How District Bliss Turns Connections into $30,000+ in Revenue with Sara Alepin

Jared Zuckerman: Stop trying to sell yourself. Start trying to serve other people because when you serve other people well, and this does not mean you're giving stuff away for free. This means you're asking questions. You're finding out about people's goals. You're connecting them with other people. You are for collaboration. You're giving a really good freebie that makes people want to get on your list. and that gets them to interact with you in some way. So serving really well instead of selling really hard is going to make people want to just really be in your orbit. I think that's the difference and you know, the conversation that we've had throughout this is Bradley. Like both of us are that kind of person where we want to serve other people. It makes us memorable. It makes people want to be around us. It makes people really enjoy the networking process. And so serve, don't sell. Well, not that you can't sell, but don't hard sell people. them hard instead. Welcome back to the Business Insider Roundtable, conversations that move business forward. I'm Bradley Morgan, and today I'm sitting with Sarah Alapin, founder and CEO of District Bliss out of the DC area. Sarah started her entrepreneurial life as a wedding photographer. And when she tried to break into the industry, other vendors literally just completely iced her out of every conversation because they say and saw her as competition. So what she did was... what most people don't do. Instead of leaving, she built her own table. She invited other people to that table and she created District Bliss. That's a networking community that she wished existed and it has grown into something that one member has used to book $30,000 new clients after a single event. Sarah's argument is simple and a little provocative. Networking? should not just build relationships, it should build revenue. She calls it collaboration that monetizes. And we're about to dig into exactly what that means. Sarah, welcome to the table. Thank you so much for having me, Bradley. It's just such a pleasure to be here. I really love your show and you're just such an awesome human. I so appreciate that, Sarah. Thank you so much. I'm so excited to be able to talk to you about this today because a lot of the people that listen here are those small business owners. are those solopreneurs, are the individuals also that happen to be in that executive area? And I really honestly just don't think people know how to network properly. So I'm so excited to be able to talk to you today to gather a little bit about. So I want to start at the very beginning here. Can you take me back to the moment when other wedding vendors were literally freezing you out of conversations? Like what was actually going through their heads? Because most people in that situation would just kind of walk away. Yeah, so that's a great question. and one that I'm actually very transparent about. these are in-person events when we started this way back in the day. And it was the kind of event where you'd walk in and everyone was sort of standing in a circle. And you'd have to kind of try to break your way into a circle. You remember these, right? Like if you've done virtual networking, it's a slightly different volume than this. much so. Yep. I was a part of a BNI group there for a while. yeah. ⁓ yeah. Yeah. I could see that happening. For the... Like you go in, you see all these circles and you're like, okay, I'm going to try to break in and you try to catch eye contact with people and it's super awkward even as an extrovert. And then you finally break into a circle. And for me, in my case, I was going to these events with a goal of finding other photographers that I could refer clients out to when I wasn't the right fit or when I wasn't. able to take them because I was already booked, whatever the case was, or that I could hire on as my additional photographers when I needed them, et cetera, et cetera. So my target was actually photographers. And then when I would meet a photographer, they would say to me, oh, you're a photographer? I'm a photographer. I don't need to know you. And then ice me out of the circle. So my direct target was denying me access because they didn't want me talking to the wedding. planner that was standing there or the venue coordinator that was standing there or the caterer that was standing there because I was seen as their competition. And that is like the worst feeling for an introvert or an extrovert. Yeah, 100%. Nobody likes to be rejected. No. At all. Especially when you're actually looking for that person. Exactly. Especially when you're networking too. Like, why do people do that? Why do you think that is, Sarah? You were over here running this business at this point. And I'm sure you've seen those networkers that come in and just try to set fire to everything, right? Why? Where do you think that comes from? I think it's an insecurity, to be totally honest. I think it's that scarcity mindset. ⁓ And I think they feel they live in that competition world where, you know, we're not here as a community. We're here to compete with one another. There's enough space for everyone. I'm there because I can't take all the clients that I'm getting. And you're telling... behaving as though you can't get a single client, which is just a very different mindset. It's frankly very, I will not use an expletive, but it's not a I get it. I know exactly where you're going. So I think I heard it in my head and listener, I'm sure you did too. But you're right though. I didn't really think about that coming from a scarcity mindset. And I guess whenever I go to network, I think more of, I'm here for other people. rather than I'm here for myself. Again, B &I, talk about givers game. And they kind of talk about how the more you give, the more you're going to get that. I think that really does determine on what industries