Strategies for Working with Reluctant Networkers

This episode is the second in a three-part series of conversations about career development and collaborative negotiation with Justin Wright (moderator), Tad Mayer, and Carly Inkpen – authors of Finding a Job that Loves You Back. They are joined by Courtney Warnsman, NCDA Trustee for Private Practice, Business-Industry and Agencies. 

The discussion describes networking as a fundamental concept of connecting with other people, with an understanding that every conversation is a kind of negotiation or exchange. The challenges faced by those with trauma histories and doubts about the possibility of trusting relationships are also addressed.

• Episode 1 - Coaching, Advising, and Counseling Skills: When Do you Use Each one?
• Episode 3 - Working with Mid- and Late-Career Clients

Learn more about the panel participants:

Carly Inkpen is a social worker, writer, and visual artist. In each of these roles, they explore trauma, gender, migration, and how people inhabit their bodies as they move through the world. Carly holds an MSW from Smith College School for Social Work and a BA from the University of Arizona. They work as a psychotherapist and are currently training to practice as a psychedelic therapist. Carly's writing projects focus on gender identity, third culture kid experience, science fiction as social commentary, and psychoanalytic theory.

Tad Mayer is a deeply curious one-on-one interaction junkie dedicated to rescuing clients’ inspiration and reaching that “A ha!” moment. He is focused on understanding motivation, enhancing behavior, and improving effectiveness. Tad is a career consultant and partner at Essex Partners, a national outplacement firm dedicated to helping senior executives find the right path forward. Tad’s previous roles  span Stage Electrician at Ballet West, Media Planner at DDB, Manager of Domestic Pricing at Northwest Airlines (now Delta), Director of Partner Marketing at Sheraton Hotels, and Director of Commercial & Corporate Programs at Mediation Works Incorporated (MWI).

Courtney Warnsman, Ph.D., a career development facilitator for nearly 20 years, works at Austin Career Connections in Austin delivering career transition and development services to individual clients across functional roles and industries. She is an Executive Development Program Consultant for the Baylor University Executive MBA Program and was recently tapped to serve on the advisory board of The Chiral Project, a startup venture exploring the unique challenges that women have experienced as they have either chosen or been forced to step back professionally during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Courtney received her Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degrees from the University of Texas at Austin.

Justin Wright is the CEO of Habitus, a certified B Corporation. His work focuses on facilitating complex decision-making processes and coordinating collaboration between multiple stakeholders to empower collective action. Justin has worked with organizations including PolicyLink, the Other and Belonging Institute, MIT Office of Sustainability, and the B Corp Climate Collect to further their commitments to social justice, racial equity, and environmental sustainability. Justin seeks out this kind of work because of his Quaker commitment to peace, equality, and stewardship.