In 2019, Chamber President Susan Williams invited anyone interested to join her for a cup of coffee, with a goal to meet or reconnect with at least 50 new people. Upon review, Susan shared that she surely had met at least 50 people that year and most definitely exceeded 50 cups of coffee, but perhaps fell short of the intended goal of one new connection a week.
Susan shares: “I chalked it up to a worthwhile goal that at least kept me more intentional. I felt sure I could let the experiment spill over into 2020. On March 18, as I returned from a short vacation, it seemed that all connections might come to a screeching halt!”
“While I actually have little interest in reviewing this year, truth be told, I may have had some of the most meaningful new connections in my professional life, over Zoom,” she continues.
“The need to connect is strong and I have found that almost every invitation to meet has been welcomed. I moved my coffee pot beside my desk and have finally learned which direction to look into my webcam. I can’t wait to meet with friends and colleagues in person, but until then, I cherish the privilege I have of technology and resources to fight isolation, perhaps the most dangerous by-product of the pandemic.”
Susan extends the enthusiastic invitation to anyone to set up a Zoom call with her or staff, or to allow us to help you set up a meeting with others, using the Chamber’s Zoom account.
Susan adds: “There are a few benefits to these virtual meetings and definitely tips to make them go better. I am happy to share what’s worked for us.”
Contact us at chamber@venangochamber.org or (814) 676-8521 to connect.
This article was published in the Venango Chamber’s December 2020 VenangoWorks! Newsletter.