you're in, genuinely, to see if that's actually going to happen or not. ⁓ But the biggest thing that I noticed in other networking groups that I've gone to, I cannot remember, there's one here specifically in Atlanta where I'm located. And I went to a digital networking and it was very interesting because the mindset was completely different. It wasn't a givers gain idea. It was just accept everybody be willing to talk to everyone and help them first. It wasn't about expecting something in return. So it was a really interesting kind of networking atmosphere. Can you tell me a little bit about the atmosphere of what it is that you've created? Sure. Well, we don't believe it's a zero sum game at District Bliss. I think that that is so important. You know, we we've created an environment that brings generosity out in people. So exactly what you were just saying about the group that you really loved, because you're showing up wanting to give to other people and support other people. And that's really what makes you a very good networker. And I know right now I can tell you broadly, like, you're a very good networker because appreciate that. Thank you. Because that's what makes you stand out. Nobody wants to stand there and listen to like, your elevator pitch and like have your business cards shoved at them. We don't like that. We don't want that transactional networking. So we've created an environment where we support one another. We lead with generosity. We ask questions about how we can support the other person. And that's where we start. And that's where we end up having those massive wins. So tell me this. Do you think that extroverts are the only good networkers? Absolutely not. No. In fact, extroverts can be bad networkers, very bad networkers. I agree with this statement, actually. I was curious to see where you're going with it. But you have, like, you've self-described as an extrovert, right? And you built this community you personally needed, and you said, hey, like, I want other people to join this. How does one, like, how did you know other people needed it, too? Like, was it because you visited all these other things and you're like, none of this works? Like, where did this come from? such a question and I never get asked this question. So I actually didn't intend District List to be a business. I was just so sick of going to these events that were awful that I threw an event on Eventbrite where it was very clear, like you are coming to support one another, we're coming together, forget those shallow handshakes. We're not here for vanishing business cards. We're not here for transactional old boys club networking. We are here to find out how we can support each other and then you know, builds together as a community of amazing humans. And we, you know, had this like question. I put a questionnaire on the front of it where it was like, tell me a little bit about your business, what your goals are. And then it sold out in like 45 minutes. No way. That's so cool. So as you got as like, I'm curious. I want to go back to that moment where you said, okay, I'm going to create this event, Bright. I'm going to be very real with everybody. Like if you're coming here for like elevator pitches and handshakes, do not come here. Like you better be authentic. You better be willing to help other people. And then in 45 minutes of you releasing that, it's sold out. What went through your head in that moment? I was like, okay, I guess I'm not the only one who feels this way. And then the next event, just, before we even launched, I even launched as a business. I say we because I have an OBM. who has very much been involved in a lot of my business decisions and things. She's the best. But before we launched the actual business, we hosted a second event on Eventbrite and it sold out within 15 minutes. And I got all these emails from people saying, I pulled my car over to register for this because I saw that you were releasing tickets and I still didn't get one. Is there any way you have a waiting list? all these and I just got this influx of emails. It actually shut down my inbox. I couldn't get into my inbox for like a full day because I had such an influx of emails. And these were in-person events. So you're limited to the people in your direct area and the people who are willing to brave DC traffic to get there. Which is another thing. Yes. And who are available at that time and everything. So I was like, OK, this is going to have to be a business because if I'm going to keep throwing these, we have to monetize it. Otherwise, it won't be sustainable and I will burn out and then we won't have them anymore. So, shifted. Well, mean, that's... Listen here now, small business owners, pay yourself something. Pay yourself something. I didn't for the first four years of my business and honestly, I was ready to burn it down for the insurance money. Like, it got really bad. And so, I'm happy to hear that you were like, I got to find some way to be able to get the energy back. And a lot of times that's payment. So, I'm so happy and proud of you. to hear that. So thank you. It's so interesting that this you like kind of tripped and fell into a business, right? Yeah, I really did. Those are my favorite stories because let well, let's rewind for a minute. Okay. So I know you have a master's in photography. Okay. And then I know you got injured at one point. So can we talk about that? So like the master's in photography, when was that? And then how far from that master's to you actually getting hurt and then Where was it that you pivoted? The same year, unfortunately. So in 2011, I graduated with my MFA in photography and digital imagery. And I got injured in May that year. Wow. So I still do photography. I mean, I don't talk about it a lot because it sort of runs itself. I don't need to do a lot of marketing surrounding it. Sure. You know, brush brush. I love it. Great. That's amazing. Good. Yeah, that's the