Welcome back to the young+creatives podcast! In this week’s episode Christian and Sidney discuss the importance of ‘networking’ and reflect on how networking has helped them throughout their careers.
In this episode of young+creatives we cover several key topics including:
Sidney’s experience networking as an “introvert”
Christian’s uncomfortable truth about networking
Personal branding and why it’s important in terms of networking
How do you network online?
Social media platforms that can be used to connect to a target audience
Get in front of as many people as possible
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Transcript
Team RMG 00:00
Welcome to the young creatives podcast brought to you by our vision Marketing Group. Young creative will serve as a platform to promote, discuss and give advice on Millennial creatives coexist in a traditional job.
Christian Payton 00:19
Hey guys, welcome back to the young creators podcast today you have Christian and Sydney from the revision team. Thank you, Sydney for joining us today for the podcast,
Sidney Jackson 00:27
of course. So thank you so much for having me. Of course.
Christian Payton 00:31
Today’s conversation I think is going to be super interesting, just because I feel like you wouldn’t say that you’re an expert in this area, but you’re really great at it to be only 25. Today, we’re going to be talking about the importance of networking.
Sidney Jackson 00:46
You say only 25 Like that’s not like super old.
Christian Payton 00:50
It’s not okay. Yeah, I’m telling myself that since I’ll be 25 In a few weeks makes yourself feel better. It makes me feel a lot better.
Sidney Jackson 00:58
Yeah, at 25 You start having back pains and, and that’s
Christian Payton 01:01
what scares me. I keep asking everybody like, what does it feel like? How does it feel? How does it feel?
Sidney Jackson 01:08
It’s fun thing. It’s fun. Um, this is probably gonna be my last young creative podcast because I’m not
Christian Payton 01:14
young anymore. Me though, cuz that’s gonna be me in a few weeks, but it’ll be okay. Age is a state of mind. And I feel young. That’s good. We both look young.
Sidney Jackson 01:24
Look, young look and feel is different, though. So. So yeah, this podcast is talking about the importance of net networking. So I’m definitely not an expert in it. But I have improved over the course of two and three years. So yeah, so fun fact, I started I, one, I’m still a true introvert. So as far as like, people, when I’m talking to people, I am like, you’re at least a lot of people. Yeah. Which is surprising to a lot of people because I’m outgoing, quote, unquote. Yeah. When I have to be anyway.
Christian Payton 02:01
And it seems natural to when you do have when, like, when you are talking?
Sidney Jackson 02:05
Yeah, it’s somewhat natural. I like talking to people. Yeah. Anyway, but um, as far as networking, I started out in Monroe, so we went to Monroe in 2005. And fast forward a few years, I went to Cracker Barrel. Um, so I was a, I worked there doing what was it? So you have the retail section, and then you have the section that serves food, right. So I was in a retail section, I was a greeter, and I had to sell people on clothes. Yeah. Which was fun. I was a true introvert. So I mean, just doing that was, it was tough, like uncomfortable, super uncomfortable. extremely uncomfortable. But it allowed me to get out of my shell a lot. So I started talking to people and not just hey, buy this stuff. Yeah. Or deep conversations. Because what Cracker Barrel? It’s a different dynamic. So yeah, a lot of older people coming in. So I knew me at been like, 1718, I didn’t know anything, right? So I started talking to these people, and started asking them questions about just life in general. And as far as like networking, I didn’t know and then, but that kind of allowed me to network and talk to pretty much anybody. Right? Which was good. I want to give a huge shout out to Cracker Barrel and Miss Mia Marshall for that one big part of the journey. Yeah, indeed. But yeah, networking is extremely important for young people. So for you, how have you been able to just network or find the importance of it?
Christian Payton 03:51
Um, for me, it’s kind of like, I don’t feel like I am as skilled in it as another 25 year old. I think it’s because like, in college, I like went to school, and I went to work. So I didn’t like do a bunch of like clubs, or I feel like you like learn those skills. I didn’t really take advantage of college in that way. So now I’m coming into it, where even last week when you’re asked me to, like go down to the Chamber of Commerce, I was like, I called my mom and I was like, What am I supposed to say? And she was like, Christian, it’s simple. Like you just say, hi, like this business. And that’s it. So I left there feeling like fulfilled because I was able to do that. And that was like my first time ever. Networking. I mean, I guess I network all the time, since I just go talk to people that’s considered networking. But like when I think about like the term, it’s just like, exhausting to me. It’s almost it’s terrifying. Even for someone that like talks as much as I do.
