When In-Person Networking Is Better For Business

Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, social network proprietary video networking services, the options to meet and network with business owners online has become so easy that you never need to leave your house.

Now is that a good thing? NO! Absolutely not! The video conferencing technology has come a long way since Cisco's WebEx (is that even still around? Apparently!) before the pandemic. But there's something about getting out from behind the desk and grabbing a bit to eat or a coffee and meeting people face-to-face. Even if it's just a monthly event at a bar for happy hour.

I've been networking both in-person and virtually for years now. The latter much more since 2020. But there is something about getting out of the office and, for some, putting on pants.

Yes, video calls makes it easy to read facial expressions and judge character, but seeing people's full body helps even more.

As a marketing guy, getting out into the "meat space" give me time to work the brain in a different way. Am I more drained mentally after being with people in-person, absolutely, but it's good exercise for the minds.

Do you get out from behind the keyboard and network? Or do you just do online networking? Let me know in the comments.

Announcing The Marketing Podcast Awards!

The Marketing Podcast Network is a not-for-profit community of marketers who podcast.We have more than 80 marketing podcasts in our network, and we thought it was time to recognise the podcasts we love - marketing podcasts.But these awards aren’t just about the shows on our network.

The MPN Awards are open to all marketing podcasts.We want to celebrate the podcasts YOU love too — the marketing peers, mentors, and heroes who keep us entertained, informed, and inspired.This is our chance to shine a light on the voices across the entire marketing podcast community.

🎙️Have A Podcast? Join The Podcast Mastery Community🎙️

The news and content consumption landscape has shifted—and podcasts are leading the charge.

Younger generations aren't just occasionally listening to podcasts for news and information—they're abandoning traditional media for them. If you're not leveraging this medium, you're missing out on one of the most powerful ways to build your personal or professional brand.

Here's the problem: most people start a podcast without a roadmap. They waste months figuring out what works through trial and error, or worse—they give up entirely.

I've spent over 15 years in the podcast industry, watching it evolve from a niche hobby to a billion-dollar ecosystem. And here's what I know for certain: the podcasters who succeed don't go it alone. They learn from others who've already navigated the challenges, avoided the pitfalls, and cracked the code.

That's why I created the Podcast Mastery Community on Skool—a space where you can learn alongside experienced podcasters, get real feedback, and fast-track your success.

Whether you're launching your first episode or looking to grow your existing show, this is where your podcast journey truly begins.

The Latest From The Entrepreneur's Enigma Podcast

Sponsor

Looking for guests? Want to be on podcasts? Check out Podmatch! I use it for both getting on podcasts and finding quality guests. It's well worth it and affordable too!

Web Jawn

Google, Microsoft, Meta All Tracking You Even When You Opt Out, According to an Independent Audit

“This is the Strait of Hormuz in the data economy. If you want to make a change, this is where you cut it off. Anything short of that is theatrical political posture.”

404 MediaMatthew Gault

This kind of defeats the purpose of opting out. This isn't good.

OpenAI starts offering a biology-tuned LLM

GPT-Rosalind is an LLM trained on biology workflows, available in closed access.

Ars TechnicaJohn Timmer

AI and Biology. This could be interesting.

Mozilla launches Thunderbolt AI client with focus on self-hosted infrastructure

New tool builds on deepset’s Haystack toward a “decentralized open source AI ecosystem.”…

Ars TechnicaKyle Orland

Not leaving it's open source routes, Mozilla is trying to do AI the self-hosted way.

With US spy laws set to expire, lawmakers are split over protecting Americans from warrantless surveillance | TechCrunch

Some lawmakers are calling for widespread reforms following years of surveillance scandals and abuses across successive U.S. administrations. But even if the spy law known as Section 702 expires in April, the government’s spy powers will not automatically lapse.

TechCrunchZack Whittaker

Yikes. This needs to stay top of mind.

SaySo is a new short-form video app that aims to restore users’ trust in news | TechCrunch

Users are fed up with misinformation and AI slop cluttering their feeds. SaySo is a new short-form video app that delivers news from vetted creators and journalists.

TechCrunchLauren Forristal

This looks like an admirable attempt. Vetted news from verified journalists and creators. Not sure if it will take off.

AI is making software cheap. That makes your data more valuable.

For decades, companies paid others to manage their data. Now the leverage is shifting, and enterprise software is under threat. Phenom outlined what comes next.

Technical.lyChristopher Wink

AI is coming for the software industry. This is going to be something to watch.

FAA Scraps Civil and Criminal Penalties for Flying Drones Near ICE Vehicles

You won’t go to jail for filming ICE with a drone, but the government may still shoot it down and it expanded the list of protected agencies to include the Department of Justice.

404 MediaMatthew Gault

No jail if you use a drone to film ICE, but you might get your drone shot down.

Zoom teams up with World to verify humans in meetings | TechCrunch

Zoom will show a badge on verified participants’ tile.

TechCrunchIvan Mehta

Not sure how I feel about Sam Altman getting in bed with Zoom. I get why Zoom wants to do this, but ick.

Dairy Queen is putting an AI chatbot in its drive-thrus

You might be ordering your next Blizzard with AI.

The VergeEmma Roth

AI with a side of Blizzard.

Anthropic Launches Claude Design, Figma Stock Immediately Nosedives

The new design tool lets anyone use text prompts to create prototypes, slides, and one-pagers. The jury’s still out if it does a good job.

GizmodoBruce Gil

Even Figma isn't safe from AI. 🤪

After sale of its shoe business, Allbirds pivots to AI | TechCrunch

Allbirds is ditching wool sneakers for AI servers, rebranding as NewBird AI after locking in a $50M convertible financing facility.

TechCrunchSarah Perez

From Shoes to AI! Geez. A bubble? Yes.

Endgame for the Open Web - Anil Dash

A blog about making culture. Since 1999.

Anil DashAnil Dash

Kinda depressing when you think about how different the Web is now from when it was first built in '94 by Tim Berners-Lee.

Audit finds Google, Meta and Microsoft set ad cookies after users opt out

An independent audit of 7,000+ California websites found Google, Meta and Microsoft setting ad cookies despite opt-out signals, with $5.8B in potential fines.

PPC LandLuis Rijo

Well this isn't good. Why bother opting out?!

Web Find

Gigs turns your concert history into a personal live music archive | TechCrunch

New iPhone app Gigs uses AI to turn old tickets, screenshots, and emails into a personal concert archive with stats, memories, and more.

TechCrunchSarah Perez

This looks cool!

AI Model Use-Case Comparison

That's It For This Week! Keep Rocking It!

-Seth

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