what to do. I got there and didn't know what the hell I was going to do.
So yeah, do that, schedule things, and stick to your schedule.
FIFTH THING I SHOULD HAVE DONE
Try not to bring your worries.
If you're a mom, try to let go of all of the mommy duties — let the husband take care of that. Don't bring any of that with you.
Don't bring work to complete while you're at the event because it's NOT a good use of your time.
You are in this place full of people with different stories, backgrounds, experiences, and industry connections that can really help your business or content reach that next level.
If you bring your work and worries with you, you’ll end up being stressed in your hotel room trying to get it done and miss out on all the opportunities to connect with other like-minded introverts.
You won’t be able to focus on what the speakers are saying if you’re worrying whether or not A: the house is clean, B: your kids are doing their laundry, C: they're destroying things (the house), D: they're sitting and eating on your West Elm couch, or E: all of the above.
WATCH OUR YOUTUBE VIDEO:
How to Survive Networking Events as an Introvert
Conclusion and Key Takeaways
Networking events can feel like a daunting task for introverts, but with the right approach, they don’t have to be overwhelming. As I’ve shared from my Podcast Movement experience, it's important to remember that being an introvert doesn't make you any less capable of making meaningful connections.
Key Takeaways:
Bring Support: Attend events with someone who can help ease the pressure and keep you accountable, or connect with fellow attendees beforehand.
Set Manageable Goals: Focus on connecting with just two or three key people rather than overwhelming yourself with unrealistic expectations.
Take Breaks: Schedule downtime to recharge and avoid burnout, ensuring you can fully engage when it matters.
Plan Ahead: Create a schedule before the event, so you have a clear plan and avoid feeling lost or overwhelmed.
Let Go of Worries: Try to disconnect from external stresses like work or home life so you can be fully present and make the most of the opportunities.
By following these strategies, you can survive—and even thrive—at networking events while staying true to your introverted nature. Remember, it's not about changing who you are, but about creating a plan that works for you.
So that was my spiel. I hope you got a lot of value out of it. I am very interested to know if you have gone through a similar experience. Are you an introvert too, and do you have the same worries that your business needs you to be out there, but it's hard for you to do it?
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