Sidney Jackson 04:49
Yeah. So you do kind of talk.
Christian Payton 04:51
I do. I do. I talk a lot.
Sidney Jackson 04:55
What I think everybody here talks a lot. I try my best not to talk
Christian Payton 05:00
I talk a lot.
Sidney Jackson 05:04
So we are at the office hub, which is a co working space in downtown Shreveport. And as far as like network and I think this is a great place to network, specifically if you’re downstairs, so you have two sections, one is downstairs where you have like the dedicated desks along with like, just pure CO working space where you started. Yes. So I started downstairs, in that open area and just work and so it felt good to come into a place. Yeah, he was able to work, but also talk to people. Um, so we had people coming in and out, which allowed me to build up my skill set as far as like talking and interfacing with people, which was extremely uncomfortable. But after years and years of practice, and I say that, like it’s been 1012. But after years of practice, and it just gets better. Yeah, and better. So right now, I’m not great or good at networking, but I think I’m better than I was like two or three years ago, of course, that’s the only way to really judge yourself, I think. But just as co working space or any co working spaces. Incredible because I met someone named Candace, I met Drayton, and then a few other people that allowed me to go after different opportunities. And then put me in a room with different people that kind of afforded different opportunities. So
Christian Payton 06:34
right, so for someone that doesn’t know what a co working space is, like, what is a co working space?
Sidney Jackson 06:39
How can I summarize it, it’s um, so it’s a place where you come, you can go ahead and work. Of course, you can work from home, you can work from a coffee shop and stuff like that. But what coworking, at least in its purest form, I think it’s a place where you can collaborate. You can go to different people, brainstorm on different ideas, go after different opportunities together, fill in different gaps and voids in terms of expertise and experience. So say, for instance, I don’t know a lot about taxes. If we have a CPA, that practicing in the co working space, you can go to that person and say, Hey, what do you think about this? Or what’s the best approach for this and that? So that’s what I think co working is. And it’s open collaborative space. Where you see a lot of people Yeah, meet you. Yeah, you just,
Christian Payton 07:33
it’s like the perfect place to network or to meet I don’t like I don’t know, the term networking just, it’s like a great place to just interact with other people and like, pick their brain.
Sidney Jackson 07:44
Yes. Yes. Okay. So what networking? Um, as far as networking, you always think like a business term? Yeah.
Christian Payton 07:53
It’s just serious. Yeah.
Sidney Jackson 07:56
It is pretty serious. But everybody does it. Right. Yeah. Network at different bars, different events that you go to Hey, hey, Chloe. Oh, yeah, van, stuff like that. That’s networking, just getting out in public and talking to people, right? It’s networking. from business to business, or person to person standpoint. Okay. Yeah. So as far as name recognition. So we talked about, like personal branding and the importance of it, right. So you have Christian, Peyton, or Chris Peyton? Yeah. So you have Christian Peyton, what do you like to do in your spare time? What skill set? Do you kind of hone in on? What do people think when they see you?
Christian Payton 08:45
Right?
Sidney Jackson 08:45
How funny Are you? Or are you funny? Or do you think you’re funny? So all of these things, right? So even if we’re not talking about business, right? And we’re talking about just you as a person, when you go out with your friends, what do they think of you? What kind of words would they use to describe you as a person? When they think about crisp? Christian? Aidan, you’re asking me? Well, it’s somewhat rhetorical. If you want to ask for it, you can. Probably shouldn’t. But um, all of those things, right? So it adds your personal brand, okay. And then once you mix your skill set until it once you mix your skill set into it, it’s like, Hey, this is like the icing on the cake. So you have all of these things that people know about you that I like about you. But you’re also a professional when it comes to all of these different things would like the podcast and then now video, and social media. Yeah. So you have all of this experience that you’re gathering, but you’re still a person. So it’s not just skills. It’s not just expertise is Your story as far as Sydney, throwing you out there to like a chamber event. And you’re not, you’re not knowing how to approach it, but you learn how to approach Yeah. And then what public relations and communication so that you developing that skill set in that overall story in a way that you tell it? It’s the way you tell it. Right? Right. Um, so with that, that’s your personal brand. So it’s not just a combination of what you do, as far as like professionally. But to answer a question with name recognition. With personal branding and name recognition, I think it’s pretty much the same. Where if someone knows Sydney Jackson, or knows of Sydney Jackson, the more that they, the more people that know, it allows you to build a bigger brand audience audience awareness to you as an individual, okay? Because eventually people are going to buy from you individual because they know like, and trust you.
