Some of us are high on sociability, social boldness and social self-esteem, and we are comfortable meeting new people and starting a conversation that needs no preparation. However, on the other end, some individuals are shy, introverted or lack the confidence to meet and greet people. Does the latter sound like you? Then, this event was for YOU!

Our dear presenter for the evening was Shil Shanghavi, Public Speaking & Storytelling Specialist, who walked us through his creation - STORYBOOK, which allows us to apply storytelling techniques to networking events that help us make the process of networking conversational, fun and enjoyable.

Meeting new people, forming professional connections, networking, and public speaking can be daunting and traumatising to many of us - social anxiety and fear kick in that push our adrenaline rush faster - and it is OKAY. As one of my favourite quotes, “get comfortable being uncomfortable” - as humans, we tend to get comfortable in something we are uncomfortable doing. We might not have to be social butterflies, but we must start somewhere. It is vital to meet new people, build a support network and make more impactful connections, as it is a valuable tool to grow our career.

Through the art of storybook, Shil shared some of his incredible experiences, techniques and strategies to boost our confidence – by sharing our personal stories and unfolding our own character that leads us to network comfortably and confidently through storytelling. The combination of storytelling and public speaking makes networking easy and sensible.

The takeaway for the night: Don’t word vomit; always give yourself a structure and make your stories interesting for someone to listen to you.