| Secrets to a Sizzling Social Life |
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Secrets to a Sizzling Social Life The social butterflies on staff have just the things you need to see and be seen at all the greatest places this year.
Whether you would like to give your social life a boost or you're already a networking pro who wants to stay on top of her game, the following are a few tips gathered from the entire Cincy Chic team on their secrets to socializing. Putting some of these into practice can transform anyone from a wall flower to a social butterfly!
Work with what you have and appreciate quality over quantity. There's little point to making hundreds of friends if you can't keep them! Create a list of the people in your inner circle, and make a point to connect with them on a regular basis. One way to go about this is to take 14 people you really want to maintain a friendship with, and talk to one of them for half an hour each day over a two-week period. This can be done while taking care of other errands, such as household chores, grocery shopping or walking the dog. You could also create another list of people who are not quite as close but with whom you would like to keep current and make sure to send them an e-mail once a month just to say hello.
When you do meet someone new, be sure to enter their info into your address book right away. Also, especially for business contacts, it is always a good idea to send them an e-mail to let them know that you enjoyed meeting them, and so that you each have each others' e-mail addresses. 
If you enjoy being around positive people who are interested in making a difference in the world, there are many organizations in town that mix social and business networking with community service. One great example of this is Give Back Cincinnati, a YP organization that does one large-scale service event every month, plays host to periodic social events for its members and takes part in two travel service events per year (one in New Orleans and one in Guatemala, Ghana or the Dominican Republic).
Getting involved with a volunteer organization is a wonderful way to meet like-minded people, all while doing something positive for the community. Other good organizations include: People Working Cooperatively Young Professionals and Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity Young Professionals.
If you don't have the time to volunteer for an organization on a regular basis, you can still support local charities while meeting interesting people (and often enjoying an amazing event) by attending their fundraisers! Benefits happen just about every week, and one really outstanding one that is coming up is the Play it Forward's Concert for a Cause CD Release show at Madison Theatre on Thursday, March 12. This concert features a stellar line up of bands, including Gary Burbank with Blue Run, Sonny Moorman, Ricky Nye, Tracy Walker and more. And it all benefits the 501c3 Play it Forward, an organization dedicated to helping musicians in need. Tickets are only $12 and available online.
Attend business networking opportunities. You'll see many of these posted on Cincy Chic on a regular basis, and also produced by our partners, such as W.I.N. Women's Idea Network. This group hosts a monthly meeting on the third Wednesday of each month from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Their mission is to provide a creative, respectful and nurturing environment that brings together women in all stages of their careers to network their business and help them grow personally and professionally while learning how to create long-lasting business relationships that will lead to success. Enough said! It's a built-in network and support for you no matter where you are in your career and a great way to learn about other neat businesses in the area and make friends with the ladies who run them.
Every now and then, really big opportunities to mingle will come up, so be ready for them! One huge example is Turfway's Lane's End Stakes on March 21. Even if you don't gamble or know nothing about horseracing, you can win big in the networking arena. "On the social side, we bring in an average of 25,000 people for the event. It's kind of the 'who's who' of Cincinnati," says Jack Gordon, Turfway's sales and marketing director. The VIP section of this giant fiesta is where much of the real action occurs, and it includes a grand buffet, premium open bar, giveaways and live entertainment. Tickets are $175 for an amazing experience. For more information, visit the Turfway events page or call 859-647-4846.
The final piece of advice comes from a grad student who has a hard time getting out at night (which could also easily apply to parents, homebodies, workaholics and single folks) is that to have a social life, you have to create one! Just make an effort to get out on a regular basis - schedule it in. This can be done by simply setting aside a certain night of the week (or month) specifically for getting out of the house. If budget is an issue, there are many ways to have fun that are absolutely free! Remember that all work and no play makes Jill a dull girl - and besides, the more folks you have in your network, the more opportunities will open up for you.
That's it! Putting a few of these into regular practice will spice up any social life. Have fun!
PHOTO CREDITS
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View all articles by this author Last update: 03-03-2009 12:13
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