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.

Someone has to set up the chairs, order the coffee, book the speakers... And in Portland, that someone is Kaitlin Carpenter and her team of volunteers who have been running one of the largest Creative Mornings chapters in the world since 2019.

Not New York. Not LA. Portland.

This week on The Awkward Handshake, Megan and I sat down with Kaitlin to talk about what it actually looks like to steward a branch of an international organization, build a creative community from the inside out, and keep showing up for eight years straight.

We talked about:
✨ Why joining an existing framework can be smarter than building from scratch
✨ The Goldilocks problem of finding space for 140 people (for free!) every single month
✨ How they find 12 speakers a year without defaulting to the people who already have a stage
✨ What "everyone is creative" actually means in practice
✨ And why the best networking move you can make might be going to events that have nothing to do with your industry

One of the biggest things we took away from this conversation: you don't have to invent the thing. You just have to be the one who shows up for it.

Creative Mornings already existed. Portland already had a chapter. Kaitlin just refused to let it disappear and then built something that outlasted every expectation.

(We also made a strong case for going to the tattoo expo. You'll have to listen for context.)

🎧 Listen to Episode 18: How Kaitlin Carpenter Built Creative Mornings Portland

Connect with Kaitlin:

​Creative Mornings Portland
​​Website
​​Instagram
​​LinkedIn​

If there's a chapter of something in your city that needs a steward, or an organization somewhere else that doesn't exist where you are yet, this episode is your sign.

The room doesn't build itself. But it doesn't have to be built alone either.

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