What do you do when the room you need doesn’t exist?

You build it.

In this episode of The Awkward Handshake, Mary and Megan sit down with author, storyteller, and ghostwriter Jessie Kwak to talk about what it looks like to create the kind of community you wish you could find.

Jessie shares how she built a thriving writers’ community in Portland — one that started small, grew through trust and referrals, and now includes both a real-life backyard gathering and an active online Slack space. Along the way, she offers a thoughtful look at what makes communities work, why curated spaces matter, and how good people really do know other good people.

This conversation goes far beyond “start a Facebook group and hope for the best.”

It’s about intention.
It’s about trust.
And it’s about realizing that if the space you need isn’t out there yet… you may be the one meant to build it.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why curated communities often feel safer and more useful
• How Jessie’s writers’ group evolved from an in-person meetup into a larger Slack community
• What it takes to maintain trust in both physical and online spaces
• Why strong communities grow best through referrals and real relationships
• The difference between shallow promotion and meaningful collaboration
• How collaboration often takes longer than people expect
• Why networking can lead to friendships first and opportunities later
• The hidden labor of being the “mother hen” of a community
• What happens when you can’t find the room you need

Our Guest

Jessie Kwak is an author, storyteller, and business book ghostwriter based in Portland, Oregon. She writes thriller novels, science fiction, and nonfiction, and helps other writers bring their books to life through coaching and ghostwriting. She also hosts a vibrant writing community in Portland that has grown into a larger Pacific Northwest writers network.

https://www.jessiekwak.com/

Why this episode matters

If you’ve been waiting for the perfect room, the perfect group, or the perfect invitation… this episode is your reminder that sometimes the strongest move is to stop waiting.

Build the thing.
Invite the good people.
Let it grow from there.

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Small talk gets a bad reputation.

People love to say they hate it. They call it shallow, pointless, or awkward. But in reality, small talk is one of the most powerful social tools we have — especially in networking spaces.

In this episode of The Awkward Handshake, Mary and Megan unpack why small talk matters more than people think and how it acts as the social bridge that helps strangers move toward meaningful conversation.

Because before you get to the big ideas, the collaborations, and the business opportunities… you have to build comfort first.

And that’s where small talk shines.

Mary and Megan explore how small talk creates safety in a room, why it helps people regulate socially, and how it gives conversations somewhere to go. They also share why resisting small talk can actually make networking harder — not easier.

If you’ve ever felt awkward starting conversations at events or wondered how some people make networking look effortless, this episode will change how you think about the humble art of small talk.

In This Episode, We Talk About

• Why small talk is often misunderstood
• How small talk helps people feel safe in unfamiliar rooms
• The role small talk plays in building trust
• Why skipping small talk can make conversations feel abrupt
• How small talk opens the door to deeper connections
• The difference between transactional networking and relational networking
• Simple ways to get better at starting conversations

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Most networking advice tells you to perfect your elevator pitch.

But what if that’s the wrong place to start?

In this episode of The Awkward Handshake, Mary and Megan sit down with Kellen Moody to talk about why people are so much more than the one-line explanation of their business — and why the best networking conversations rarely start with a rehearsed pitch.

Kel brings a refreshing perspective on curiosity, connection, and the power of being a genuinely interesting human in professional spaces. Together, the three of them unpack how real relationships form, why curiosity is one of the most underrated networking skills, and how conversations become more meaningful when we let people show up as full humans instead of job titles.

If you’ve ever felt boxed in by the pressure to “deliver the perfect pitch,” this conversation might be the permission slip you didn’t know you needed.

Because the best rooms don’t reward the most polished pitch.

They reward the most human presence.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

• Why elevator pitches can sometimes shut down real conversation
• The role curiosity plays in building authentic connections
• How to ask better questions in networking settings
• Why being interesting matters more than sounding impressive
• The difference between transactional networking and relational networking
• How curiosity leads to stronger collaborations and referrals
• Why your personality and interests belong in the room too

Connect with our guest, Kellen Moody:

• Kel's Website
• Kel's LinkedIn

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In this episode of The Awkward Handshake, Mary and Megan unpack what a “Yes Friend” really is — and why finding one might have less to do with being social… and more to do with nervous system awareness.

What started as a conversation about building deeper friendships through networking turned into something bigger: fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses… and how those stress patterns show up in business rooms when you’re trying to connect, stay grounded, and not accidentally agree to something you regret.

A Yes Friend isn’t just someone you like.
It’s someone who helps you get a better outcome in the room.

And yes — it’s work. The good kind.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why “Yes Friends” don’t just appear out of nowhere
• How fight/flight/freeze/fawn responses show up at networking events
• What it looks like to support a friend when they freeze or fawn
• The “emotional readiness weight class” idea — and why it matters
• Why some people disappear at events (and how that impacts trust)
• How to be an “exit buddy” and rescue each other from conversations gracefully
• The underrated power of small talk as social lubrication while your brain catches up
• Why networking can trigger intense emotions (even if you didn’t expect it)
• How being a connector creates compounding returns over time
• Why follow-up can save almost any awkward moment
• The truth: you can’t solve this only in your home office — you have to do reps in the real world

If you’ve ever wondered why networking feels harder than it “should,” this episode will give you a new lens — and a much kinder interpretation of your own behavior.

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In this episode of The Awkward Handshake, we tackle one of the most common networking questions we hear:

What if I’m an introvert?

