6 Stories on Why Social Connections Matter
Hey there, ladies! Sarah Maingot, here. I've got one question: where would we be without the internet?? We all rely on it to function every day, whether it's growing our audience on Instagram or searching for a coffee shop to try in a city we're visiting. Along with the HUGE increase of time we spend on social media for work and personal use, it’s become the norm nowadays to form connections with people through online communities.
Today I want to share a little about how networking through social media has been beneficial for me. We also asked a handful of amazing Boss Babes to share their success stories with social media & how “online networking” has benefited their personal and professional lives.
If you read my intro post yesterday, then you may have learned that my personality type is more on the quiet side (hello, fellow Pisces friends!). It’s not always easy for me to walk up to someone & introduce myself, but this is something I've been actively working on. Networking & forming connections is becoming one of my favorite things to do.
One of the main reasons I'm able to do a lot of the work & writing that I do is because of online networking, and just quite frankly taking the time to do some online stalking & find an email address to reach out to someone directly. A perfect example of this was my first interaction with Boss Babe Club. I live in the Tampa area, which has a growing community of influencers, so it's easy to follow along & keep up through social media. I started seeing an interaction between Boss Babe Club and other local business that I follow & immediately followed them on Instagram. I emailed Gina (our awesome BOSS Founder), we met up for coffee, & here I am chatting with you about making connections through an online space. What a small, exciting, digital world. ;)
I think it's so great that we can find like-minded people through the internet and we should all be utilizing this way of powerful "networking". Keep scrolling to read stories from Boss Babes in the local & national community about amazing connections they've made through social media. Hope you are all having a fabulous week so far. We would love to hear about a fantastic connection you've made through social media, so be sure to let us know in the comments below! We'll meet again soon, Babes. Stay boss always!
-Sarah
Photos by The Danger Booth
Becca Wolf | The Danger Booth // IG
"We were looking for a wedding planner in Tampa and found Jen at Oh Hello Events via Instagram. We immediately recognized her business name was a play on the Oh Hello show by John Mulaney + Nick Kroll and knew we had to book her. We own a photo booth company, The Danger Booth, and brought our booth down to Tampa for our wedding and collaborated with Oh Hello on an amazing colorful paper fringe backdrop. This backdrop has become a source of inspiration for our other clients and we're even hoping to use Jen's design skills for other projects moving forward. Jen is another female business owner I can bounce ideas off of and it's great to have made a friend in our industry across the country from me!"
Boston, MA
Photo by Kevin Michaels Photography
Amanda Marit | Amanda Marit LLC // IG
"I've met some of my closest friends on Instagram and almost ALL of my clients! One ended up becoming my business partner and best friend, where we launched an online program together. It's crazy how the Universe can work, and social media can be pure magic if you're open to it!"
Solana Beach, CA
Gabrielle Agostini | The Trini Traveller // IG
"Instagram is a fabulous tool for networking on social media as a few months ago I started reaching out to similar bloggers within my Travel Promotion Industry for meetups during my travels. In one instance, I had messaged a fellow Travel Blogger @lisahomsy a few days before my trip to Bali in January of this year and was happily surprised to do a fun day in Seminyak with her and another blogger named @melvandersluis. They are super talented IG influencers and taught me quite a bit, which helped me gain so much traction on Instagram. This networking technique was so valuable as not only did I improve my Travel Blogging skill set but I had made some new and awesome friendships!"
Port of Spain, Trinidad
Jen Jacobs | Wandering Whisk Bakeshop // IG
"I found Goldenrod Pastries on Instagram the day their shop opened two years ago. The owner Angela has become such an inspiration to me since I hope to open a bakery just like hers! Last week I flew out to Lincoln, Nebraska where I got to meet Angela and see her shop in person. As a small business owner, I am constantly inspired by female bakers who have walked the same path as me and who run amazing bakeries."
St. Pete, FL
Photo by Austin Trenholm Photo
Alexa Kritis | Long Aisle Events // IG
"Almost two years ago Austin Trenholm Photo started following me on Instagram. This was a big deal for me, as I had just started my business and Austin had upwards of 20K followers on Instagram, was featured on Style Me Pretty, and more. He was the real deal! I had emailed him thanking for the follow to ask if he wanted to meet up, but he was going back home to Naples and would contact me when he was in town again. Fast forward two years while I was planning a styled shoot and I remembered how kind Austin was. I asked if he wanted to shoot it and he agreed! The shoot has since been picked up by 100 Layer Cake, Wilkie Blog, Aisle Planner & photos from it are constantly being shared on social media!"
Tampa, FL
Photo by S & S Hendley Photography
Josefina Sanders | Love Offering // IG
"As an introverted small business owner, it can be so hard to get out there and network. But one of the biggest wins is that a lot of times our businesses give us the platform to break through the barriers of awkward walls and have a meaningful conversation. I met my biz bestie, Sabrina Hendley, at a Tuesdays Together meeting, and surprisingly she's introverted as well. But together we are a firework, we challenge each other to work better, and also encourage each other when we are in a funk."
Brandon, Florida