Christian Payton 11:04
Right. Okay, so that makes sense. So it’s, it’s like what we talk about often, like personal branding. So it’s specifically to you the person,
Sidney Jackson 11:16
yes, and you can throw pretty much anything and everything that you want in there. Because with, like, with networking, or name recognition, if someone knows city, Jackson, as far as like, the stuff that we do, or I do, we stuff I do, such as video production, website design, and they know that I’m passionate about automation. And I go up to someone else in a networking event, chances are, I’m not saying, Hey, I do video production, website design, of course, that topic is going to come up, but it’s a person to person first, right? So it’s Hey, your name? How’s everything going? How are kids? How’s work going? So being human? Precisely? Nicely? Because that comes first and foremost, I think, as far as like skill set and expertise, it’s important, but in terms of networking, you have to build a relationship with the person, right? And then everything else comes after that.
Christian Payton 12:22
I mean, that makes sense. Because nobody wants to feel like they’re being sold to. Yeah. So that makes complete sense. So why what would you say? Like, why would you say like, personal branding is super important, like when it comes to networking?
Sidney Jackson 12:39
So with that, I think we’re always selling our personal brand anyway, our selling isn’t a good term. Well, it’s not a bad term either.
Christian Payton 12:49
So the way we like look at it the way like the way we’re conditioned to think of like selling it, just like in your face all the time. Yeah.
Sidney Jackson 12:56
So what that what your personal brand, it’s like, people are always building a personal brand. You’re building one, I’m building one. And when we think of it, we think of it like online like where are you on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn? Are you creating videos, content and stuff like that, that showcases your expertise, your experience on different things. But at the same time, in a more traditional format, it’s going out to chamber events, and saying, Hey, I love what you’re doing. I’m just here to kind of support in the sense and push in that name recognition. And I’m Ben Hillman, and interfacing with different people, shaking hands and talking about anything that’s not related to work, or it is related to work. But I’m pretty much just building that connection, right? Because if I go up to someone who’s, who just hates marketing, and I introduce myself, and we get to know one another, and I say, I do marketing, and I like, hate more. Yeah. And in their responses, I’m in finance or something like that. So I love banking. And this is what I do. so on so forth. It doesn’t truly matter what the skill set is or what the career path is. Because if they hate it, are they um, so let’s rewind, let’s rewind. Okay, so if I’m Sydney, and I have a, like, in public, I’m upbeat, laughing giggling nothing really matters, right? Um, kind of attitude. Someone in a room of like, 100 people may be turned off, right, right. Yeah. Um, so chances are they won’t come up to me and say, Hey, my name is such and such. They’ll probably hate me. Right? Right. That’s the extreme version of it. But the people who do know my name or want to get to know me because of my personality, they will come up to me and then we would talk network right So with that, I think it’s the same if you translate that to online. So in the room, you’re building your personal brand, name recognition and talking to people, and you attract people who you attract. Or people who like you or right know you or trust you, in a sense, right? I mean, you without a word for it. Push out or repulse?
Christian Payton 15:27
Maybe push outs better than ripples.
Sidney Jackson 15:31
Can you think of the word but yeah, you? What is that word? Christ. Yeah, repel.
Christian Payton 15:42
That’s okay. I wasn’t gonna guess that way.
Sidney Jackson 15:45
So you repel people who don’t want to work with you or don’t want to talk to you. Um, so with that, that network and you can translate that easily to personal branding online?
Christian Payton 15:57
Yeah. So with. So networking, I think, like in the traditional sense, like you think about like going to the Chamber of Commerce and like going to ribbon cuttings and like, it’s just like in person. And so now everything is online. So I know, like we just said, like, personal branding ties in with networking, but specifically talking about networking, like, how do you network online? Like, what are some tips or tools that you would recommend?
