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  • Events
        • Events

          • Overview
          • Events Calendar
          • Chamber Awards
          • New Chamber Event Series
        • ...
          Women's Network
          A Fireside Chat with Dr. Melissa Gilliam, Boston University

          This Women's Network event will offer an insightful conversation with Dr. Melissa Gilliam, the 11th President of Boston University and both the first woman and the first Black woman to lead the institution since its founding in 1869.

          06/18/2025

          11:30am - 1:00pm

          Fairmont Copley Plaza

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Special Event
          Talent and Competitiveness in 2025: Finding Opportunity in Uncertain Times

          Join the Chamber and Massachusetts Business Roundtable for a deep dive into employer insights, featuring analysis from McKinsey and a panel of experts.

          06/26/2025

          11:00am - 12:00pm

          Virtual

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Pacesetters
          Doing Business with Mass General Brigham

          Join us for our installment of the Pacesetters Doing Business series featuring Mass General Brigham on June 26, 2025.

          06/26/2025

          1:00pm - 2:00pm

          Virtual

          arrow-go
          Read More
  • Learning & Development
        • Learning & Development

          • Overview
          • Call for Nominations
          • Insights
        • Transformational DEI Certificate

          This program is in redevelopment. Click this page for DEI resources.

          Read More
          Women’s Leadership Program

          Our Women’s Leadership Program enables you to take your leadership to the next level by arming you with the most in-demand leadership toolkit.

          Read More
          Boston’s Future Leaders

          Our Boston’s Future Leaders (BFL) program provides emerging leaders with a socially conscious and civically engaged leadership toolkit, as well as the opportunity to apply their knowledge through experiential assignments.

          Read More
          Authentic Professionalism for Early Career Professionals

          Join us on June 12 for a highly interactive virtual workshop with Strategic Career & Leadership Coach Carole-Ann Penney.

          Read More
  • Economic Inclusion
        • Economic Inclusion

          • Overview
          • Pacesetters
          • Resources
        • ...
          Economic Inclusion
          City Awake

          City Awake empowers young professionals in a variety of ways that encourages these rising leaders to stay invested in the region’s future success.

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Economic Inclusion
          Pacesetters

          We are developing an ecosystem of corporations and partners with the influence and buying power to transform economic inclusion for minority business enterprises (MBEs).

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Small Business
          Small Business

          Small businesses are the backbone of the Boston economy. Learn more about the resources available through the Chamber.

          arrow-go
          Read More
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          • Leadership Councils
          • Amicus Advisory Board
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          Read More
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          Read More
          Health Care
          Read More
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          Read More
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          Read More
          Transportation
          Read More
  • Our Networks
        • GBCC’s Networks

          • Overview
        • OUR NETWORKS

          Small Business

          Small businesses are the backbone of the Boston economy. Learn more about the resources available through the Chamber.

          Read More
          City Awake

          City Awake empowers young professionals in a variety of ways that encourages these rising leaders to stay invested in the region’s future success.

          Read More
          BIMA

          BIMA (the Boston Interactive Media Association) serves a vibrant community of like-minded professionals from agencies, brands, publishers, and ad-tech companies with business interests in the New England market.

          Read More
          Women’s Network

          For over 30 years, the Chamber’s Women’s Network has connected female professionals of all background and career levels. Today, our Women’s Network is the largest in New England, strengthening the professional networks of women each year.

          Read More
          Massachusetts Apprentice Network

          The Massachusetts Apprentice Network convenes employers, training providers, and talent sources interested in developing and implementing apprenticeship programs in occupations across industries and statewide in fields such as tech, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, and more.

          Read More
          Pacesetters

          We are developing an ecosystem of corporations and partners with the influence and buying power to transform economic inclusion for minority business enterprises (MBEs).

          Read More
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Conquering the Fear of Networking

January 20, 2017

As someone who grew up in poverty and in a blue-collar home, I didn’t think of networking as a tool that was available to me. Quite honestly, I hadn’t given the topic much thought until I reflected upon the life of my mother after she lost her battle with breast cancer. While I did not have the financial means, I did have the personal determination and the intuition of a mother who in retrospect, was a skilled networker. What she lacked in formal education, she made up for with street smarts and a PhD equivalent in emotional intelligence. By studying her life and by conducting my own research, I realized that there was indeed a method to the art of networking that went well beyond the business card exchange and the cocktail parties. To test my hypothesis, I interviewed many successful people and they too, confirmed the importance of networking.

So why do so many professionals fear networking? From stranger anxiety to pressure from the boss — the reasons are numerous. Regardless of the source, here are some tips for succeeding at networking.

Develop a strategy
Treat networking like a business initiative. Create a plan. For example, you may want to increase sales by 15%, lay the ground work for the transition to your next career move, deepen relationships with others in your organization or increase your knowledge of a particular topic. Determine the outcome that you would like for your strategy and write it down. Before your next event, determine what would be a good outcome.

Reframe your thinking
Everyone with whom you interact is a potential actor in your future success. Treat them as such. Examine how you spend your time and with whom. Look for opportunities to get to know your colleagues better and supplement that with external opportunities to get to know others. Visualize success! Instead of thinking about the people you don’t know, think about the opportunities for learning about others. Visualize achievement of the business objective that you have established for yourself.

Prepare and practice
Until you increase your comfort level, it’s okay to network with a familiar colleague by your side, but you must move beyond the familiar. Prior to attending a networking event, practice how you will introduce yourself. I’m a big fan of practicing in the mirror. By doing some upfront work, you can reduce your anxiety and ensure a smooth delivery of your business card and your message.

Listen
Use the art of inquiry to take the pressure off of you. Think through the questions you will ask others. Do some research upfront and arm yourself with interesting questions based on the people you are likely to meet. As you listen, identify those individuals who are aligned with your plan and with those with whom you want to stay connected.

Relax. Breathe. Smile.

Juliette Mayers is the author of The Guide to Strategic Networking and President & CEO of Inspiration Zone LLC. Follow her on Twitter, @JulietteMayers.

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