As I write this, I’m sitting in the gorgeous lounge of the Solage Spa in Calistoga on Monday morning. (How serene is this spot?!) I’m practicing some self-care and participating in a yoga/spa day. In about an hour I’ll be doing a 90-minute yoga class, followed by a hot tub break and lunch, and then a yin yoga class with singing bowls. Excited! BTW, the smell of a spa is one of my favorites. Agree?

In stark contrast to my spa day, last week I attended the California Conference for Women in Santa Clara. It was a packed event full of networking opportunities and inspiring talks. My favorite talk was the starting keynote on happiness by Shawn Achor. As a happiness researcher, he shared studies that are the basis for many of the things I teach during my workshops, specifically, how happiness increases your success, and not the other way around.

During breakout conversations, we talked about how networking can feel challenging, and during one session, we were tasked with introducing ourselves without saying our title/role until the end.

In case you find networking and sharing your “elevator pitch” challenging too, I’ve got two tips for you.

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First, for networking itself, think about how you can HELP the person you’re talking to. For example, would the person you’re talking to benefit from a book you’ve read recently, or a restaurant recommendation? Truly, it doesn’t have to be something huge to be a help.

Secondly, here’s a framework for introducing yourself:

“I’m (name and what you want to be known for). I help (audience) (problem you solve) with/by/through/without (your unique approach/solution).”

Mine could look like this, “I’m Nicole Bensen, a happiness and wellbeing advocate. I help ambitious women increase joy and wellbeing, overcome Imposter Syndrome, and hit the pause button to tackle overthinking and overwhelm. By creating ‘minimum viable experiments’ during my workshops and luxury retreats, you’ll make continual movement toward creating a life your 85-year-old self will be proud of.”

If these tips were helpful, would you comment with a quick “thanks” to let me know, please? I want to bring you practical info that supports your wellbeing, and having connections and work that bring you joy is part of that, so please let me know if you want to read more things like this.

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P.S. Joining my luxury retreat is an awesome way to build relationships without it feeling like networking, and in case you missed the update, the dates are confirmed!

The Intentional Indulgence Retreat in Switzerland is happening October 7–12th. If you know now you want IN, please fill out this form ASAP because the first 5 women to join will save $1000 off the pay-in-full price.