Networking Works: Why I Host Events

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Social Media Decoded

Episode: "Networking Works: Why I Host Events"

Host: Michelle Thames
Date: September 13, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Michelle Thames dives deep into the power of networking—especially through in-person events—as a vital visibility and authority-building strategy for entrepreneurs and career professionals. Drawing on over a decade of experience hosting events, Michelle shares her personal journey as a connector and offers actionable tips for both event hosts and attendees. She makes a compelling case that true authority and opportunities are built off the feed, in real human connection, and invites listeners to join her community for upcoming networking events in Chicago and online.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why In-Person Events Matter for Authority

• Social media is just the "front door."
  Michelle compares social platforms to a way for people to find you, but events are “the living room—where people sit down, connect, and decide if they want to stay a while.”
• Events position you as a leader.
  By hosting, you’re recognized not just as a participant, but as someone who creates opportunities and brings others together, which rapidly builds trust and credibility.
  • “When you're the one creating community, people just see you differently. They see you as the connector...that builds trust faster than any viral reel. And that is what I have been doing.” — Michelle Thames [02:32]

2. Michelle’s Backstory of Hosting

• Started in 2009 with a natural hair event in a friend’s living room.
• Has continued building spaces for connection through every phase of her career.
• Currently building a networking community in Chicago, focusing on women entrepreneurs and professionals.

3. Concrete Networking Tips

Michelle offers practical advice, stressing the importance of authenticity and follow-through:

• Lead with value:
  “Don’t just ask, ‘What do you do?’... Instead, ask, ‘What’s the one thing you’re working on right now that you’re excited about?’ That opens real conversations.” — Michelle Thames [03:32]
• Follow up online:
  Connect on LinkedIn or Instagram the same day.
  “Authority is built in the follow up, my friend. The fortune is in the follow up.” — Michelle Thames [03:52]
• Document the room:
  Take photos, share behind-the-scenes, tag attendees—this keeps conversations alive after the event.
• Start small:
  “You do not need a hundred people to host a powerful event… the magic is the intimacy.” [04:23]
• Be consistent:
  Networking’s true value comes from regularity, not one-off efforts.

4. Impact of Real Connections

• Michelle emphasizes that her biggest opportunities have come from real conversations at events, not from online posts.
• “Networking isn’t just about passing out business cards or collecting Instagram followers. It’s about creating genuine, memorable interactions... those connections will carry you further than any algorithm ever could. The algorithm could never.” — Michelle Thames [05:23]

5. Invitation to Listeners & Upcoming Events

• Women entrepreneurs and career professionals in Chicago are encouraged to join her events list and community.
• Announcement of She Connects (online networking event) on September 25 (her birthday) at noon CST:
  “Come and celebrate my birthday with me… what joy would that bring me on my birthday to connect with all of you.” [06:31]
• Ongoing in-person “Coffee & Connections” and other events in Chicagoland.
• The Elevate and Empower Collective is expanding—Michelle welcomes listeners to join and build together.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the value of events:
  “Hosting events has put me in an entirely different space of authority. I’m not just an entrepreneur who posts tips online. I’m the woman creating rooms for others.” — Michelle Thames [02:13]

• On follow-up:
  “Authority is built in the follow up, my friend. The fortune is in the follow up.” — Michelle Thames [03:52]

• On what sets real networking apart:
  “The bigger lesson... Social media visibility is important, but authority multiplies when people experience you off the feed.” — Michelle Thames [05:02]

• Signature sign-off:
  “The rooms that you step into today could change your future tomorrow. Until next time, keep showing up online and offline.” — Michelle Thames [07:53]

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Important Timestamps

• 00:57 – Episode content begins; Michelle sets the theme: why real-life networking matters.
• 01:54 – Michelle tells her origin story of event hosting.
• 03:32 – Actionable networking tips for hosts and attendees.
• 04:23 – The power of small, intimate events.
• 05:23 – Michelle shares how real-world connections brought her the biggest opportunities.
• 06:31 – Invites listeners to She Connects and shares ongoing event opportunities.
• 07:53 – Final thoughts and encouragement.

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Episode Takeaways

• In-person and online events create transformational opportunities for networking and authority-building.
• Hosting positions you as a leader and connector, accelerating trust and business growth.
• True networking is about genuine relationship-building, not transactional exchanges.
• Consistency, authenticity, and timely follow-up are key for success.

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For more:

• Follow Michelle on Instagram: @michellethames
• Join the events list for upcoming in-person and online networking sessions in Chicago and beyond.

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Transcript

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[Michelle Thames]

[e-mail] welcome back to Social Media Decoded, the podcast that helps entrepreneurs get visible, build authority, and attract high ticket clients without burning out. I'm your host, Michelle Thames, and today we're talking about one of my favorite visibility strategies, networking. And not just networking online, but through real events. As much as I love social media, and you know I do, here's the truth. Posts and reels can only take you so far. The fastest relationships, collaborations and client opportunities often happen in person or in real time. That's why I don't just talk about visibility, I host events to create it. So let's talk about why events even matter for authority. So I just want to give you a little bit of a backstory. I've been hosting events since about 2009. I hosted my very first event back in the my natural hair days, right in my friend's living room.

