Creative Networking in 2021 By Amanda Gregory
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It is safe to say that 2020 will go down as the year nobody expected, but it will also be remembered as the year we adapted, overcame, and got creative. In the grand scheme, 2020 made us think outside the box. But look at us now - facing 2021 with open eyes and open hearts. Hoping the worst is behind us but knowing that “normal” may still be far off. In the world of networking, - getting creative has been the name of the game. Almost two years ago, I founded Lawrence Lady Boss Project here in Lawrence, Kansas. We had just gotten in our one-year anniversary party, where we thought the flu was the worst of our concerns when the pandemic hit the very next month. Networking was put on hold! Like
so many other organizations and industries, networking thrives off person-to-person contact and interaction. So how does one find ways to connect when a literal pandemic hits? They think outside of the box. For Lawrence Lady Boss Project, that looked like virtual networking events, socially distanced in-person events and cancelling or changing plans to basically make it work as things constantly changed. When I look towards 2021, I hope to get back to in person networking, but I know it may be months before we can even attempt that. So what’s a person to do when you need to network with other people in your community?
