I think Covid and Cancer teamed up and broke my social networking brain. I had the realization as I walked into the swanky #MadisonAveReturn After Party for Advertising Week in NYC. I basically had a bit of a panic attack heading over there as I realized I wasn’t sure how to introduce myself to people in a comfortable, confident way again. Let’s dive into that a bit….

I consider myself a fairly social person. I got a lot of that from my parents. My Dad is the loudest voice in the room telling hilarious stories, cursing friends out, and embarrassing me and my brother in every possible way with his antics. My Mom might be the human embodiment of LinkedIn, having worked in the recruiting/staffing industry for Fashion, Beauty, Retail brands for nearly 15+ years. She knows everyone, and if she doesn’t, she will by the end of the day/week. Me, I have no problem meeting people if introduced and in fairly low-key environments. However, put me in a large party/networking environment and I’ll find myself eating yogurt alone in a corner like Steven Glansberg (another classic Cassin movie reference).

When Covid had me alone and miserable in Chicago, afraid to reach out to anyone and sinking deep into my own depression I think I found myself worried that people had forgotten about me, didn’t care, etc. Now I know that’s not the case and that was purely a “me” problem after some long overdue therapy would help me realize. Nevertheless, it’s a re-wiring of my brain that I’ve constantly had to due in social situations. And when I was diagnosed with Cancer that feeling crept back up of wondering how people will perceive me. How do I introduce myself without feeling like having Cancer was the overwhelming part of my identity now? The reality is that it is part of my identity, but it doesn’t have to be the all-consuming part of it. What I realized after leaving the After Party event is that 50% of the people there don’t care (well they care about me and that I have cancer, but that it hasn’t changed their perception of me), and the other 50% of the people don’t know, and don’t follow my blog (which means they clearly have horrible taste in content and my sole mission in life will be to get them to subscribe by the end of the year).

One other thing that came as a result of the AfterParty was a realization that after 13 years in digital advertising and programmatic that I still haven’t met/connected with a lot of key industry folks within the space. Now that isn’t solely a reflection of my social skills, self-confidence etc. but also just indicative of how big the advertising industry really is. There were plenty of people that I knew there and have connected with, but there are still plenty of key industry thought leaders, innovators, and influencers that I want to learn from, introduce myself to, and lean on for whatever advice or industry challenges I may face in the future. Everyone needs to build a board of directors who are invested in your professional success but also mental well-being so why not start now? It’s never too late. Mine will look a little like this:

Ironically, the one part of my brain that Covid/Cancer hasn’t broken, but has definitely rewired is in my dating life. I think having the Cancer diagnosis has made me a little bolder in saying what I feel, laying it all out there, etc. because what can be worse than Cancer? Getting rejected? Getting ghosted? Bitch please… That being said, will I start approaching women at the bar and introducing myself….absolutely not. I’m no Hitch, I’m definitely Albert Brennaman