To Join or Not to Join: Getting Involved with Professional Organizations

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Caroline Saba:

Hi, everyone. I'm Caroline Saba, an associate vice president at UpSpring, a PR and digital marketing agency dedicated to the design industry. I'm joined today by Natalie Dargham, marketing manager at Urban Atelier Group, a boutique construction management firm in New York City. With her approach rooted in research and visual storytelling, Natalie leads the atelier's overall marketing and business development strategies, which drive new business opportunities, engagement and growth. She collaborates cross-functionally to create custom client presentations and proposals and oversees branded messaging across multichannel marketing.

Natalie sits on the board of the Society for Marketing Professional Services New York chapter as the director of communications and public relations. She spearheads marketing and communications for ArchNative and is an active member of Urban Land Institute. Today we're going to be talking about the benefits of joining industry organizations and the best way to engage a network among your peers. Natalie, thank you so much for joining me today. I'm so excited to have this conversation with you.

Natalie Dargham:

Good morning. Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to be here.

Caroline Saba:

Awesome. First I'd love to start by getting your perspective on how the industry changed over the years as it relates to networking.

Natalie Dargham:

I think pre-pandemic our industry felt like it was truly the pulse of New York, development was active, events were active, and then the pandemic hit and priorities naturally shifted. The entire industry in New York and globally had to pivot and switch gears to just discuss how we would develop, design and construct in a virtual world. Now we find ourselves in this hybrid model of in-person and virtual settings, which I think is great because it's allowed for flexibility across the industry.

Caroline Saba:

I love that. Yeah, I remember those first few virtual networking meetings and whether or not you should be muting, unmuting, how to chime in. I think we've come so far since then.

Natalie Dargham:

Yeah. We've come a long way for sure.

Caroline Saba:

Can you speak to the benefits of industry organizations and how it relates to marketing, business development and sales?

Natalie Dargham:

Sure. Just to give you a background on my role at UAG, I spearhead marketing and work closely with the president on business development efforts. The beauty of the two, marketing and BD, is that they go hand in hand, and while marketing is the ongoing promotion of your brand, the nuances of marketing are rooted in business development, so that industry research, the firm-wide strategic goals and just your connections. As a company, it's our priority to maintain and to strengthen these existing relationships and meet new clients who also align with our values, but I think that's where industry organizations plug in. These platforms and networking events, they're robust tools for your personal and professional growth so when you find the right organization and the right fit, these opportunities flow naturally.

Caroline Saba:

Amazing. I love hearing that. Let's talk a little bit about some of those organizations. Just as a refresher, you're an active member of the Society of Marketing Professionals Services, the New York Chapter, Urban Land Institute and ArchNative. What value do you feel networking with different organizations brings to you as it relates to professional development?

Natalie Dargham:

I think it differs. SMPS is a marketing-based organization that's specific to the AAC industry. It's a professional yet social network. We provide educational resources, we host events, there are mentorship opportunities. It's essentially my marketing peers, while ULI, for me it's more of a research and educational organization that's organized around the market. I highly recommend it. Finally, ArchNative is more of a passion project. ArchNative was originally founded to highlight and celebrate the dynamic women within the industry. At this time, we're a digital blog and we've interviewed over a hundred women and we're hosting several in-person events in an effort to create community. We're small. We're about four people. Two of us are based in New York, one is in Florida and one is in India.

While we're spread out, we have big plans for this organization strategically. We are launching a rebrand soon and our goal is to turn ArchNative into this membership style organization with private dinners and design charrettes, round table discussions. We're exploring podcasts and looking to work with universities to implement some sort of mentorship program. So here what we're trying to do is just build an approachable community for women through these smaller scale, more intimate settings. But just to go back to your original question, from a value perspective these platforms offer a unique outlet to learn and grow my interest and career goals and just expand my network in general.

Caroline Saba:

I love that. I like what you were mentioning too about the private dinners and the design charrettes. I think too more than anything, people are craving connections so those opportunities to come together I think is what people are looking for post-pandemic.

Natalie Dargham:

Yeah, I totally agree. Sometimes I attend these events and they're so large it's a little bit intimidating, but I think when there's a smaller, more intimate setting, people can really get to know each other.

Caroline Saba:

Yeah, absolutely. Can you speak a little bit to mentorship? Do you feel the professional organizations you're a part of provide avenues for networking to find a mentor?

Natalie Dargham:

Absolutely. I think many organizations have mentorship programs, but I think it's important to note that you have to actively seek mentorship. Yes, sometimes it can happen naturally, but I think it's important to reflect on who inspires you and why to be able to voice your goals, identify what you hope to gain from that relationship and in your career. At the end of the day, in my mind mentorship is a learning opportunity for both parties. As much as you gain from that relationship, you are inevitably giving something back too and there's always room for both to learn and grow and impart wisdom or experiences no matter your age or role.

Caroline Saba:

I love that. I think mentorship as a whole can probably be pretty intimidating so what advice would you give to someone interested in joining a professional organization, and what are some of the different organizations worth considering?

Natalie Dargham:

I think it depends on your goals. There has to be some authenticity to it so I'd join an organization that just resonates with you personally or professionally and from there it'll feel more natural to just form these genuine connections with members, and attending events won't feel as daunting because you automatically have a shared interest.

