The day after Tampa Business Club in Ybor City, I was back in Orlando to attend the Downtown Orlando Partnership’s After Hours Event at Pups Pub! One of the sponsors for Citrus Club Social’s January event as well, this event would likely carry a lot of weight on my schedule when first impressions come to mind. I always do my best to walk into events with fulfilling promises and positive attitudes, yet as I always say that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t document events that were disappointing and could’ve been detrimental to my brand as a whole. Even when planning an after-hours report about how positive the event would’ve been. While the new connections here were ecstatic, especially with a connection I haven’t seen in years come by as an indirect reunion (and my earliest supporters mind you!) the atmosphere from the organizers didn’t feel as welcoming as I hoped. Even when trying to break the ice to catch up. Being uncomfortable in an event isn’t the first, I’ve felt them all the time at other events yet DOP (Downtown Orlando Partnership) stuck out like a sore thumb. Unique since most networking events that stick to one category or profession like Real Estate when I’ve been needing to target get me laughed out of the room extremely quickly due to what they say “an outsider”. While I feel this wasn’t one of those events, the room was teetering on the brink of doing so. “Every room will always be diverse regardless of the profession when you’re focused on who they are, not what they do”. Nevertheless, being a Debbie Downer all the time is not the documentation I push towards. Positivity always wields the greatest success in our careers. Especially wanting to stand out as a photographer in a competitive world. However, we should at least state the positive and negative stories of our day-to-day lives and learn from our own experiences. #networking #photographer #relationships #events
