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.

This week on The Awkward Handshake, Megan and I sat down with Jessie Kwak to chat about building a community of people you actually want to hang with, especially if that community doesn’t already exist.

Jessie manages a large community of PNW sci-fi and fantasy writers who love to talk about everything from their favorite movies to curious things they've learned while writing their books to the books themselves. In this episode she shares the story of her group’s creation, discusses how she learned to set up boundaries, and all around praises the amazing people in her writer community.

I mean, would you trust your community enough to give them all your home address so they can hang out in your backyard monthly?

We didn’t think so.

We also discuss networking at conventions, different ways to think about collaboration, and the power of referrals.

Connect with our guest, Jessie Kwak:

• ​Jessie’s Website​
• ​Jessie’s Instagram​

🎧 Listen to the episode:
​From there you can listen in your browser or open it in your favorite podcast app.

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

✨ Ready to get better at this?

Talking to people in business settings doesn’t always come naturally.

Some of us freeze.
Some of us overtalk.
Some of us avoid asking for what we need.

That’s normal.

And that’s exactly why Megan and I created The Yes Friend Lab.

It’s a 3-hour live workshop on Zoom where we practice the skills that make networking work:

• how to clearly tell people what you do and what you offer
• how to ask for what you need
• how to offer what you can give
• and yes… the art of small talk

You’ll rotate through breakout rooms for practice and get coaching from both of us along the way.

No theory or motivational fluff. Just reps and a safe space to practice!

And the best part?

You don’t have to travel anywhere. It’s virtual, so you can wear your pajamas. We won’t judge.

$97.00 The Yes Friend Lab: March 2026 A 3-Hour Live Networking & Conversation Skills Workshop | Live on Zoom Saturday, March 28th 10am - 1pm PT (1pm - 4pm ET)... Read more 👉 Join us live in March

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The workshop is pay-what-you-can:
- Minimum: $97
- Suggested: $197

If you’re in a strong season, you can pay it forward for someone else in the room. If you need support right now, pay the minimum and show up ready to learn.

Because these skills don’t magically appear… You practice them.

➡️ Grab your seat here​

Talk soon,
Mary & Megan
​The Awkward Handshake​

P.S. If you have a friend who keeps saying they want to get better at networking, send this their way. Rooms get better when more people know how to have better conversations.