I recently attended South by Southwest, which is an interactive and music festival held annually in Austin. This was my first time attending this event and, as an introvert, I was definitely outside of my comfort zone.
As an introvert, attending South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin was way out of my comfort zone. This event is well-known for being a place to network, meet new people, and find new business.
I really don’t like networking events. I’d much rather keep my head down than try to strike up conversations with strangers. It was challenging for me, but I know that meeting people is important for both my personal life as well as business opportunities. So despite not wanting to go, I did it anyway.
Interacting with others is part of what makes SXSW so incredible.
South by Southwest (SXSW) is a big, interactive festival. Every year, over 100,000 people attend SXSW to see and hear new ideas from over 2,000 speakers and more than 2,000 bands as well as to interact with more than 20,000 film industry professionals and over 2,000 journalists. There are parties every night and over 700 sessions that take place with an average attendance of 100 each session.
To say that SXSW is an “introvert’s nightmare” would be an understatement. I have never felt so out-of-place and outside of my introvert comfort zone in my life. But the people were the best thing about SXSW. If I stayed in my introvert comfort zone, I never would have met the amazing world travelers at the creative meet up, sat front and center at the Ted Lasso session with my new friends from Discord, or met the CEO of an anti-bias software company.
This experience taught me so much, and I want to share it with anyone trying to step outside their comfort zone.
It’s all about the connections you make.
At the end of the day, it’s not about how many people you meet, it’s about the connections you make. I was concerned that I would get easily overwhelmed. After the pandemic, I wouldn’t be able to handle talking to so many strangers. But at SXSW everyone is outside of their comfort zone. Even as an introvert, it’s easy to strike up a conversation with someone who has the same interests as you. It’s also a great opportunity to network and learn from other people in your field. And if none of those things happen, there are always tacos!
Going solo can be scary, but the benefits are worth it.
Going to a conference alone, especially a large one like SXSW, can be intimidating. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the event and question why you thought going solo to such a massive gathering was a good idea.
But hear me out! Here are just some of the benefits that I experienced riding solo at SXSW.
You come across more opportunities alone. I met so many new people in Austin because when you’re by yourself, you don’t wait for company or conversation– you seek it out! And really, what better environment than SXSW to strike up a conversation with someone interesting? Everyone there is looking for connections, new ideas, and inspiration. So next time you get an opportunity to attend a networking event, give yourself the chance to make some new connections by going solo.
Going solo can make you more approachable. People didn’t have any preconceived expectations of me as “one of those people who goes around with his nose buried in his phone all day long” or “that girl who talks too much in group settings.” Plus, people were curious about why I was attending this conference alone and wanted to know more about what led me there– an opportunity that I took full advantage of throughout the week!
You don’t have to worry about anyone else! You can go to any panel you want, hang out with whoever you like, and leave whenever you’re ready– all without having to check in with someone else or make excuses for yourself. When you’re alone, you can decide whether you’d rather chat up strangers or get some work done in a corner, and no one will judge you for it. No one to pressure you into doing something that isn’t fun for you. Plus, when the convention center closes, the night is still young! You can go out on the town with whoever catches your eye at the event, or head home early if it was a long day– it’s totally up to you.
Enjoy the conversation without trying to gain anything from it.
Another thing that intimidated me about meeting new people at SXSW was the idea of “working a room.” The term implies using conversations for something other than enjoying a discussion, and in my experience, this approach doesn’t work.
The key to avoiding this feeling is to concentrate on learning about the other person instead of thinking about how you can get something out of them. This can be done by asking open-ended questions or sharing similar stories.
If you’re someone who struggles with small talk, try shifting the focus from yourself to those around you: it’s much easier to find things to say when they’re related to another person rather than yourself!
Go at your own pace.
If you decide to go to SXSW, or any other large conference in the future, be sure to go at your own pace. If you are an introvert like me, sometimes it is easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer size and scope of the opportunities available to you. It can also be tempting to push yourself harder than you should. You want to get every last ounce of value out of your experience—I absolutely did!
Trust me, FOMO at SXSW is real. I was in The Dirty Team Discord group and they were constantly firing off messages for free food and drinks, celebrity sightings, rumors, musical performances and everything in between. Out of the seven days I was in Austin, I took one night off and silenced all phone notifications. It was difficult, but my body was having trouble keeping up with the early mornings and late nights. Although I would have benefited from more rest, taking a night off gave me the energy to get through the rest of the week.
If you do feel overwhelmed, take a step back and slow down. Don’t try and do too much at once. Remember that this is your experience; don’t let anyone tell you how it should look or feel.
Choose courage over confidence.
Credit to Bonnie Wan who emphasized choosing courage in her SXSW workshop, “Write A Creative Brief For Your Life.”
When was the last time you pushed yourself outside of your introvert comfort zone? If you can’t remember, or haven’t ever, then choose courage. Step out every one in a while. Being confident takes courage. The more you take action and push yourself out of your comfort zone, the more confident you become. Your ability to act in spite of fear improves over time – the more often you do it, the better you become.
As humans, our psychological tendency is always going to be to stay in our comfort zone, whether that’s because it feels familiar or safe. When introverts are stimulated in some way, they look for a way out. This goes against our natural instincts. But comfort is the killer of progress. Attending an event like SXSW was the catalyst I needed to get back on track after the pandemic. The experience ultimately made me a better person and gave me more confidence to do things I would never do otherwise.
Not gonna lie the thought of going to something like this is being rejected so harshly in my brain cause I am an EXTREME introvert. Rooms of 4 people can be overwhelming for me. BUT I’ve been leaning towards coming out of that as of late & so I found this blog post at the perfect time!