$100/mo Mastermind

OTS 217: Gently Hugging – Emily Merrell

by Robbie Samuels | Oct 20, 2020 | Networking, Podcast, Professional Development | 1 comment

Today’s guest is a super connector. Nothing makes her happier than connecting people who could mutually make each other's lives more enjoyable.

She is the founder and chief networking officer of Six Degrees Society, a female-focused networking organization that handpicks who you meet while networking. It has been called one of “The Best NYC Networking Events If You Want To Find A New Job” by Refinery 29 and “Where To Meet Women Who Are As Obsessed With Their Career As You” by Girl Boss. In 2020, Six Degrees Society held over 80 events virtually and has an IRL presence in NYC, SF, LA and Chicago. They have partnered with brands such as Ann Taylor, Rebecca Taylor, Rebecca Minkoff, Kendra Scott, Vince, Theory, Velvet, and many more.

As a business coach for solopreneurs, she has helped her clients launch their businesses, create communities, raise their prices, streamline their messaging, and cross the six figure mark. She has also built an event career in Special Events and Marketing at Ralph Lauren, Club Monaco, Tory Burch, and INTERMIX.

If you like what you hear today, tune into her podcast The Sixth Degree.

Please join me in welcoming Emily Merrell.  

Would you leave an honest rating and review on Apple Podcast? Or Stitcher? They are extremely helpful and I read each and every one of them. Thanks for the inspiration!

In this episode we discuss:

  • her thoughts on leadership: “Leaders are people who can go past their own doubts and are able to stand up for others.”
  • her desire to learn and hear the stories of adults when she was a child.
  • her experience and thoughts with having au pairs growing up.
  • her experience moving to Argentina after college and networking while living there for 9 months.
  • her desire to be uncomfortable and building a connection from scratch.
  • the very first networking event that launched the entrepreneurial bug in her heart.
  • her strategy for matching people at events.
  • her conflict of charging for her virtual events.
  • her strategy of nurturing her networks.

Links

Books mentioned in this episode:

About Robbie:

Robbie Samuels is a keynote speaker, TEDx speaker, and relationship-based business strategy coach who has been recognized as a “networking expert” by Harvard Business Review Ascend, Forbes, Lifehacker, and Inc and as an “industry expert in the field of digital event design” by JDC Events.

He created The 5% Advantage Program, a four-week experiential program that helps presenters grow in their confidence with Zoom, online facilitation, and virtual event design so they can reduce their tech angst and host more engaging online experiences that meet the purpose of the convening and participants' need for content and connection.

He is the host of #NoMoreBadZoom Virtual Happy Hour, a popular weekly virtual event that explores new ways to design engaging virtual experiences. He assists organizations with bringing their in-person events strategically online as a Virtual Event Design Consultant, Virtual Emcee, and Zoom Producer.

He is the author of the best-selling business book Croissants vs. Bagels: Strategic, Effective, and Inclusive Networking at Conferences and has been profiled in the Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Fast Company. He writes for Harvard Business Review Ascend. His clients include associations, women's leadership summits, and corporations including Marriott, AmeriCorps, Hostelling International, and General Assembly.

He has been featured in several books including Stand Out: How to Find Your Breakthrough Idea and Build a Following Around It by Dorie Clark and The Connector’s Advantage: 7 Mindsets to Grow Your Influence and Impact by Michelle Tillis Lederman. He has guest lectured at many leading educational institutions including Harvard University, Brown University, Cornell University, and Northeastern University.

Robbie is the host of On the Schmooze podcast which features his networking strategies and talented professionals sharing untold stories of leadership and networking.

READ his “9 Ways to Network in a Pandemic” – www.robbiesamuels.com/9ways

SIGN UP for his free weekly Virtual Happy Hours – www.NoMoreBadZoom.com

Keynote Speaker

Interested in booking Robbie to speak? At www.robbiesamuels.com/speaking you'll find video clips and a description of his signature session, Art of the Schmooze. Call 617-600-8240 to speak directly with Robbie.

Watch his TEDx talk “Hate networking? Stop bageling and be the croissant!” at www.robbiesamuels.com/TEDx.

The 5% Advantage Program – #NoMoreBadZoom

Are virtual events a big part of your 2020 business plan? People have started to be less forgiving when it comes to bad Zoom, causing “Zoom fatigue.”

  • You need the confidence and skills to up your game. The problem is that there are so many new pieces of technology to master quickly that you can feel stuck, overwhelmed, and like you're running out of time.
  • The reason options are overwhelming is that you're trying to go from zero to 100 immediately, when — to make the most of your time — focusing on getting 5% better every time you host would allow you to focus on the most important and highest-impact options.
  • Why? Because you know it's true that if you try to do everything, you will accomplish nothing. This means, to achieve your goal, you have to invest in a strategy to put time on your side.
  • How? The 5% Advantage Program teaches online facilitation and virtual event design, but even more so, give you the tools for reflection and continuous improvement.
  • Through this interactive and experiential 4-week program you will grow in your confidence with Zoom, online facilitation, and virtual event design so you can reduce your tech angst and host more engaging online experiences that meet the purpose of the convening and participants' need for content and connection.
  • The time to start getting 5% better is now because you will be sought out, not just for your expertise, but for your ability to deliver that expertise on an interactive virtual platform.
  • Interested to learn more about this program and get on the waitlist? Details www.the5percentadvantage.com.

Relationship-Based Business Strategist & Business Coach

Are you ready to create a Relationship-Based Business Plan that will help you achieve greater impact (and income)?

  • You want to have a greater impact and increased income. The problem is that there are so many options for how to build your business that you can feel stuck, overwhelmed, and like you're running out of time.
  • The reason options are overwhelming is that you're looking at them as a series of disconnected steps when — to make the most of your time — you need a strategy that connects only the most important and highest impact ones.
  • Why? Because you know it's true that if you try to do everything, you will accomplish nothing. This means, to achieve your goal, you have to invest in a strategy to put time on your side.
  • How? This program will help you find the clarity to determine what is the right next step for your business. A book? A podcast? An online course? Masterminds? Speaking on bigger stages?
  • Together we will design a 12-month Relationship-Based Business Plan that will allow you to stack your successes to create momentum and leverage your limited time.
  • Robbie believes that networking is a marketing strategy and coaches “expert entrepreneurs” to grow to the next level through relationship-based business strategies and hands-on support. Interested to learn more about private coaching packages? Send Robbie an email.

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Affiliate Links: Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links above are “affiliate links”. This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products and services I use personally and believe will add value to my listeners. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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