ideal, right? When you do networking well, you will be able to say that as well, probably, I would imagine, as long as you commit to it. So I ended up, ⁓ I was a darkroom photography teacher and I got injured by a student. And so I ended up having to like... Photography was my quote unquote summer job, which is what a side hustle is for a teacher. And I ended up having to leave teaching because I couldn't go back. I have an injury to a nerve in my foot, well, from my toes to my knee. And I'm happy to answer follow up questions about it. I am very transparent about it. It's been, you know, 15 years since then. So we're almost to the anniversary in May. Okay. So. Bye. The, couldn't go back so I had to do photography full time. Like what else was I gonna do? Just sit around and watch Netflix? That's not gonna happen. Yeah, sure. I mean, why? Like why would you do that? Like you're, I've never met somebody that has been in the arts that hasn't been creative, that hasn't been able to create something for themselves. like, always seems to be the artists too that are the ones that get injured and have to pivot. You know what I mean? It's never. And some of those people that graduated with the IT degrees, The individuals that have those art degrees. And I think the reason why is because you guys are built to pivot. You're built to be creative. So now you're running multiple businesses, it sounds like at this point. At what point did you stop thinking of yourself as a photographer who does other things and start thinking of yourself as an entrepreneur? When did that flip? That's a good question. I would say I started thinking of myself as an entrepreneur when I went full time, which would have been in 2013 because I needed, you know, I had to deal with the injury first, right? Okay. And then from there, I, founded District Bliss in 2014. So it was the following year after spending a year striking out on networking and absolutely hating it. And so from there, I would say I started really thinking of myself as more than just the photography arm of my business in probably 2015. And the reason being that a lot of photographers were very hesitant to come network at District Bliss because they were afraid that they were stepping on my toes. And so I stopped leading with talking about my photography business. And I started talking about just District Bliss because I didn't want anyone to feel the way that I had felt at the networking events and not be able to share this. style of networking where it feels supportive and where you foster long-term relationships that build your referral network, that build your client base, that talk about you when you're not in the room in the best way possible and say, you know who would be the perfect fit for you? Not just any copywriter, but this copywriter matches your vibe, your topic, your whatever it is, all of the things. They're the perfect fit. And so I really wanted people to feel like they could come and be photographers and still see success. And they were not stepping on my toes because they weren't. That's fantastic. Phenomenal. So just to be clear, it's more than just photographers in this group now, correct? Yes. OK. And so you have like what verticals are you seeing the most of inside of district place? Or is it just a healthy mix of everything? It's such a healthy mix. We have grief coaches. We have financial coaches. We have I mean, we also have bookkeepers, very different spectrum. We have brand designers. know, it's, we have pretty much, if you're an online service provider, you're definitely, you have a solid place inside District Bliss. And we also have wedding planners and people who do work hyper locally, who come more for, who come for the connections, but also come for the ⁓ education element. Because we, we teach workshops that, you know, help you really. Stay up to date on all the things because there are so many things in business and otherwise you're buying all these courses or you're like doing all this research and it's sort of trying to cut out the waste of time, energy and effort because we don't have extra time, energy and effort. So true. Say it louder for those in the back that cannot hear you. We tired. But you're right. And it's such a good thing that you guys are teaching this though and that opportunity is there. So it sounds like it's been very successful. And I want to talk about this one specific member who booked $30,000 in new clients after a single district bliss networking event. I don't know what you're teaching there, but like, I think you should teach it everywhere because I would love to be able to do that. So how does this happen? Like, can you walk me through what that event actually looked like and what the person did differently from everyone else in the room? How did they do this? I can actually walk you through this fully. So first of all, the member that you're referring to is named Melissa, Melissa McFarland. She's the CEO of Creative Successful Entrepreneurs. She's a business coach. So she, at the time, was, she was traveling, teaching about business coaching. She was teaching the, basically like the marketing clovers, which she calls it. So she was coming to our networking social at the time we were doing this hybrid, like it was a workshop at the top of the networking social and then it was networking afterwards. So you were getting like education and networking in the same space. And at the time this was also in person. We are largely virtual now because we, during the pandemic expanded into like Europe, Canada, ⁓ all across the country. We're in, we have members in Ecuador, Chile, like we're all over the place. We are largely still virtual because, you know, of course we want them to have a place too. And the world kind of just have to say for a minute, for the people that are listening, Sarah has the biggest smile on her face right now. And the reason why is because she has worked so hard for this. And