Life in the Moment Photography: June 2010

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Sneak Peek: I'm Tickled Fuchsia!

Have you ever dabbled in speed dating? I myself have not, but the concept intrigues me - 3 minutes to determine: 1) if a connection can be established; 2) if there are shared interests; and 3) whether "getting to know each other better" can be taken to the next level. Now put a spin on this concept by adding 25 savvy women, and what have you got? A fabulous "speed networking" event created by Tina Clark Yelle, founder of The Fuchsia Factory Inc., an Ottawa-based company.

When I heard The Fuchsia Factory Inc. was coming to Shopgirls Boutique in Toronto, I contacted Tina and Toronto's own Fuchsia Factory Girl, Jennifer Pitt, and offered to shoot the event. I wanted to get involved for two reasons - for one, I loved the idea of business-minded entrepreneurial women coming together to share ideas and best practices in support of one another. And second, it was a great opportunity to network and build a portfolio focusing on fellow women entrepreneurs!

While sipping on The Fuchsia Factory Inc. labelled water (love the branding!), I managed to put my mom-preneur multi-tasking skills to good use by shooting and networking at the same time. What an experience it was...meeting gals from diverse backgrounds and various industries: marketers, photographers, creative directors, and designers - each one bringing a unique colour palette to the table. I gave a 90-second elevator speech, listened to my partner's, exchanged business cards and then moved on to the next candidate. It amazed me that in the span of 3 minutes, I could really determine if there was a connection and any value in building a relationship. And even if there wasn't, well...no hard feelings, it was worth the chat because there is something to be said about word of mouth marketing.

For more information on upcoming networking events by The Fuchsia Factory Inc. in your fabulous city, please visit http://www.thefuchsiafactory.com/.