Sidney Jackson 16:25
Good question. So always look at the target audience as far as who you want to provide value to. So my personal brand, I love entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs. So everything that I do, our most of everything that I do is geared at adding value to that specific audience. Yeah, so of course, we sell services. But with that, it’s a much bigger play, and like just educating people. And us soaking in this knowledge as well. So we are properly educated to educate, right. So with that, a really good tip that I use personally is LinkedIn. And as far as like networking, well, when is the target audience. So people say it’s a, it’s for
Christian Payton 17:12
older people, right? That’s what I used to think.
Sidney Jackson 17:16
But it’s an incredible resource that you can use to engage with different people in a professional realm. Yeah. And also educate and soak in knowledge. So people put, like educational content, they also put different tips and stuff like that. So for me, of course, we have the podcast. So we push out that kind of content. Yeah. But it also gives people insight into who I am as a person based on what we talked about on the podcast, or on what I talked about in the different videos. I’m so really heavy on video production. So pushing out as much video is my tip. One is because it just showcases who you are as a person. Yeah, hopefully anyway, right? It showcases who you are as a person. So people who don’t like it. Chances are they may not follow or unfollow but people who do like it and do find the value of the content or in the content. They’ll gravitate. And the the goal isn’t to sell someone it’s to educate people. And be top of mind when they do consider to buy or do consider marketing or any kind of automation. They remember, Oh, I heard this podcast or I seen this clip from Sydney talking about automation and CRM. Yeah. Data and analytics and stuff. So passionate about it. Yeah. Because Because for me, it’s a well, yeah. So we’re passionate about it. But they’ll see that, yeah, they’ll see that and they want to follow the journey. And if they don’t, they’ll get off the ride. But then people who do stay, you know that you’re adding value to them. But as far as a networking opportunity, you build a following in a community around just what you want to add something in the following and a community around entrepreneurship, and sharing resources and collaboration. So with that, it’s not going to provide like a return initially or immediately. And that’s not the goal. The goal is to build a community of knowledge for me, one and then add that back into the community. And by doing that you’re building the community which means your network and talking to people, sharing experiences and hopefully resources.
Mikayla Anderson 19:49
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Christian Payton 20:30
Yeah, that’s great Sydney like that. I mean, it’s just, it’s like it’s a human response. Like it’s that’s a real life answer. So that’s great.
Sidney Jackson 20:40
So we come to trying to be healed
Christian Payton 20:42
now. Yeah, most definitely. Um, so we talked about LinkedIn, like, would you say Instagram or Tik Tok? or Facebook? Or really? Any other social media platforms like that? They can be used for networking? Yes.
Sidney Jackson 20:58
I mean, pretty much every social media platform, I think anyway, but it just depends on what and who your target audience is. Right? So if it is, like young, creative, so for young creatives, it’s going to be primarily like Instagram. And then is it I don’t want Facebook? Yes. IG and Facebook. Yeah. Because we have a younger audience, and then we’ll probably also get into Tik Tok. So. So as far as, um, what platform you should choose, as far as like betting the community, you have to go to where your tribe or your community is. I think my community is on LinkedIn. So pretty much it’s trial and error. So if it’s not, we would go to another platform, but I have a good hunch and backed by research that that’s the community.
Christian Payton 21:51
Yeah. So with, with finding the community, it’s traveling research, but how does someone like figure out like, what their community is? So like, we do marketing, and you been able to find a specific group to target right, but how were you able to do that? Like, was that trial and error as well? Or like, What steps is someone taking or to to find a community?
Sidney Jackson 22:13
Somewhat, um, so as far as like finding your community, sometimes it may not even be about work. So I think Mikayla is community is I forget the word, the proper word for it. But people who went to like mental health, or gone through mental health, yeah, things. So that’s her community. Yeah. And it doesn’t have anything to do with like work. But with that she can promote awareness to mental health, and then different solutions and build a community around that.
