{"href":"http://player.captivate.fm/services/oembed?url=http%3A%2F%2Fplayer.captivate.fm%2Fepisode%2F3de5d76d-1040-4c1c-af2f-6a710ec3509f","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Captivate.FM","provider_url":"https://www.captivate.fm","width":600,"height":200,"type":"rich","html":"","title":"Should I Give Virtual Networking a Try? Work In Sports Podcast","description":"
\nHey everybody,\u00a0I'm Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast.
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\nI\u2019ve been ending every show sharing the importance of wearing a mask -- but I don\u2019t want to bury this conversation at the end.  It\u2019s not a political statement, it\u2019s not controversial, it\u2019s a simple thing we all have to do. Wear a mask.  Be safe. 
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\nI want sports to return, I want fewer people to die, I want my kids to go back to school safely. We can all contribute to that... just start with wearing a mask. 
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\nLater today I\u2019m really pumped to be interviewing Ameena Soliman, Player Personnel Coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, Ameena spent multiple years with the Temple University football program, interned with the NFL league offices, and began working for the Eagles three years ago -- we talk player personnel, the combine, learning to evaluate players,\u00a0 being a woman in sports, and even deeper being a Muslim woman in sports who wears a hijab and I\u2019m guessing has been the subject of stereotyping -- we\u2019ll learn more shortly.\u00a0
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\nAnd then Wednesday this week -- check out my interview with Melissa Silberman, Director of Partnership Activation for the Atlanta Hawks. Very cool business conversation - Melissa is in the business of providing sponsors value with, a lot of the time, in-arena marketing activations.\u00a0
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\nWell -- how do you pivot when there are no fans in the stadium and still create value for sponsors. That\u2019s what we talk about and it\u2019s really fascinating so tune into that on Wednesday.
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\nToday - great question coming in from Michael J.
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\nHi Brian! Hope all is going well! I have enjoyed listening to your podcast! I will be attending my first virtual networking event in a couple of weeks. I am a person with a lot of social anxiety and struggle with networking events. Would you be able to provide any advice on how to handle a virtual networking event? Thank you, Michael Johnson
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\nGreat question Michael. Many points to be made here.
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\nNetworking isn\u2019t easy for most of us
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\nI\u2019d say envision it as a bell curve. There are 10% of people who love and adore the art of networking. 10% of people who are deathly afraid of it, and then 80% of people who are in the middle, don\u2019t love it don\u2019t hate it.\u00a0
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\nI\u2019m in the 80%. Don\u2019t love it, don\u2019t hate it. 
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\nWhat this really means though is 90% of people, aren\u2019t really avid fans of networking. But we all realize it\u2019s important. 
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\nSocial anxiety is a real thing. 
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\nOf course you know this, you don\u2019t need me to validate you -- but anyone out there that deals with social anxiety needs to accept it, not fight it. Don\u2019t try to convince yourself you aren\u2019t or you can fix it. Be who you are, it\u2019s OK. 
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\nI\u2019m reading a book right now, it\u2019s based on a story from the 1930-50\u2019s so before WWII, during and after. There is a character who was gay but tried for decades to \u201cfix\u201d himself. I found this heartachingly sad.\u00a0
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\nI would hope anyone, anywhere today would be themselves...be who they are, accept it, love who you are, and figure out how to get the best out of yourself.\u00a0
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\nIf you are someone who deals with social anxiety, learn your triggers, figure ou those things that really inhibit you.  I remember our team of reporters interviewing Ricky Williams back in th day ...","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/fe399763-d494-4495-a535-03862270dbbb/wispod-cover.png"}