I'm sorry, I just have to point it out because whenever I see like success, it makes me so happy. Sorry to interrupt. Continue forward. All right. My apologies. No, that is very true. So Melissa flew into DC from LA. And she was teaching this marketing clover, which is really like a fantastic piece of her content that she teaches regularly. And so she came to the event, she showed up early, she spent some time just asking questions as people came in, finding out a little bit about their business, finding out what they were up to, just showing up from a place of like learning how to serve them better throughout the workshop. So she invested the time in that. And then she shared this content. And then afterward, she had people, she's converted so much more than $30,000 out of this now that I'm saying this, she had people lining up to ask her questions because she had taken the time to learn about their businesses. And then she had called out specific pieces where they had expressed a pain point during this workshop portion, which was like 45 minutes, by the way. Melissa should teach a master class in this, but so she had. She did callbacks, which in podcasting, you know how important this is to do a callback to really get people to have that transformation and to really make sure people remember things. Doing that in a workshop is also incredibly important because it shows that you took the time to learn what the person was saying about themselves that maybe they just thought they were expressing in passing, but then they do a callback to the fact that you self-identified as an extrovert or something like that, which you did earlier, Bradley. And so what you're doing is you're showing that you really cared about what I was saying. You were internalizing what I was saying and you were showing up in a way that was supportive for your audience when you asked me that question and that callback. So what you have done in that situation is you've built a relationship with me, even just a teeny tiny one. But between that and sharing really important content that gives people a really important transformation that helps them get over the hump. in combination with then asking further questions and serving in such a generous way. She had three people that lined up and asked her how to get on a call with her so they could talk about her program as soon as they left. So they went home, they got on her calendar, and she booked all three of them within a week. And then she actually booked a team member out of that event as well. She booked her head coach so that she could take time away and teach this content to someone else to be able to have them teach her. clients. as much as she revenue wise, she made about 30,000. She also booked herself freedom. That's amazing. Like this sounds like a book, Sarah. That's exactly what this sounds like. It sounds like there's I think it was book yourself solid, I think is one of the books that I read. And it sounds very similar. And that's just that's amazing. I want to kind of talk about your networking style, though, too. So It seems like Melissa, it's Melissa, right? Yes, yes. So it seemed like Melissa had just this natural ability to be able to start spotting these holes inside of businesses. And that's why she's like, I'll be a business coach. Right. But you call yourself a network weaver and you say you match people not just on interest, but on vibes. What does that actually mean? And how can people actually do that? What's your piece of advice for them? That's a good question too. So in terms of matching on vibes, you're looking for someone who's going to enjoy working with the person that they are hiring or that's in their referral network. However it is that you are looking because of course your networking goals may vary. Like I talked about how mine was to hire out or refer out to other people or bring on someone to support me at my events. If your networking goals are to build your referral network so that you're getting ongoing referrals from each other, which is a very good networking goal, then you want to think about the vibe. That's where that's going to be the most important because you want to make sure that everyone you are referring to that other business owner is going to not just get what they need, but get what they need and have the best experience working with that person. So it's that je ne sais quoi where you ⁓ you know that that person is going to show up in a way that makes sense. So if you know that somebody is a very heavily-boundaried person and someone else is a very, has trouble being respectful of other people's boundaries because they're just, you know, a free spirit and they just love their enthusiasm takes hold of them and they have trouble harnessing that enthusiasm. Those people are not going to have that like vibe. match. They're going to struggle to work together. It's going to be an uphill battle. They're going to have to really figure out a way of communication that works for them. That's not to say it isn't going to work, but you do want to think about when you're referring to someone, not just who's the best in the field, but who's going to be the best for that person you're referring to. It's sort of like if you were having a dinner party, you wouldn't just invite every person that you like. You would invite people who would enjoy sitting together when you're in the kitchen and when you're serving something and who aren't going to be like picking at each other or bickering when you're not there to mediate. Nobody wants that experience. So you really want to think about every networking experience is just relationship building. That's so interesting that you say that Sarah, because in the back of my head, I'm sitting here thinking, man, I hope I've done that. And I'm sure the listeners are thinking the same exact thing because in the back of my head think, I'm sorry, I'm taking a quick little mental like note of this, because