Linkedin Local in Powai was launched on 10th of January and saw an attendance of about 30 people. The response was positive and the event went great.
How did Linkedin Local become a global phenomenon? Read all about it here
Since it is the beginning of 2020, I decided that the theme should be new beginnings – a first chapter in building a strong offline brand.
I wanted to keep it short and simple. We had one awesome speaker and lot of time to network and catch up.
In this photo, I am with Shweta Ojha, the host of Linkedin Local, Thane and the guest of honour for the event. Next to her is Monika Kaushik, the speaker of the day. And then it’s Brig Bhasin, a veteran in the training industry.
The chief aim of any Linkedin Local is to bring people together offline. For me, the interests of the community come first. And I tried to bring in as many local businesses as possible into focus for the event.
The venue partner, Of10, was a great place to host the event. The evening started with coffee and conversations and people registered themselves. There were people who travelled from other areas of Mumbai too.
Preethi Rahul, a nutrition expert sponsored healthy but super yummy snack bars and chips from Max Protein.
Best Talks was the video partner who covered the whole event. The footage has gone for editing and you will see some videos here once they are ready for viewing.
The food and beverages were sourced from local vendors in the area.
THE GUEST OF HONOUR
The guest of honour, Shweta – who is also my mentor in starting this chapter – had some words to say about the event. She shared how community building efforts like these should be supported by people. Every individual who spreads the word gets more people into the fold.
Apart from being an awesome person, she brings in a positive energy that is contagious -it only added to the celebration the evening became!
SESSION ON OFFLINE BRANDING
And then came the session of the day. Monika Kaushik has been an image consultant for over 2 decades and believes in a holistic approach to image management.
Her session was completely hands on and practical. When no one looks a their watch or the cellphone, I think it is safe to say that the session was engrossing.
She focussed on how to introduce oneself in an impressive way – to bring together our values, experience and the skills we bring to the table. Covering all these points helps us present a wholesome picture of who we are right at the introduction part of meeting people.
BOOK RECOMMENDATION
Linkedin Local is a venture that I am passionate about and wanted to include a few things unique to this local. As someone who’s an avid reader and loves books, I wanted to do my bit to encourage reading books. With that goal in mind, Linkedin Local, Powai will have a book recommendation section every month. I’ll share informative and interesting books from different genres so that the community can get a taste of different subjects.
The first book recommendation was – one of my favourite – Presence by Amy Cuddy. This book documents the path breaking research of Cuddy in the field of body language. Her research conclusively proves that we can use certain body posture to make ourselves feel confident and assertive. Power pose, the set of postures that help us feel assertive can be incorporated in our daily lives too. Read the book to know more. 🙂
ASK THE COMMUNITY
A year ago, I was looking for someone to help me with brand building on Linkedin. I went out to networking meets and put forth my need. And I got a lead that transformed my visibility on Linkedin in 2019. So I wanted to have a section where people can formally ask the community for support in whatever they are looking for.
“Make 2020 the year you “ask” more often” – Gary V
A community comes with an advantage of multiple skills sets and cumulative experience that helps it grow as a group
Each month, at Linkedin Local, Powai, one member will get an opportunity to share a request with your community. It could asking for help, looking for a contact, seeking a mentor – the choice is yours!
This month, Naini Sanghavi asked for domain experts that she needs for her training business. If you know trainers in different domains, do click on her profile and get in touch with her.
This is your community and helping each other out is what makes it strong!
THE GOOFY VOLUNTEERS
I don’t think this post will be complete without mentioning the happy hands that helped pull the actual event through. Shristi Pandey and Saurabh Gupta, the young and talented volunteers at the event made sure the session flowed smoothly.
They were up and running handing out pens and papers, directing people during activities and going live on Instagram! 🙂
Sticking strictly to schedule is one of the things I wanted to ensure just like I do at my training programs. And I was thrilled when everything went on like clock work – the way I planned it should be.
To my pleasant surprise, people lingered on in the hallways chatting up with each other well beyond the scheduled time. And it’s always a great thing if people stay on because they are having a good time! 🙂
It was a great beginning to the new year and also the Linkedin Local in Powai. The next one is on 7th February with the theme – Find your work Valentine: a mentorship special.
More details will follow soon. To grab your early bird discount that ends on 18th January, use the code EARLYBIRD and get a 50% off here.
For any questions and feedback, feel free to comment below or connect with me on Linkedin