[Listener/Interjector]

Okay.

[Michelle Thames]

Me and my cousin put together this natural hair event and in my friend's living room. And since then I've just been bringing women together throughout my natural hair career, throughout all things. And now God is pulling me back to this place to be the connector, to be the curator of these experiences. And so you may hear me talk about events and networking a lot because I've been building and I am building something here in Chicago, which I'm really excited about. So social media is just the front door. It's how people find you, right? But events, events are the living room. It's where people sit down with you, connect and decide if they want to Stay a while. Hosting events has put me in an entirely different space of authority. I'm not just an entrepreneur who posts tips online. I'm the woman creating rooms for others. And that positions you as a leader, not just a participant. And when you're the one creating community, people just see you differently. They see you as the connector, the person who brings people together that builds trust faster than any viral reel. And that is what I have been doing and I'm so excited to continue doing this. If you're in Chicago and you're listening and you are a woman entrepreneur and career professional, listen, listen. Join my events list, okay? Tell your friends about it. I know there's a large portion of people who listen to this podcast that are in Chicago, the Chicagoland area. And for my women, for my women entrepreneurs and career professionals, come out and network with me.

[Listener/Interjector]

Okay?

[Michelle Thames]

Now I want to give you some tips that you can actually use whether you're hosting your own events or just attending. The first one is lead with value. Don't just ask, what do you do? I. I don't like that question. I'm trying to get better at figuring out a different question to ask. So instead, ask, what's the one thing you're working on right now that you're excited about that opens real conversations? Number two, follow up online. After you meet someone, connect on Instagram or LinkedIn that same day. Yep, same day. Send a quick DM. It was great meeting you. Let's keep in touch. Authority is built in the the follow up, my friend. The fortune is in the follow up. Document the room, take pictures, share behind the scenes, tag people. Social media extends the life of the event and keeps the conversation going even after the chairs are packed up. Start small. You do not need a hundred people to host a powerful event. My coffee and connections events, which I'm about to go to one today, are started just with a handful of women. It's all started with a handful of women. And the magic is, is the intimacy. I really love small, intimate events. And my event that I'm hosting in November of this year, November 1st in Chicago, 40 women.

[Listener/Interjector]

Okay?

[Michelle Thames]

Very intimate. And then be consistent. Networking works best when it's part of your rhythm, not just a one off. That's why I host multiple touch points online and offline every single month I'm hosting events. So you hear me saying this. Come to an event that I'm hosting online and offline. I guarantee you, my friend, you won't be disappointed. Here's the bigger lesson that I want us to Take away Social media visibility is important, but authority multiplies when people experience you off the feed. Networking isn't just about passing out business cards or collecting Instagram followers. It's about creating genuine, memorable interactions. And whether you're the host or an attendee, those connections will carry you further than any algorithm ever could. The algorithm could never. Okay, that's why I host events. It's not just about me. Believe me. This is something so bigger than me. It's about creating spaces where women can collaborate, feel seen, and grow together. And honestly, some of my biggest opportunities have not come from a post, but from a conversation over coffee at one of these events or a networking experience that I attended. If today's episode sparked something in you, I want to invite you to experience it for yourself. If you're in Chicago, my girls come on and join me at one of my networking events. Follow me on Instagram. Michelle lthames Follow me on Threads. Tell your threads girlies that we're about to be popping up in Chicagoland all fall, winter, spring, spring 2026. All the things.

[Listener/Interjector]

Okay?

[Michelle Thames]

But you can join me online for my women entrepreneurs, my women career professionals. She Connects is happening on September 25, which happens to be my birthday. So I did originally change the date. It was on the 16th of September. I changed the date to the 25th. Okay, so September 25th, it's going down as she Connects, an online networking event for women entrepreneurs and career professionals. 12 o' clock Central Standard Time. We're gonna go 90 minutes. We're gonna have some breakout rooms. We're going to have an amazing day. Come and celebrate my birthday with me. It's the only thing that I could think of that I would enjoy during the day to do. And so I'm like, let me do a networking event because I just enjoy doing these and putting these together. And what joy would that bring me on my birthday to connect with all of you. And if you're in the Chicagoland area, stay tuned for my coffee and connections events. I do co working. We're gon be doing dinners so be on the lookout.

[Listener/Interjector]

Okay.

[Michelle Thames]

Elevate and Empower Collective is growing and I am so excited to invite all of my Chicagoland women entrepreneurs and career professionals.

[Listener/Interjector]

Okay?

[Michelle Thames]

So make sure you sign up for my events list so that you don't miss a single opportunity to connect with me and some amazing women entrepreneurs in the Chicagoland and beyond.

[Listener/Interjector]

Okay.

[Michelle Thames]

And beyond. Cause I still am hosting online events. So don't forget if you sign up for that list, you will get the online events that I host as well. Because networking works all right. And the rooms that you step into today could change your future tomorrow. Until next time, keep showing up online and offline. I will talk to you in the next one. Peace.

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