I'm looking back on some of the failed connections that I've tried to create for people. And I'm like, well, wait a minute, their businesses had synergy. In theory, this should have worked. And then I look back on it and I realized the relationship could not be possible because they were oil and water. And it makes so much sense. I've never thought about it that way. And the fact that you're teaching this also to other people of It's not the business, it's not the synergy. It's the ability to mix and to actually be able to understand each other and work together. And I guess that's, not many people know this about my business, but I started my business originally with two other owners and we all kind of got along. But at this point, there's only one owner and that is now me. And it's kind of interesting how those kinds of things naturally fix themselves, you know? And that was. the natural progression of me trying to force oil and water together. So of course, naturally that networking piece didn't work out for them because they just couldn't refer back and forth and it didn't really make sense. And I think that's one thing that Marketing Bliss is doing a little differently, is the fact that you guys are teaching that it's not so much, again, the synergy, it's the vibe that's also attached to it. Am I onto something here? You are because we buy from people. buying from, even if it's a team and you're working with someone on the team, it comes from the top. You know, like the vibe that's in District Bliss is going to be the vibe that I put into the business. You know, I'm heavily influential in that. And same for you. Even if you bring on team members, you're going to choose team members that work well with you. So they're going to have a similar vibe. So even if you're working with like a team member of the business owner, it's still going to be the same. If you can't get along with the business owner, you can't get along with the business. and we want to buy and support businesses that we love, the people. you know, makes you excited to be part of it and to work with them. And every time I see Bradley's name come up on my calendar, I'm going to be so excited, right? Like. Thank you so much for that, Sarah. That makes me feel really great. So I want to kind of fast forward a little bit to to our next topic. And you told me that you hosted a summit called Collaborations That Monetize. Now. What is the collaboration model that most entrepreneurs are completely sleeping on? ⁓ Completely sleeping on? I mean, I think a lot of it is, let me start here. Your list size doesn't matter, and I think that's the thing that stops most people. there are so many other things that you bring to the table. For example, when we host, I don't ask the list size when I host collaborations that monetize when I bring in speakers. because I care about their content. I care about how they're going to serve my people. And I can bring my own people, but I can't share all of the content that they can share. So for me, that's what matters the most. So I guess what you might be sleeping on is what you have that's your unique space and what value you can drive and what value you can offer. And you're letting the list size or the follower count or whatever get in your way or the tech get in your way. As long as you have a way to deliver whatever you're promising for a freebie so you can build your list then, and you have that freebie to build your list, you should, don't let it hold you back because regardless of what you choose to like whichever strategy you choose, whether it be list swap, which might be a little bit of a harder sell if you don't have a list, but depending again on what you're offering, if you are serving my audience well, I don't really care if you only have a hundred people on your list because I'm nurturing my audience. I'm satisfying what they need. so yeah, I'll help you build your list because you're giving me a great resource. And I'm not worried if you can only send, you know, then I'm going to change my freebie potentially and send a networking social ticket because your hundred people can then attend a networking social and I don't need to send something else, you know, to bridge that gap. So, you know, it's about sort of tailoring to what you can offer. but not standing in your own way. I think that the list size thing is the biggest barrier for most people. That's very interesting you say this. I, my business currently is, is medical massage therapy. And I've got several of other things I work with nonprofits. I'm also potentially starting up another business as well. So we're, we're entrepreneurial brained on this podcast, right? And I actually am trying to hire on a new contractor at my business and I actually had this conversation with them this morning. They're very new into the massage industry. They're also a male in the industry, and it's very difficult for us out there. Why I'm not quite sure, we're trying to break through that right now. My practice in the Georgia, Atlanta area is male only, and it's because we're trying to prove that it shouldn't matter who's touching you. what it is, is it's therapeutic work, right? So my marketing's very... Medical very I mean like the marketing speaks that right now all that being said I had the call this morning with with this new individual and I said hey first of all I'm so sorry to tell you but your first client with me canceled and he he was like, no, that's awful He's like I'm never gonna have anybody this at the other and I told him I said wait a minute as like that's not true I said we're not gonna we're not gonna put negativity out to the universe here, right? I said you just don't have anybody right now And then I told him, said, while you were in school, how many people in your life did you massage for free? He said, eight people. said, okay, that right there is money. I said, if you've worked on them for free, it's now to go