Hey Reader,

This is the weekly announcement for The Awkward Handshake, a podcast & community all about networking that I co-host. If you want to opt-out of these podcast & networking community updates, CLICK HERE.

Ever had that moment where you think:

“Okay, fine… I should probably network more. But where the hell am I supposed to go?”

Good news.
There is, in fact, a list.

This week on The Awkward Handshake, Megan and I sat down with Dominic Kuklawood, the guy behind Portland Startup Events, to talk about what it’s like to track the startup and networking scene from a bird’s-eye view… and what ambitious people are actually looking for when they say they want “community.”

And honestly?
This episode got a little deeper than just event calendars.

We talked about:

• why Portland is not oversaturated with networking events
• why so many ambitious people are secretly lonely
• how to find your work friends
• what makes a room feel useful instead of painfully transactional
• and why some of the best connections happen when you stop overthinking and just go to the damn thing

One of my favorite parts of this conversation is Dominic naming something a lot of people feel but don’t say out loud:

Sometimes the loneliness isn’t because you don’t know people.
It’s because the people around you don’t fully get what you’re building.

And that’s exactly why the right rooms matter.

Connect with Dominic:
​https://portlandstartupevents.com
​​https://dataspeaks.ai
​​https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominickuklawood/

🎧 Listen to Episode 12: Is there a list of events? (Finally, yes.)

From there, you can listen in your browser or open it in your favorite podcast app.

And if you’ve been feeling a little disconnected, a little professionally under-stimulated, or a little too trapped in your own head lately… This might be your sign to leave the house.

If you enjoyed the episode, we’d love it if you left a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. It helps more thoughtful, interesting humans find the show.

Talk soon,
Mary + Megan