5 Tips to Navigating Networking Without the Booze

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Nothing will happen today.

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That requires a drink.

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But it doesn't always feel that way

in the networking world, alcohol and

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networking events have become intertwined.

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In the fabric of corporate

culture around the world.

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Whether it's industry conferences,

business dinners, or casual

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meetups, the presence of alcohol

often permeates these gatherings.

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Well, alcohol can serve as a social

lubricant, fostering comradery and

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easing tension in professional settings.

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Is pervasive presence can also pose

significant risks and challenges.

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Welcome to episode 1 92 of this shit

works, a podcast dedicated to all

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things, networking, relationship

building and business development.

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I'm your host, Julie Brown.

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Speaker author and networking coach.

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And today I am giving five

tips to navigating networking

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events without drinking.

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Originally this podcast episode was

supposed to be an interview with Ryan.

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Penley a sober coach and the

author of man up sober up eight

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powerful steps to reclaim respect.

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Conquer isolation and thrive in recovery.

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But Ryan's wife went into early

labor with the birth, their sons.

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So yeah, he had more pressing matters

and we had to cancel our interview and

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we will reschedule it for a later date.

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But because I had done the research for

this episode and because I think it's an

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important topic to discuss, I wanted to

bring it to you as a solo episode with

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a followup discussion with Ryan later.

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You know, I've been toying with the

idea of, and I hate this saying,

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but for lack of a better term,

taking a break from alcohol lately.

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Uh, just because it seems that so

many of my activities revolve around

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the consumption of alcohol, whether

that's drinks with friends, networking

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events, operate ski drinks, it

just seems to always be in the mix.

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You know, and lately I've seen

a shift in the thinking or ideas

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around drinking in the larger

lexicon, in the larger social fabric.

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Maybe it's due to the popularity of

sober October and dry January, but there

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just seems to be a greater appreciation

for not just people who are sober, but

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people who are sober, curious as well.

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So, if you are sober, curious, or you

want to take a break from drinking.

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, networking events where alcohol

is, the centerpiece of that

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event can be a daunting task.

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You know, but with the right

mindset and strategies, you and we

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can confidently network and make

meaningful connections without

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feeling out of place without drinking.

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So let's dive into five tips on how to

navigate networking events, or maybe

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even social situations, Sans alcohol.

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One would be know your, why, why are

you attending this networking event?

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It's not to drink.

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If it was you just go to any old bar.

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You're there to network.

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You're there to meet people to reconnect

with people you already have in your

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network to make strategic introductions.

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It's so much more than just drinking.

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Have any clear purpose of

why you're going there?

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We'll keep you focused and

motivated throughout the event,

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regardless of the environment.

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Too.

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Research the event.

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Now you should be doing this before

any networking event, regardless

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of if you're going to drink or not.

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But if you aren't drinking, look

for information on the format

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of the event, like the agenda.

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Any non-alcoholic options that

might be available, knowing what

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to expect, can alleviate anxiety

and help you prepare accordingly.

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I do this actually mostly

with the food, like when I was

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vegetarian, which I'm not anymore.

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I eat all the animals now,

which is so weird to say.

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But like, when I was vegetarian, I

would always research like, okay, is

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there any vegetarian food for me to eat?

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I know people who have gluten

intolerance do this too.

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Okay.

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Like what do I have to eat beforehand?

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Or will there be food for me , at the.

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Event.

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So just switch your mindset around

that, around like the drinking part

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of it versus the food part of it.

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Three.

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Be confident in your

decision not to drink.

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It is okay to decline alcoholic beverages.

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If they don't align with your lifestyle

or your preference, or you're just taking

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a break from drinking even for that day.

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Remember.

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You're attending the event to network

and further your goals, not to conform to

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somebody else's social expectation review.

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Be confident in your decision to

abstain from alcohol, that was your

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choice and you made it for a reason.

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For use non-alcoholic alternatives.

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Most networking events actually do offer

a variety of non-alcoholic beverages.

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So don't hesitate to explore

your options, whether it's.

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Sparkling water, perhaps

a mocktail, a specialty.

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So days there's usually

something for everyone.

