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          BIMA
          BIMA AI: Accelerating Intelligence

          Join us for the BIMA's thought leadership panel around AI in the advertising industry and gain insights from Noor Naseer.

          09/26/2023

          5:30pm - 7:30pm

          Hill Holliday

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          City Awake
          Make Your Voice Heard: Reimagining Nightlife with Corean Reynolds

          Corean Reynold was recently appointed the Director of Nightlife Economy for the City of Boston, where she brings a wealth of experience and a passion for fostering an equitable and thriving nightlife ecosystem.

          10/04/2023

          6:00pm - 7:30pm

          Roundhead Brewing Company

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        • ...
          Government Affairs
          2023 Government Affairs Forum: State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg

          Don’t miss our upcoming Government Affairs Forum with Massachusetts State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg. Register now!

          10/11/2023

          9:45am - 11:00am

          Bank of America

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        • Learning & Development

          • Overview
          • Call for Nominations
          • Resources
        • EQ to Elevate Workplace Well-being

          Designed for mid-level managers and supervisors, this new certificate program addresses workplace well-being through unique, innovative, and actionable methods.

          Read More
          Transformational DEI Certificate

          Join our Transformational DEI Certificate! Our comprehensive learning & development offerings are designed to connect and grow strong leaders who lead both inside and out of the office.

          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
  • Economic Inclusion
        • Economic Inclusion

          • Overview
          • Economic Inclusion Committee
          • Fierce Urgency of Now Festival
          • Pacesetters
          • Resources
        • ...
          Economic Inclusion
          Economic Inclusion

          Our Economic Inclusion Committee provides strategic support around research, policies, and programs that are focused on building equal opportunity.

          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
        • ...
          Fierce Urgency of Now Festival
          2023 Fierce Urgency of Now Festival

          The Fierce Urgency of Now Festival brings Boston’s diverse young professionals together with business leaders, organizations and their peers to build connection, advance careers and ignite positive change.

          09/12/2023 -

          09/16/2023

          Greater Boston

          arrow-go
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          Read More
  • Our Networks
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          • Overview
        • OUR NETWORKS

          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 nearly 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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          We support small business through public policy initiatives, events designed to connect small businesses in Greater Boston to their peers and established business leaders, professional development offerings, and free small business advising.

          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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