The No Longer Virtual Story

After more than two years of interacting on LinkedIn, Karthik Rajan and I finally scheduled a phone call.

It was a Friday afternoon when my caller ID showed Karthik's name and number. Just seeing the name on my phone put a huge grin on my face. I felt my heart pound a bit harder, and my face flushed. As I answered my phone: "This is Sarah," I felt a rush of adrenaline, like a celebrity was on the line. That's how it felt, like one of my favorite musicians or actors had just picked up the phone and called me. I realized I was holding my breath.

"Hi Sarah, it's Karthik!" In his singsong voice, I could imagine his face, the smile in his picture on LinkedIn came right through the phone, exactly as I had imagined he would sound.

After only a few minutes, I found myself falling into conversation as if we had known each other for years. You've been there, right? When you speak with someone for the first time, and you feel a strong connection, as if you've been friends forever?

An hour later, I realized I needed to go. My family was waiting for me for dinner and to start our weekend. It was hard to say goodbye, the conversation had been so encouraging, so full of positive energy and warmth. I couldn't wait to find another opportunity to call.

All weekend I found myself grinning and full of optimism. When I woke up on Sunday morning, I was on fire. I hadn't known something so true, so compelling in a long time. It was time to hire myself. It was time to meet Karthik and the others with whom I felt such strong connections. I wanted a chance to see them face-to-face, to learn from them, to grow with them, and to brainstorm ways to help others.

That week, I asked my network what topics they would want in an event to bring us all together, how they would structure it. Then I reached out to a handful of my close connections, the ones I knew had experience and topics to share that would meet the needs of our network. Every one of them responded with enthusiasm; thrilled with the idea and purpose. A few weeks later, a draft agenda was distributed and all confirmed participation.

I have rarely been more excited to put my time and energy into a project. And I'm not alone in this excitement. Here are the words of some of those who have already registered.

A professional development opportunity:

You've never been to a conference like this before, with facilitators who collaborate to create a cohesive agenda, each session building off the last. With only 50 guests, we will all have opportunities to truly connect with every person in attendance.

Let's meet face-to-face. Let's learn from each other, and let's find ways to leverage our online relationships to improve our in-person lives and communities.

Send me your email address if you'd like to be added to the invitation list and receive updates on the event. If you'd like to chat with me about attending the very first NLV, message me your number & I'll give you a call.

I can't wait to see you in Atlanta!

Sarah loves to teach people how to find their stories, organize them, and share them across platforms. She is known for her practical applications to the elements of storytelling in order to improve personal & professional communication. Elements such as body language, tone of voice, expression, image, and content can be planned and practiced to benefit every relationship and every situation.

Sarah's business, Elkins Consulting, Inc., is focused on providing workshops and keynotes for conferences, coaching individuals to improve their communication through storytelling, and helping event planners create a solid agenda of speakers and facilitators to build a curriculum as a whole, rather than individual, disconnected sessions. Sarah has found a way to live a life she loves with her husband, two sons, and yellow lab in Montana.

No Longer Virtual: Connect F2F