Schmoozing: Why I cannot hate it
June 1, 2012 I have been learning life lessons at a faster rate as an entrepreneur than ever in my life. My most recent discovery came to me after a recent successful meeting with a potential partner on an account: I always hated the idea of schmoozing, networking or trying to “connect” over cocktails and trite after-work events. It all seemed so artificial. In college, the power of schmoozing was beat into our heads. I didn’t get it; feigning interest in career choices and people’s titles, forced laughter at jokes I didn’t get, and posing generic questions, the responses to which I had to muster interest in hearing. It was torture. Now that I am an entrepreneur, working as an event producer, artist manager, and business consultant, I have been forced to take this fear head on whether I want to or not. I go into numerous meetings every day where I have to convince someone to sponsor my show or play my artist's music. I've had to learn to either love and own these situati...