A few years ago, I was one of the many people out there who absolutely hated networking events. The thought of going to an industry night or networking event was enough to send me into a mild panic, whether I was going alone or with a friend.

On the rare occasion that I mustered up enough confidence to go, I would arrive at the venue only to feel my palms start sweating, my voice started cracking and I would already be eyeing the bar and the exits (in that order, yes). Basically, I had no clue what I was doing and I felt like a hot mess.

All that changed, however, once I reframed the way I thought about these "dreaded" events. I started to relax, have fun, and even make friends and contacts in the tech industry right away.

What was all the fuss about, I asked myself? I've got this. And you can too. 

Although I'm a social person, I'm also an introvert and the thought of going into a huge room where I didn't know anyone used to freak me out. I had an idea that unless I needed a job or wanted to pick up extra freelance projects, these networking or industry events weren't of much use to me.

On top of that, the tech industry isn't exactly known to be made up of the smoothest, coolest, most collected people out there. Shout out to my fellow tech nerds, we own our awkwardness!

Luckily I've become much more comfortable at tech events as the years have passed and in fact, I even look forward to them! Let me show you how changing the you think about tech networking events and industry nights will help you loosen up and get a lot more out of them as a result.