As a real estate professional, my days are spent helping people find where they belong. But recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it takes to truly belong and thrive in a professional community like our Sammamish Chamber.
When I’m not working with clients, you can usually find me in my garden. I’ve recently been tending to new roses and lavender, with cherry tomatoes and peppers next on my list. Gardening requires a lot of patience. You can’t yell at a seed to grow faster; you just have to provide the right environment, water it consistently, and trust the process.
I was reminded of this exact truth when I attended the Chamber’s Empower Her conference (“Beyond the Hustle: Success Built on Purpose, Not Pressure”). One of the speakers shared a quote that completely resonated with me: “Relationships are not built through one big moment but through a multitude of small rituals.”
That is exactly like gardening. You don’t get a beautiful backyard by working in it once a year. You get it through the small, consistent rituals of daily care.
Since the conference, I’ve been making a conscious effort to practice these small rituals by intentionally reaching out and connecting with people. Real networking isn’t about making a massive sales pitch; it’s about the steady, quiet work of building trust over time.
The conference also reminded me of the joy of just letting our guards down. I loved the name tag icebreaker where we had to introduce ourselves with our name, an adjective descriptor, and a fun gesture. It forced us to step out of our corporate shells and show who we really are. (If you see me around, ask me what my gesture was!)
Like a garden, the best professional connections grow with time, care, and meaningful conversation. I am so looking forward to sharing those small rituals and good conversations with many of you in the months ahead.
