Suck it up, Meet it up.

Meet people outside of the internet.

So…maybe you’re not quite into the idea of speaking yet. Maybe you’re just looking to learn. Maybe you’re just looking for those valuable connections. Either way, if you’re not going to a meetup (monthly or so), then you’re missing out on a valuable opportunity. Conferences can be extremely useful, but one issue, a conference that interests you will not be around every month. Yearly maybe, but not monthly.

So it’s time to chat it up and learn it up. If you have the opportunity to, why waste it? Get to know your local business/web dev/design/whatever community. Look for meetups where you can really learn something. It’s as simple as going to meetup.com and finding something near you. When is the best time to meet new people? NOW. If you’re just getting started, meeting people and making valuable connections can only benefit you. Having these people as contacts can help you reach out for help and learn more about the community you’re looking to get more involved with.

Also, Don’t go and be the person in the corner. Be the one to strike up the conversations and keep them going. And don’t just chat with one person either. There’s no real “exact time” per person, but try to meet as many as you can. And come back. Don’t just come once and never be seen again, make the commitment, you’re bound to meet new people and learn something new every time.