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So experiment with different

drinks to find the ones that you

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enjoy and use them as conversation

starters with fellow attendees.

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If you want to talk about the fact that

you're taking a break or you're not

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drinking, you're, you're doing mocktails.

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I remember one time I was at an

event and this particular time in

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my life, I was not allowed to drink

alcohol because I was recovering from

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some pretty bad vocal cord polyps.

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And I let the bartender know, like I

can't have a drink, but I still want to,

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you know, I was still want to have like

a fun cocktail and he made me this like

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fancy, fake martini and it was paid.

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It looked like, honestly, it

looked like a cosmopolitan.

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Um, and it was pretty and , nobody would

have known that it was a mocktail, except

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I told everybody I'm like, oh, doesn't

this look like a cocktail, but it's not.

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It's a mocked up anyways.

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Have fun with it.

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Utilize those non-alcoholic alternatives.

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And five.

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You don't know anybody in explanation,

I've attended a number of networking

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events while abstaining from alcohol.

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Whether it be because I was

healing my vocal chords, I was on

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antibiotics for an ear infection when

I just didn't feel like drinking.

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And inevitably someone always

asks, why aren't you drinking?

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And now most of you know, I'm an open

book and this question doesn't offend me.

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Except for the time a guy

literally patted me on the stomach

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and asked if I was pregnant.

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That literally happened

and it pissed me off.

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Remember.

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This is your decision.

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You don't know anybody in explanation.

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It's none of their fucking

business if you drink or not.

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So don't explain yourself if you don't

want to just simply state not drinking

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at night and move on, change the subject.

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Now.

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I mentioned, Ryan was supposed to be on

this podcast and that he's a sober coach.

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Well, he has a 21 day sober fitness

challenge that I've decided to join.

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It's not like a group thing.

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You don't do it all together.

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You do it on your own.

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And every day you get an email

from Ryan with tips and ideas

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to help you along the way.

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I'm starting on March 31st.

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So I'm now in the fourth day.

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Of this journey and I'm actually

really excited to report back to you

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about the journey, what I learned in

regards to lots of things, my energy,

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how I navigate social situations, how

I navigated networking situations,

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how I navigated stressful days.

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And when I would normally

relax with a glass of wine.

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Like, I'm super excited for it.

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So for the three weeks during

this challenge, I will be

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highlighting alcohol free drinks.

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So alcohol-free beers

or wine or mocktails.

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In case any of you want to

take this challenge with me?

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I will also put a link in the show

notes to Ryan's website, where you

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can sign up for the challenge and

get your daily emails from him.

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All right friends.

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So now onto that drink of the

week, which you might've already

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heard of athletic brewing, which

is a completely non-alcoholic

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brewery and their shit is good.

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Like it tastes like the real stuff.

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And I heard somewhere that they are

the fastest growing brewery in the

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country right now, which is crazy

since it's all non-alcoholic stuff.

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I mean, we have come so far

from O'Doul's haven't we.

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Well today I am enjoying

really honestly, enjoying and

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sharing the lemon Radler beer.

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From them, which is literally it's

smooth, it's zesty, it's slightly

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sweet, which you would expect.

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Um, You know, so a Radler is like usually

two parts beer in one parts, lemonade.

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And I don't know if that's

actually like a Shandy, but I

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think Shandy is half and half.

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So anyways, so you would expect

like a little bit of sweetness.

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, from it . Anyways.

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I'm enjoying it.

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It's certainly going these, these

kinds of options are certainly going

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to help me on this 21 day journey.

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Um, but yeah, I'm super excited for it.

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All right friends.

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That's all for this week.

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If you liked what you heard

today, please leave a review

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and subscribe to the podcast.

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Also, please remember to share the podcast

to help it reach a larger audience.

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If you want more, Julie

Brown, you can find my book.

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The shit works on Amazon

or Barnes and noble.

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You can find me on

LinkedIn at Julie Brown BD.

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Just let me know where you

found me when you reach out.

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And I am Julie Brown,

underscore BD on Instagram.

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Or you can just pop on over to my website,

Julie Brown, bd.com until next week.

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Cheers.