What Going to 150+ Networking Events in One Year Taught Me About Getting Clients
I went to over 150 (I know, that’s a lot) networking events in the past 12 months, that’s almost 3 events every single week. (yes, I am also wondering how the heck did I find the time lol).
And it completely changed my business and my personal brand.
Please read this post if you’ve ever thought ‘I hate networking’ or ‘I’m not outgoing enough to show up in rooms.’ This will change how you think about it.
In May 2024, I made a decision:
For 6 months, I would say “yes” to every in-person opportunity that came my way.
I made that decision because I lost my $250,000 client and I mismanaged my talent management agency and had to close down that business in one month. This was the point where I realized what my beliefs about the business were aren’t serving me anymore.
And attending networking events was one of those things – I hated it. I hated going into the room full of strangers, I hated doing the small talk, I hated leaving my house for this experience. I saw no point in doing that and I believed that spending that time on working by myself at home will be way more productive.
So, I forced myself to say YES to every single thing for the next 6 months.
Coffee connects. Masterminds. Networking events. Accountability meetups. Conferences. Co-working days.
If it was happening, and I could buy a ticket — I showed up.
That commitment turned into 150+ networking events in 12 months.
That’s almost 3 events per week.
What happened next completely transformed my personal branding coaching business, my content creation agency, and my personal brand.
And it wasn’t because I was pitching in every room.
It was because of 3 simple shifts:
1. I Got Very Good at Presenting Myself
Before this, I used to say things like:
“I’m just trying something new right now…”
“I’m kind of figuring it out…”
But when you walk into a room of ambitious entrepreneurs — that “I am so small” energy doesn’t land.
I introduce myself with clarity and confidence:
“Hi, I’m Daria. I’m a personal branding coach, and I help service providers build a profitable Instagram presence to get more clients — even if they don’t have 10K followers.”
That single sentence has sparked hundreds of real conversations (and resulted in me working with 300+ women entrepreneurs!).
After that intro, people feel very comfortable sharing their Instagram or personal branding questions and challenges with me which often ends up as a mini discovery session where I learn about their goals, frustrations and challenges. I openly share with them frameworks and strategy of how I solved these problems for myself or for my own clients with no gatekeeping. Because if your entire work can be “stolen” in 10 minute conversation, is there actually any worth in it?
2. You Build Trust Faster in Person
In the world where everything is AI generated, our default reaction is distrust when we see somebody online. But not offline. When we have a genuine conversation with someone and you learn what kind of challenges and problems they can solve for you, they become top of mind for you when you decide that it’s time to solve a problem.
This is why I am very patient with calculating ROI on the events that I go to – I remember attending an event with someone in July, we followed each other on IG and then we stayed connected, attending a couple of more events and she became my client in December. 6 months! This is when I calculate the effectiveness of that event.
3. I Started Treating Networking Events as Part of My Funnel
I don’t have business cards – and that’s intentional. When I have a great convo, I say:
“Hey, can I grab your Instagram to stay in touch?”
From there, my content and my online sales funnels take over. This is what it looks like:
- Optimized bio
- Active link in bio directing people where I want them to go next
- 3 pinned posts highlighting my story, my case studies and my free resource that leads into a $47 3-day bootcamp
- Posting consistently about my business
- Sharing the behind-the-scenes of it in my stories
I break down everything you need to know about Profitable Instagram in this free checklist, make sure that you get it HERE.
The event starts the relationship, but Instagram keeps nurturing it.
Today, I’m no longer going to every event.
I’ve exited memberships and club that didn’t align with me anymore or the kind of client I am trying to reach. I had to shift my approach entering a new season of my business where I have to protect my time and reduce the quantity but focus on the quality of the events I go to. I now invest in higher-caliber experiences — $500+ ticketed events, curated events, or intimate masterminds.
So if you’re relying on content alone to grow — this is your sign:
Start showing up in the room.
You never know who’s already looking for exactly what you do.
Comments +