Christian Payton 22:51
So passions. Yeah. So
Sidney Jackson 22:52
it sounds to what is it to say, no cliche, cliche. Yeah. But it really is like, follow your passion, because without your network, I followed that because because it man, like super young, I didn’t have like a knowledge base, and a lot of resources to look up to, or people to mentor me, like right out of right out of the gate. And it was a lot of trial and error. So with that, developing the otter network podcast, and hopefully, it becoming something much bigger to where you have a community of people who want to mentor different people, no matter what age group you’re in, if you’re like 1715, or if you’re 43, and you’re just trying to learn the ins and outs about entrepreneurship and different opportunities. So it’s really just about finding your passion. So if you’re a dentist, but you love entrepreneurship, and that’s the community, the community that you want to build, go ahead and build it. Because it’s always person to person, right? Because it doesn’t seem like it would benefit outside of it. But if you build a personal brand, you are the product and the service. Yeah, much. So opportunities come from that come from knowing people, and building community with people.
Christian Payton 24:16
And then I think maybe this is the last question that really just keep coming to me. So in what ways would you say like, networking has helped you that you know, like, you wouldn’t have been granted like specific opportunities if you wouldn’t have just like, put yourself out there.
Sidney Jackson 24:32
Pretty much every opportunity. Pretty much every opportunity, because one as far as like, so been super young. I’m a young business owner, a young professional,
Christian Payton 24:46
and how old were you when you started so that people like have like a better idea?
Sidney Jackson 24:51
Jeez, I think I went full time with revision Working Group and 2018. So I’m 25. So that’s what around that 20 to 23. Okay, yeah, I’m winning. Am I
Christian Payton 25:06
calling here for math?
Sidney Jackson 25:08
Clearly, but I started, like doing all of this stuff at I want to say 1617. So really young. Yeah, so really young but not been able to really go full time into 2018. Yeah, or been forced to go full time in 2018. But with that, it’s as far as how. So the question was, how has it helped? Me? Yeah, go after different opportunities. So I mean, that’s, that’s pretty much the only way initially, right? Because people do business with people that they know, like, and trust, right. And with that, you need people to vouch for you. And getting into the more political stuff. If you’re going after different opportunities for like, school board and city council and stuff like that, it, it’s really good to have a relationship with people who make these decisions and make these votes. So with that, just knowing people overall, helps a lot. And it was tough initially, when it still is because I’m still gaining name recognition. And I’m a network in a sense, but being so young and not having a network Yeah, of people to kind of rely on our people in leadership positions, where you can pretty much go after opportunities together. It’s tough, but with that, older people. For me, anyway, older people just kind of opened the gate. And would, first it was knowledge. And then it was, well, pretty much just knowledge. And then me going after LM different opportunities, and then plugging me in with different connections. So it’s always about relationships. And even though we’re doing like the podcast, and we’re doing paid advertising and social media, stuff like that, the bulk of business is going to come from people to people, right.
Christian Payton 27:21
So, and I’ve heard before, like word of mouth is like the best type of marketing. Yeah, I’ve heard that before.
Sidney Jackson 27:27
It is it’s slow building, though. Yeah, it’s extremely slow.
Christian Payton 27:32
But it pays off in the end. It’s the most rewarding.
Sidney Jackson 27:36
Yeah, no, it definitely is.
Christian Payton 27:40
It is. Yeah. So if you could give some advice to someone that wants to start networking, but isn’t really sure how to or just leaving, like the listeners with one final piece of advice? What would it be,
Sidney Jackson 27:57
um, networking. So get out and get in front of as many people as possible. So with networking, I think it’s, I would say it’s pretty much the same as personal branding. Because personal branding, just online overall, it’s establishing yourself, right? So getting in front of people, and online, social media, that’s the biggest platform where you can really establish yourself. So start making videos, do a podcast, talk to people. Get out there to networking events, Chamber of Commerce events, put on some events yourself, partner collaborate with as many people as possible and you don’t have to be the star of the show. Just be connected. Yeah, people because people are incredible. Incredible. Okay. Well,
Christian Payton 28:53
thank you so much for joining us this week for the young Creators Podcast, did you?
Sidney Jackson 28:58
Yeah, you did an awesome job, by the way.
Christian Payton 29:00
Thank you. Yeah, it was a little nervous. A little nervous.
Sidney Jackson 29:05
Are you that great.
Christian Payton 29:06
Thank you, of course. So until next time, thank you guys for tuning in. Bye. Bye bye.
