The Coffee Shop Networker

My experience becoming confident and charismatic in a room full of strangers in a workshop lead by Social Guru, Russy Ross.

Despite being a part of The Plus Ones I am not always the most social of creatures. So when I entered the room full of strangers at the Coffee Shop Networker on Tuesday, February 2nd my mouth felt dry. I was flighty, I was anxious. Cups of wine were being passed around the room courtesy of Cake Wines to soothe the tension.

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The Leader of the workshop Russ Ross began to explain the evening’s activities. He asked us to essentially leave our worries and stresses of the day  at the door. I began to relax.

Russ gave us a candid account of his life prior to becoming a social/dating coach and it was full of cheeky humour, which if you ever meet him (which I highly suggest you do) you’ll instantly recognise.

I later realised that his breaking the ice with the participants of the class was showing that vulnerability and honesty was something that we would then learn do ourselves.

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This wasn’t the course I envisioned it to be, there was no droning on about networking, smiling politely and nodding, we were all encouraged to take selfies with strangers, stand like superman to improve our inner feelings of power and given gems of information on how to subtly steer awkward conversations back onto a better path.

Clever right?

The Coffee Shop Networker is very much an interactive workshop, even the most timid of people I witnessed speaking up and voicing their opinions towards the end, feeling more open and less susceptible to judgement.

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Three things I took away and can give to you are :

  1. Be playful, it helps  build rapport
  2. Use your environment when talking to someone new,like when out when out at a party
  3. Be engaging, watch out for your facial expressions, smiling is the Universal sign of happiness and friendliness, be that smiling chap/lady

The Coffee Shop Networker Course is run at Redfern Workshop.

Russ can be contacted for one on one social coaching and mentoring via his website.

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– Renee Wardle

Our Workshop Specialist, Renee Wardle, is in the works for publishing her first novel. A “Hermione Granger” at heart she  is constantly learning about people, places and things.

Disclaimer: The Plus Ones were invited guests of The Coffee Shop Networker