An Introverted Entrepreneur’s Guide to Community Building
Business ownership, while endlessly thrilling and challenging, can also be lonely – a harsh truth that makes community building all the more important. I learned this lesson pretty early when starting Kraken Cove Productions, and decided to work toward intentionally cultivating community. The effort has paid off in lifelong friendships, colleagues that call each other regularly to refer jobs, and a lot of really great food.
The idea took root while I was working on staff at my first production job here in San Francisco. As a way to get out of our neighborhoods and try new restaurants, a few coworkers and I launched a monthly meet-up called “Grubfest.” During those dinners we’d unwind and chat about the industry, often sharing excitement over new projects or opportunities. Relationships were formed, and with them, a community. I realized that this fun event on my monthly calendar was, in fact, an informal version of networking (without the large crowds and plastic name tags) and much more my speed.
When I launched my business I expanded this experience into a series of “Ladies in the Industry” events. I would invite a few lady friends - DPs, editors, other producers - and ask them to bring a colleague or two to dinner, or happy hour, or even just a hang-out in the park. We would try to meet every month at a new spot for a very informal gathering of old and new friends.
The result? I’ve met a myriad of talented people – many whom I’ve hired for jobs, or vice versa. Even if I haven’t hired them, I now have a network of amazing people to contact for advice when I’m in a bind. While COVID put a damper on all types of networking (and perhaps made us all a little more introverted in the process), we look forward to restarting these informal outings at Kraken Cove and learning what our industry friends have been up to lately.
Intentionally building community has been a vital part of growing my business and I recommend it to anyone looking to start a new venture. Even if you’re skittish around big formal groups where chatting up strangers is required (like I am), you can still create your own brand of networking that feels much more comfortable for you.
Not Sure Where to Start?
If monthly dinners or company happy hours aren’t your style, consider something less “traditionally” social. Inviting coworkers to join in a weekend charity event or volunteer opportunity can be a great way to make new connections, as well as some positive change in your local community. Active introverts might enjoy tailoring a physical activity into a networking event, such as going for a hike or heading to the rock-climbing gym. Even bowling or mini-golf are sure to create more interesting small-talk experiences (or, at the very least, provide a reasonable distraction while working on your game!) And for people who are still a little leery about in-person gatherings, there are plenty of ways to connect online. Zoom trivia or game nights are easy to organize through services like JackBox Games or HouseParty.
Plus, here’s a fun little fact to motivate you: Many business experts believe introverts are actually better at networking than their more outgoing counterparts. Where extroverts sometimes thrive on the quantity of interactions, it is thought introverts focus more on the quality – ditching the chit chat for more substantive discussion. (Perks of being a good listener, I guess!)