Getting Real Again: Reviving The Lost Art Of Networking.
By
Rochelle Arjmand
I swear I looked like a deer caught in headlights!
I walked into a magical world. Taking in the sights and sounds of the beautiful rooftop of a swanky hotel. It was a picturesque gathering of my fellow connectors. An experience rich in bragging rights and business opportunities. A scene worthy of a red carpet, with the potential to facilitate world-class connections.
Yet there I froze. My whimsy interrupted when I was abruptly ‘welcomed’ by an oversized easel board littered with badges in an array of colors representing different occupations. I claimed my red advertising and communications badge, grabbed my two drink tickets, and was on my own. As a highly sought-after connector, this was where I belonged - in theory.
I felt otherwise. I was soon unable to differentiate the rattling of my nerves from the clattering of champagne glasses and cheerful surface banter. I became a lonely connector disconnected from my fellow humans, unable to forge authentic connections in a room of color-coded cliques. People were scrutinizing the color stripe on my badge to decide if I was worthy of approach. If my industry was good enough. If there was a return on the time invested in getting to know me.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, was my experience at one of the most reputed and well-known nationally syndicated networking events in the United States. I wondered; when did networking become a mass-marketed product that put people last? I tend to be cognizant of the comfort of those around me to a fault. If I - as a connector - was ill at ease and uncertain at this event, how did the introverts and inexperienced feel?
Somewhere along the way, we have let go of the art of networking.
We are all familiar with the famous sayings.
One connection can make a difference!
It's not what you know; but who you know.
Your network is your net worth.
Yet we tend to feel unworthy and increasingly unconnected.
The pursuit of the elusive key connection often has us flocking to huge events with hundreds of attendees in a desperate attempt to find the missing piece of the puzzle. Standing in a sea of disconnected souls, none of whom you know, and few who seem to care to get to know you. The noise level makes it hard to start a conversation, let alone make a connection. And then there are the awkward moments. Being asked if you have a card on you, or asking for someone’s information like a police officer issuing a speeding ticket.
Somewhere along the line, we replaced quality with quantity and have given networking a bad name. We have turned intimate into intimidating. Transformational into transactional.
We are card collectors, acting like hunters and gatherers who are privy to a limited supply of contacts. We put pressure on ourselves to get our return on time at networking events by growing our contact list. Only to return home with a confusing pile of cards and little understood contacts. So where do we go from here?
Connection is a basic human desire. We all crave deep, meaningful, connections. By reducing human interactions to an obsession with meeting the person who can open the door to the job that will change our life we have detached from our most innate instincts as fellow human beings. Living in the glory days of instant gratification, we easily crack under the pressure, becoming disengaged and discouraged.
Perhaps not all networking events are disappointing. The most successful tend to be purpose-driven events hosted by a certain organization or industry. Such events tend to transcend the cocktail party vibe and unite people for the greater good. The more people and purpose-centric a networking event is, the better the experience and outcome for all involved. But even these meet-up models have moved away from the fine art of networking. Take trends like speed networking. Another attempt to increase the return on time is by sacrificing all that is sacred about genuine connection.
It's time to go back to the basics. To the roots of what it means to connect. To be authentic in our interactions by default. Authentic is a word that carries both a heavyweight and an aura of overuse. Here the word is intentional and appropriate, as we increasingly see people with a hunger for care-based connections and a craving for the personal touch.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
It is time to experience a new way to connect.
Meet Rochelle Arjmand, a power broker to purpose-driven professionals.
With an innate ability to see possibilities and probabilities, Rochelle understands the big vision and the road map to get there from A to Z. Her signature rooftop gatherings are the place where real connections are made by real people. A breeding ground for big thinking and big missions to come to life.
The catalytic connections that are made at Rochelle’s events are life-changing. Mutually beneficial. Natural. Easy. The lucky few who are invited are a loyal bunch. They know the value of a carefully curated and well-cared-for community. The respect that event attendees show one another is a byproduct of the attention to detail and care that Rochelle puts into planning joyous events where deep, organic, conversations lead to lifelong friendships.
The results of collaborations and partnerships that have come under Rochelle’s watch are world-class. Two of her clients went on to form their own stage theater production company. They are now starring in and producing stage plays. Their connection was catalyzed by Rochelle’s rockstar PR work. Taking a grassroots approach, Rochelle was able to get their productions into multiple venues and create win-win situations for all involved.
It wasn’t long before Rochelle was asked to network on behalf of others. Rochelle now serves a select number of private clients with bespoke, connection-based, catalyzation blueprints and VIP Days. The key to her success is her sincere commitment to understanding the personality and purpose of her clients and building them a network that aligns with their personal and professional goals. VIP Days with Rochelle are full of potential for her clients. She spends these days attending events and facilitating introductions with a strategic focus. Success is a puzzle, and Rochelle is the world’s best at gathering all of the pieces and putting them together to create opportunities and impact.
But Rochelle does more than make introductions. Working intimately with her clients, she quickly becomes their secret weapon. Their catalyst. Their shortcut to success. Rochelle carefully screens potential connections for their ability to hold space for her client’s visions, putting in the time and energy required for the real magic to happen.
Rochelle is more than a connector. She is authentic and empathetic. A conduit. A dream catcher. The game-changer for high-performing, purpose-driven executives, experts, and entrepreneurs who know no limits. She intuitively identifies those missing puzzle pieces - what clients need to achieve their goals and make their dreams come true. She puts in the time. Does the research. And gets results. She guides clients step by step - and never loses sight of how important they - the people - are in the art of connecting.
Want to know what it is like to work with Rochelle?
“Rochelle is one of the most enthusiastic and optimistic people that I've ever met! She is a ray of light! Rochelle lights up a room anytime she walks in and is a magnet for success. Whatever she gets her hands on, she makes an absolute possibility.- Elizabeta Vidovic, Almost Normal Productions
“If you have a talent, Rochelle will put you in the best position to use it. This lady changed my life, I am an actor and I needed exposure so she took it upon herself to introduce me to a published author who just so happened to need an actor to portray the very character he had written about. The author and I would most likely have never met under any other circumstances, but Rochelle set it up and she even played a part in a certain movie producer appearing in the audience at one of the shows.- Tommy Caldwell, actor
“I believe in magic words, totems, and good luck charms. In the world of public and media relations, talent acquisition, and the entertainment business, the two magic words Rochelle Arjmand. - Jim White, screenwriter/director
If you're ready to experiencing networking in a completely different way, what are you waiting for? Rochelle is here to help you. Let's make things happen! To learn more about how Rochelle’s power-brokerage can dramatically shorten the path to your fullest potential and most vivacious dreams becoming reality, visit catalyticconnections.com or reach out to Rochelle directly at
rochelle@catalyticconnections.com.
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