Is networking a waste of time? Well...

A couple months ago, I attended my first Little Rock Regional Chamber event: Coffee + Connections. I am very comfortable in social situations — maybe a bit too comfortable perhaps. I'm more likely to be told to shut up than to speak up.

That day, however, I was feeling a little nervous. The Little Rock Chamber is a huge organization with tons of successful people — as the creative CEO of small media agency, I worried if I'd be able to fit in. I had already resolved not to sell that day and to focus solely on making genuine local connections.

One of the first people to show up was Chris Estoker, rocking his iconic ArkSkyViews polo. We connected over our media work and it instantly put me at ease. No matter what's happening, I always feel better when there's another media person to commiserate with. We talked about the ins and outs of working in video and I talked his ear off about post-production timelines. (seriously, someone please tell me to be quiet)

We resolved to stay in touch and, before long, he approached me to work on a gig at Ink Custom Printing in Maumelle, AR. Chris did a fly through of the facilities with his drone and I followed behind to capture handheld and behind-the-scenes shots. It was a lot of fun and a great way to get my steps in.

So, is networking a waste of time? If you're just there to sell, maybe. But if you go in looking to make real connections, it is absolutely worth it.

Huge thanks to Chris for the opportunity — I was amazed by his drone flying skills and can't wait to see the final video. You can see more of his work online! (link in the comments)

Entrepreneurs: do you still get nervous walking into a room full of strangers? Let me know in the comments!

#networking #videoproduction #littlerockchamber #arkansasbusiness #creativeagency