Stephanie Thoma is a networking strategy coach, event host, and founder and Author of the book: Confident Introvert: A Practical Guide to Connecting with others at networking events and beyond (launching today!). She has facilitated over 1,000 events and established a fulfilling career helping people generate meaningful connections at online and in-person events. Her mission is to help introverts feel confident and establish relationships that catapult them forward in their career.As a connector, Stephanie’s views around networking have been featured in Forbes, Business Insider, and Thrive Global. She has also been invited to speak at Harvard, Northeastern, and Boston Universities as well as at international conferences. To date, Stephanie has helped thousands of people celebrate their strengths, step into their authentic confidence, and make meaningful connections.On this episode we dive into: Why it’s unfair to label introverts as also being shy. Leading with curiosity and what works and what doesn’t, when approaching groups of people. How to create your own community if you’re feeling like you haven’t found yours yet. (Don’t give up!! Your people are out there!) Bringing people together to allow them to connect as well as you to connect with them - win-win! Finding the people you share similar values with to help you grow your confidence even further. Digging deeper than the surface to really understand yourself, so that you can understand what you need from a support/ group perspective. Where true confidence comes from, and how to get to this place. Pursing the things that speak to you.Taking a deeper look at your core values and then transferring this into the people you surround yourself with. How to gain a sense of clarity on what you truly want for your life through guided meditation or exercise. Explanation of the brain waves to get into a relaxed state and reap the benefits of hypnotherapy.The root causes of anxiety and stress and how this affects our confidence.The take-home: If you’re ready to make a big change in your life, but you’re not quite feeling the confidence to do so, Stephanie suggests starting small, and just begin. If you truly want something for your life, you need to move past the self-imposed barriers in your mind of why you shouldn’t … or the internalized judgments from other people that you’ve heard growing up about why you shouldn’t do something. Your true failure would be not embarking on the journey in the first place. Take little steps each day to get there. Keep your eye on the prize. Ask yourself every single day if how you’re spending your time is helping you reach your goals, or hindering you. Live your life in your authentic self, and you will never look back and have regrets.Get in touch with Stephanie Thoma:Website: stephaniethoma.comNewsletter: stephaniethoma.com/newsletterCoaching: stephaniethoma.com/coachingInstagram: instagram.com/stephaniemthomaFacebook: facebook.com/stephaniethoma