When of the hardest things to do now that I work from home, is make new friends. Especially in such a weird career, finding people to talk to going through similar life experiences hasn’t been easy. So whether you’re a stay-at-home girlboss like me, or just need some inspiration making friends in your line of work, here’s what I’ve found to make the whole process a whole lot easier.
It all goes back to this kindergarten method I talked about a while ago. Check out the main blog post if you want more details, but the gist goes something like: pretend you’re a kindergartner again and make friends just like you used to. If you like someone, ask to have coffee or chat. It seems simple, because it is. A lot of my planner friends have become friends because I took the risk just and reached out to them on social media.
If you aren’t sure where exactly to “find” these friends, try attending events or meetups. There are tons of networking opportunities no matter what field you’re in. It does take a bit of working finding some events (a Google search or two won’t hurt), but it’s always worth it to get into a room with like-minded people who already share at least one interest with you.
If someone gives you a business card with their contact info, always write them an email or reach out once you get home. This is probably one of our biggest trade secrets for Oh, Hello. Alex and I always reach out to people we’ve gotten business cards from. No matter if it was just in passing. You never know what can come from an email.
Once you’ve found one or two friends in your field, try to find some things in common outside of work. All my shop owner friends I’ve gotten to know beyond just what they do for a living. Ask about favorite books, tv shows, things they like to do on a Sunday afternoon. Soon you’ll find so much more to talk about than just work.
This is definitely true in the business world, but respect some privacy to keep “trade secrets,” secret. No one wants to feel like people are just being their friend to find out how to make it big on the internet or make their own stickers. There’s this kind of unspoken bond between a lot of my shop friends to not ask too much about how we all do what we do, but if you are worried about crossing any lines, just ask. Set some clear boundaries from the beginning about what’s off limits to protect your livelihood.
Work-based friendships are still friendships. So spread a little kindness by sending them thoughtful gifts that could make their life easier, or trade products that each of you make. Surprise acts like these can really strength a relationship and show each other that you value the friendship.