Caroline Saba:

That's great. Then once you've identified and joined an organization, are there strategies you might have for getting more involved?

Natalie Dargham:

I think your membership is what you make it. I would invite a member to coffee, join a committee where you can gain additional information or a skillset. I think attending events, it's okay to be a little uncomfortable. The reality is that most people are but, again, the more you engage, the sooner you find these familiar faces and begin to connect just on a deeper level.

Caroline Saba:

Yeah, I agree. I think you got to start somewhere. I remember those first few events knowing no one in a room and then all of a sudden, like you're saying, the familiar faces happen over time.

Natalie Dargham:

Yeah, I'm always looking for the familiar face to start.

Caroline Saba:

Absolutely. Say you're someone who has never networked before, how would you start?

Natalie Dargham:

This is a tough question because naturally I'm an introvert, so I'm continuously just pushing myself to go outside of my comfort zone because I'm inspired by the industry. But truthfully, networking can sometimes run your social battery down and for others it just comes naturally and they thrive in those settings. I think finding comfort and being uncomfortable, I've never left an event thinking, "I wish I didn't go or I wish I didn't meet that person," or felt like I didn't have some sort of tangible takeaway. So I would just recommend starting small, take that pressure off, make it your goal just to meet one person and naturally the conversation will flow and people may join your conversation. If that's not the case then just politely excuse yourself and try again.

Caroline Saba:

I think that's great. The social battery part is so key. So true. Would you recommend attending industry events and conferences to network or do you feel virtual events provide the same value?

Natalie Dargham:

I mean, why not? Your time is precious so if you decide to dedicate your time to an organization, you should engage in various ways, you should be attending these events and these conferences. As far as virtual versus in person, I find value in both. I find more meaningful connections through in-person events because of that human interaction. Still, a virtual setting offers more flexibility and gives you back some time, at least the time you would've spent commuting, so in my opinion virtual events are just as effective. Actually, funny enough, your team recently launched the circle in an effort to connect your clients with shared interests. I joined virtually and I actually met a new peer within the industry who also works in a niche sector that my firm specializes in and we're in the process of setting up an introductory meeting, so thank you for that.

Caroline Saba:

Amazing. That's so nice to hear. Yeah, same thing with this circle. It's about creating those connections. I think it's so important too, especially with like-minded individuals whose paths might not have crossed before.

Natalie Dargham:

Exactly, and they are a more intimate setting so it's a little easier to navigate those conversations.

Caroline Saba:

Yeah. Amazing. What are some tips you might have for connecting with other professionals while at these networking events?

Natalie Dargham:

If an attendee list is available, I'll review it before an event. If there's a firm that I'm not familiar with, I like to research who they are, their values, maybe projects or key players, but I also enjoy the spontaneity of it. I mean, for ArchNative I met my counterpart at an informal coffee chat through ULI. We were chatting and we realized that we had a mutual friend so the three of us went to dinner and the relationship just kind of took off from there. We had common interests and values and she was telling me about the blog, and that's when I decided I wanted to become more involved. To me, these organic connections feel the most natural and I think that's the true power of networking.

Caroline Saba:

Yeah, absolutely. I think the sharing of common interests and values, too, I think helps foster those relationships from the start.

Natalie Dargham:

Definitely.

Caroline Saba:

Outside of industry organizations, what are some other ways to grow your professional network? Is social networking another way to leverage your presence within an industry?

Natalie Dargham:

Yes. Social media is super important these days. I think from a marketing perspective, at a firm-wide level UAG's social platforms serve as our digital portfolio, so our audience, our peers, our clients, our architects, subcontractors, they can see what we're up to and who we're in company with. It's a look into our people and our process and our projects and just who we are as a firm. On a personal level, I think LinkedIn is another powerful tool. It's great for research, it's great for identifying peers that you have in common, job opportunities. Each platform has its own personality and tone, and knowing that helps you navigate it a bit better. I also think reading is important. Read the news, read trade publications, get a pulse on the key players and the developments happening in the industry and use your social network or your organizational networks to connect.

Caroline Saba:

Yeah. I think that's great advice too, especially as it relates to the social platforms. I find just as a viewer of content too across the industry, you feel that level of connection, you feel the authenticity come through from what people are posting.

Natalie Dargham:

Definitely, and everyone's on social media these days.

Caroline Saba:

Yes. Lastly, what piece of advice would you give the younger professionals still in school, interested in getting involved within their industry?

Natalie Dargham:

These organizations, they require time and they require attention so I just recommend doing your research to identify platforms that speak to you. Engage in organizations that you feel inspired by or know that there are opportunities to learn or advance your career or just to meet new people.

Caroline Saba:

I love that. Well, this has been great. As an introvert, I always appreciate tips on mentorship too and networking, so thank you again so much for your time, Natalie, and thank you everyone for listening in today.

Announcer:

Thank you so much for listening in with us today. We hope you leave inspired by the ideas in today's episode. For more follow UpSpring on LinkedIn and Instagram and don't forget to check out the amazing lineup of shows brought to you by the SURROUND podcast network at surroundpodcasts.com.