after them and say, hey, I would love for you to actually pay something this time. You know, I can officially take the income, you know? And once I said that to them, they realized, wait a minute, I don't have nothing. And I think you're really onto something there because I do think that people's list size does keep them from reaching out for bigger. And I've, I, whenever I do like life coaching, business coaching, things of that sort, I tell them, say, what's the worst that can happen? You're gonna get a no. That's it. ⁓ yeah. Yeah. That's all you're gonna get. And I tell everybody, and you want to know what's even better, just anticipate the no ahead of time. No skin off your back. Write the email, go to the networking event, go step on that stage, you know? And, and I push people to go do those things because again, I think you're right. People's list size does unfortunately start to dictate their actions. So what a great call out there. Now, I know that you're also a podcaster as well, and I'm really curious if you've ever talked about any of this on your podcast. It might not because the name of it is called The Wedding Dish, right? But what does... I would love for that to happen because honestly, I would listen, right? But what does running your own show, right, as far as podcasting, YouTube, whatever it may be, teach you about connection that you cannot learn any other way? And the reason why I asked that question... is because all of the episodes that I've done with Business Insider, in my own personal life as well, has been able to equip me to be able to ask those really hard questions in a really great way. And I'm wondering if you have been able to kind of find a really cool tool and ability through your own podcasting capabilities. So through podcasting, so I interview couples and wedding pros about their experience in the wedding industry. or planning a wedding. So I guess I use it a bit differently than what normally people would. Of course, it's a funnel for, it's a marketing funnel for my, for my photography business. But I also use it to raise awareness about district bliss to people who are vendors that had come on my show, the wedding professionals. So, ⁓ so where I picked up our financial coach who came on to talk about, you know, share advice for couples who are working through relationships. So while that isn't the goal, that is a happy side effect. my show is a bit in a different, it's a little different than, you know, typical business podcast. But we do talk a lot about asking questions and showing up from a generous mindset in general, even with couples, because vendors really need to be asking a lot more questions than they necessarily do. And sometimes they don't realize like, Asking questions about family dynamics is so incredibly important when you are working with couples, because inevitably there are some. And they will show up and they will impact everything you do that day. asking, like even just something basic like that. But the, I guess the underlying piece of it still is showing up from that place of generosity, asking questions and really being there to serve other people would be the only common thread there. Okay, that's totally fine. And how long has your podcast been out? Since September 2019. Okay, so let's see 1920 to 123 to 145. So that's eight years, right? So you've been building district lists for over 10 though. So what is the next version of this? I've got to know. What are you building towards that most people do not know about yet? What's up your sleeve Sarah? So we are hosting another iterations of collaborations that monetize. We actually just wrapped that last week. And we have a couple different ways that we are going to instill even more collaboration into the membership that make it really easy to build your list, to train you to collaborate in a much more effective way where you actually see the profitable side of the collaboration and not just the, it feels so good to collaborate because it does. But like you also. It can be a distraction and you know, the business coach side of you, Bradley, I'm sure knows this, where anything that's a distraction when you aren't putting money in your pocket is taking money out of your pocket, unfortunately. And you don't want to have a hobby, especially in those first three, four years when you are struggling to pay yourself as a business owner. And so we're working on different ways that we can infuse collaboration more, even more organically and much more in a much more approachable way. so that people can continue to build their confidence, build their list, and build their skill set so that they can take that out into the world and feel confident, pitching themselves to being on amazing podcasts like this and showing up confidently and really serving well and making those really valuable connections like you and I are gonna be connected forever now. You're not wrong. You're not gonna get rid of me very easily, Sarah. I hate to tell you this. And I could not be more thankful. You know, my heart just warped. I appreciate that. So for the solopreneur that's listening right now, though, who's just grinding alone and has convinced themselves that networking is either awkward or just like simply a waste of time. What would you say to them? Find the right place. Find a place where your people hang out. Find the place where you, after you get super clear on your goals, can go and accomplish those and then show up from a place of generosity. Ask questions, learn about other people. And if you're really super duper nervous, invite a buddy or ask people that you know have attended in the past. research the host. It does come from the top. But find that place where you feel like you're held in a warm, safe space and where you're building relationships and you're maybe meeting for lunch and not going out to pitch yourself to investors because that's not what networking should feel like. I absolutely