Mary and Megan are joined by business strategist and community facilitator Nedra Rezinas to unpack what networking looks like when you don’t thrive in loud rooms, surface-level small talk, or high-volume social energy.

Because here’s the truth: Introverts don’t hate networking... they hate bad networking.

Together, we explore what it means to build connection in ways that feel grounded, sustainable, and aligned with your nervous system — without disappearing from rooms that matter.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why introversion is not a business liability
• The difference between overstimulation and disinterest
• How to design networking experiences that support depth
• What “Quiet Networking” looks like in practice
• Why smaller rooms often outperform bigger ones
• How to protect your energy without isolating yourself
• Why authenticity beats performance — every time
• The power of 1:1 follow-up for introverted founders

If you’ve ever left a networking event feeling drained, awkward, or like you “did it wrong,” this episode will feel like permission to do it differently.

About Our Guest

Our guest for this episode is Nedra Rezinas, a business strategist and coach for introverted and empathy-driven solopreneurs.

Nedra helps founders build businesses that reflect their true values without forcing themselves into extroverted molds that don’t fit.

She’s the founder of Quiet Networking, a Portland-based networking group designed specifically for people who prefer meaningful conversation over volume and velocity.

You can connect with Nedra here:

• https://www.nedrarezinas.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/nrezinas/
• Attend the next Quiet Networking event when you register here

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In this special episode of The Awkward Handshake, Mary and Megan step outside the usual event debrief to talk about something bigger than networking logistics.

This wasn’t originally on the calendar.

But when the world shifted — and it felt disrespectful to launch premiere week into that noise — we paused. Then we gathered our community. And what came out of that room sparked this episode.

This is a conversation about values. About fear. About silence. About what it means to lead — especially when you don’t feel ready.

Because “silence is complicity” sounds simple on social media.
In real life, it’s more complicated.

In this episode, we unpack:

• Why we postponed premiere week — and what that decision modeled
• What came out of our January coffee party with community organizers
• The tension between being authentic and being performative
• Why social media isn’t the only (or best) place to take a stand
• What “10 out of 10 people” means in a networking room
• How to make your values clear without becoming a political pundit
• Why some leaders are waking up late — and what that costs
• The fear of “getting it wrong” publicly
• The difference between loud and effective

We also talk about:

• Economic power as a form of resistance
• Following the money — both who pays you and who you pay
• How values misalignment quietly wrecks your health and your business
• Small ways hosts can make rooms safer
• When to call someone out — and when to simply walk away
• How reciprocity, visibility, and association shape safety

This episode isn’t about perfection.
It’s about participation.

It’s about recognizing that business is people — and people are living through something real right now.

And whether we like it or not, that shows up in our networking rooms.

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In this episode of The Awkward Handshake, Mary and Megan dig into one of the most quietly toxic questions in business and creative circles:

Are they actually lucky… or are we just not seeing the work behind their network?

If you’ve ever left an event feeling like everyone else walked out with deals, connections, and momentum while you walked out with cold fingers and existential dread — this one’s for you.

This conversation pulls apart the myth of “overnight success” and reframes luck as something far less mystical and far more actionable. Spoiler: it’s not about being charming, flashy, or everywhere at once. It’s about showing up consistently, caring genuinely, and building relationships that compound over time.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why envy and jealousy aren’t character flaws, but data points
• The difference between posturing and real momentum
• How “luck” is usually preparation plus proximity
• Why showing up in the right rooms matters more than going to every room
• The hidden labor behind “borrowed audiences” and big collaborations
• What real reciprocity looks like (and how to spot one-sided networking fast)
• Why social skills, curiosity, and generosity still outperform hacks and funnels
• How to stop waiting for a fairy godmother and start building your own leverage

This episode is especially for listeners who are tired of transactional networking, allergic to fake hype, and ready to build connections that actually lead somewhere — even if that path is slower, quieter, and far more sustainable.

You don’t need more luck.
You need better rooms, better reps, and better relationships.

And yes… the numbers never lie — but neither does the room.

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In this episode of The Awkward Handshake, we tackle the question almost everyone asks after their third lukewarm networking event:

“Okay… but how do I actually get clients from this?”

Short answer?
You don’t rush it. You don’t pressure people. And you definitely don’t treat humans like walking ATMs.

Long answer?
That’s what this episode is for.

We break down what really converts conversations into clients, why networking is a long game (even when you’re doing everything “right”), and how patience, volume, and emotional intelligence matter more than the perfect pitch.

This is the episode where we get honest about pipelines, timing, consent-based follow-up, and the quiet cost of pushing people before they’re ready.

In this episode, we unpack:

• Why networking is about stacking your pipeline, not instant conversions
• The reality of modern B2B buying decisions (hint: it takes more people and more time than it used to)
• How many follow-ups is too many—and how to know when to stop
• Why “getting a yes” doesn’t mean you have a client (yet)
• The difference between curiosity and pressure (and why pressure always backfires)
• How reputation travels faster than you think in local business ecosystems
• Why “good people know other good people” is the most underrated growth strategy
• What readiness really looks like—from both sides of the table
• How networking exposes whether your offer, language, or positioning needs to evolve

We also talk candidly about:

• Avoidance, money discomfort, and why people say yes when they’re not ready
• Why likability and trust matter more than clever sales tactics
• How networking helps you test your message in real time
• When it’s time to admit you’re in the wrong room—and what to do next

If you’ve ever left an event thinking “Was that a win… or just a nice conversation?”, this episode will help you recalibrate your expectations without killing your momentum.

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