Today's guest is an entrepreneur, community leader, speaker, professional networker, internet TV show co-host, mentor and most importantly, a mom. She believes in the importance of having a strategy when engaging in face-to-face networking and the power of building and maintaining strategic relationships. She's the CEO and founder of the second largest networking group in Phoenix, NetworkingPhoenix.com, Gelie Akhenblit!
The Notes
- Gelie shares her amazing story as a refugee and describes how her family ended up living in Phoenix after emigrating from the Soviet Union.
- “You don't stop until you get that freedom; whether it's personal freedom. We are all chasing a different kind of freedom”
- “You don't know what you don't know. And if you're always around the same types of people, then that's all you'll ever really know.”
- Gelie's business, Networking Pheonix became a safe haven for people who were struggling with the economic crisis in 2008 and gave them a place to connect and seek new employment. As of today it is the second largest networking group in Pheonix, with more than 41,000 profiles that have been created.
- Gelie get's real about going through a divorce wtih her husband and business partner, and says that being vocal and documenting her life has lead to her never being happier, “I'm a lot more than okay, just because I've shared my truth.”
- “At this point, I flaunt the things that go wrong. I flaunt them because I want everyone to know that things are going to go wrong.”
- “Everyone has a different way of moving through their own crap…and that's what's important, is to actually put a pause on life and work through it.”
- “Networking is making friends.”
Tips for attending a networking event if you have social anxiety:
- Get there early
- Meet the organizers
- People will gravitate towards you, because you're already there
Meet Gelie Akhenblit
Gelie Akhenblit, CEO / Founder of NetworkingPhoenix is an entrepreneur, community leader, speaker, professional networker, internet TV show co-host, mentor and most importantly, a mom. She is most well known for altering the landscape of networking in Phoenix, AZ by visualizing, creating, and launching an online platform that has democratized how people connect in-person. When she's not working, she's spending time with her young daughter, Aris, improving her fitness and documenting her life pivot on her personal blog.
Find Gelie
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