agree. could not agree further. I've been to a lot of networking events, Sarah. I have. And to the point to where, Sarah, actually, I'm going to tell you something and you're probably going to be like, what? Why would you do this? I don't ever, ever bring business cards to networking events. And there's a lot of people being like, what? Right now listening to this podcast. I don't. Why? The reason why is because if I can't leave a good enough impression on you to remember my name and what it is I did. Just those two things is enough to be able to find anybody these days on the internet. That's all it takes. And if I didn't leave a good enough impression with you, then honestly, I don't deserve to get to work with you just yet. Right? Because again, it's about the vibe. And I'm not there to sell myself to you. Like the thing is, Sarah, is I teach a lot of business owners to say, be confident in your abilities. Be confident in what it is that you can do. Because if you show up and look as if you're desperate, you're going to come across that way. You know? So I tell everybody there is a fine line between arrogance, right? And, and, and, and being confident, but as long as you stay in between those lines, you tend to be a little bit better. So I started doing that. And then I actually found this new platform, which I will not say it out loud because they don't sponsor me, but they honestly though, I will because they're just really that great. It's hi. Hello. I love them. They have been phenomenal. So I left all of my digital business cards at home. I'm sorry. All of my physical business cards at home and. What I did was actually have a digital business card that I could send out to people. And the way that I would do that is number one, by asking for their name and their phone number. And now at this point, I've got a Rolodex starting inside of my phone and it sends out all of my details to them by text message. So that way all they have to do is save it in their phone, you know? I have found that that works the best because I'm not sitting there waiting and fumbling through things to try to get it to them. Once I'm done, I just get their names. I'll take the sheet, their email, whatever. And then at the end of it, I send everything at the end. So now I get to stay personable. People get to, what I say, experience the magic that is Brad, you know? And to be able to actually be able to have those conversations and make the connections. So I think that's where a lot of people start to make that error while networking. And I'm curious, do you agree on that, that people are trying to sell rather than network? And do you think there is a difference? Yes. ⁓ my gosh. I mean, if we're thinking about this like a relationship, I want you to think about this like a bad date that you've been on because this is exactly what it's like every everyone can picture it. It's the person that goes, they show up and they just talk about themselves the entire time. And you're like, do they even know my name? Like, do they know like literally anything about me when I leave? And you're just like, ⁓ my God, I'm never answering this person's call again. And that other person is like, this was great. I like can't wait to see you again. And you're like, What? How are we having such a polar opposite experience? And then whenever you come back and they're like, hey, would you like to go on another date? And they're like, no. And they're like, but wait a minute. thought I did so well. But I love this because you are right. I mean, networking is kind of like dating in a way. It kind of really is. It really this. Even like the follow-up, like if you ghost someone after you network with them, you're not going to see that referral generation. You're not going to build that long-term relationship. And it's the same as dating. I mean, I've been married for like almost 20 years now and I still would say that's like, we've all been on enough bad dates. I still remember that. I was about to say, I know I do also, like there's... several that come to mind. It's great though, because I've always wondered what that familiar feeling is whenever I go networking. And now I got it. You were able to help me hit the nail on the head there. you're right. That is how I felt. So this is my last question for you, Sarah. So what is the one thing about collaboration and networking that you wish everyone would just stop doing? Like starting today, what should they stop doing? Stop trying to sell yourself. Stop trying, or start trying to serve other people. Because when you serve other people well, and this does not mean you're giving stuff away for free. This means you're asking questions, you're finding out about people's goals, you're connecting them with other people, you are for collaboration, you're giving a really good freebie that makes people want to get on your list and that gets them to interact with you in some way. So serving really well instead of selling really hard is going to make people want to just really be in your orbit. I think that's the difference and the conversation that we've had throughout this, Bradley, both of us are that kind of person where we want to serve other people. It makes us memorable. It makes people want to be around us. It makes people really enjoy the networking process. so, serve, don't sell. Well, not that you can't sell, but don't hard sell people. Serve them hard instead. I love it. mean, Sarah, this is... This is exactly the kind of energy that the show needed, right? More of like real, practical, and just genuine fun. Now, everyone listening, you can find Sarah and the District Bliss community at districtbliss.com, okay? So if you're an entrepreneur who is tired of networking that goes nowhere, this is your next step, you guys. This is your next step. mean, Sarah, absolutely wonderful. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Thank you. Guys, I'm Bradley Morgan. See you at the next table.