So far 2013 has been packed with action! It still surprises me a bit when I put an elaborate plan into action and a good portion of it actually falls into place, but I’m getting better at enjoying it and leaving the questions alone.

The group I launched last month for health & wellness business owners in the Midwest is growing. It’s exciting to see new people joining every week. There’s been one meeting so far and our second meeting is scheduled this week. I’m connecting with a lot of great people and I’ve already experienced crossover connections. By that I mean people in the group are connected to people and clients I’m meeting elsewhere and the word about the group is really spreading.

The experience reminds me a little of gardening. I plant a few seeds and within a few weeks there’s a garden with plants blooming. Actually, it’s reminding me a lot of my usual gardening… in which I plant a few seeds and before I know it my entire yard is a tangled jumble of overgrown weeds. The good news is when it comes to networking it’s great to have a yard filled with overgrowth!

All of the action so far this year has me thinking a lot about events.

As a writer and as a freelancer, I tend to spend a lot of time alone. I’m not complaining. It puts me in complete control of when and where I interact with people, and it gives me the opportunity to interact with positive people. Unfortunately, it takes a little extra effort to make plans and really get out there.

After three years of finding the majority of my clients online and interacting primarily through email, I’m making the leap into conducting face to face business. Events are a great way to market a business and spread the word. In addition to creating my own ongoing event, I have several others on the calendar in March and April that I’ll be attending.

My goal is to share a little of what I do to prepare and what I learn from each event. If you have any tips about attending events, feel free to comment below.

Have you organized an event of your own? Have you exhibited at an event and do you have any tips on creating an attractive exhibit space? How do you approach strangers and introduce your business?

One last comment unrelated to writing and work: I included a celebratory message about the Baltimore Orioles making it to the MLB playoffs this year, so of course I need to mention the Super Bowl win for the Ravens earlier this month. I drove home with my dad so we could spend a long weekend in Baltimore to watch the game. It was one of the best experiences of my life. Catching up on work when I got back was tough, but being home for the win was a memory I’ll never forget.