If the word networking makes you groan, you’re not alone. Too often, it conjures up visions of awkward elevator pitches, forced smiles, and events where the only thing flowing freely is lukewarm coffee. But what if networking didn’t feel like drudgery? What if you actually looked forward to it?
Here’s the secret that successful professionals (especially in the fast-paced world of New York networking) already know: having fun while networking changes everything. It builds trust, creates authentic connections, and keeps you coming back for more. When you inject energy and enjoyment into your networking strategy, the leads come more naturally, the community builds more organically, and the conversations become far more meaningful.
In my opinion fun should be the cornerstone of your networking efforts because it can fuel real, measurable business growth.
1. Fun Builds Trust Faster
In any networking group, trust is currency. You don’t refer someone you don’t trust, and you certainly don’t do business with someone who gives you “meh” vibes.
When you’re having fun, you’re relaxed. You’re yourself. And when you’re yourself, people can actually get to know you, not your elevator pitch, but the human behind the pitch. Laughter, banter, and shared moments of break down walls. And in a city like New York, where professional shields are often up by default, that sense of ease is rare and memorable.
In fact, studies in business psychology consistently show that people are more likely to trust those they enjoy being around. Your credibility doesn’t just hinge on your LinkedIn bio; it’s also tied to the energy you bring into a room. When your networking events are laced with fun, trust isn’t forced, it’s formed.
2. Fun Feels Like Connection, Not Obligation
There’s a huge difference between showing up to a community because you have to, and because you want to. The magic of a truly dynamic networking group lies in its vibe. Is it warm and welcoming? Or stiff and transactional?
Fun removes the pressure and replaces it with permission to be curious, to connect, to collaborate. It shifts the mindset from “What can I get?” to “Who can I meet?” and that’s where true business community building starts.
It’s easier to stay engaged when you enjoy the experience. And the more consistently you show up, the more connections and leads you generate. You become a familiar face. A trusted contact. A person that others want to support, refer, and promote.
3. Fun Makes You Memorable
No one remembers the person who read their 30-second pitch in a monotone voice, but they do remember the one who cracked a joke, shared a quirky story, or led a spontaneous toast to closing deals.
In the sea of professionals flooding the networking scene, fun is your differentiator. It’s your brand voice in action. And in a city filled with incredible talent, it’s often not about who’s the most qualified, it’s about who people remember first when an opportunity comes up.
Fun is sticky. It lingers. And that makes it an incredibly powerful business strategy.
4. Fun Energizes You to Keep Showing Up
Networking can be exhausting. If every event feels like a chore, you’ll eventually stop going. And the moment you go “off the grid,” your visibility and your opportunity to generate new leads and connections plummets.
But when networking is energizing? When it includes some laughs, interesting conversations, or a funky venue?
You look forward to it.
When you’re excited about your networking group, it becomes part of your life not just your marketing strategy. That consistency pays off big time. The more often you show up, the deeper your relationships grow. And deep relationships are where the most powerful referrals come from.
5. Fun is Contagious and Attracts the Right People
People want to be around those who make them feel good. That’s not just a personal truth, it’s a business one. If your networking community is filled with positive energy, lightness, and camaraderie, it becomes a magnet for other high-quality professionals who value the same.
Truth: people do business with people who are like them.
So if you show up in your networking spaces as someone who’s fun, genuine, and collaborative, you attract others with the same vibe. That means better business connections, stronger community, and more aligned leads.
6. Fun Creates a Stronger, More Engaged Community
A community isn’t built on pitches and business cards, it’s built on relationships. And relationships need a foundation beyond transactions. Shared experiences, laughter, inside jokes, an impromptu happy hour after the Zoom call, that’s what makes a networking group thrive.
When members enjoy each other, they want to help each other. They show up. They share. They cheer each other on. That’s how referrals flow with ease. That’s how business gets done without the “ick.”
If you’re building or leading a networking group in NYC (or anywhere), weaving fun into your events and interactions is not a frivolous add-on. It’s a strategic priority.
7. Fun Helps You Build a Brand Without a Script
Let’s say you’re a solo entrepreneur in New York looking to grow your brand and visibility. You could spend hours tweaking your messaging, or you could show up to Zooms and events and be the person others want to talk to.
When you’re the one who can laugh at themselves or make a moment lighter you stand out. Over time, people start to associate your name with energy, warmth, and approachability. That’s the kind of branding money can’t buy and it happens naturally when you allow yourself to have fun.
The ROI of a Good Time
Business doesn’t have to be all grind, all the time. In fact, some of the best leads, collaborations, and deals you’ll ever land might start with a laugh, a glass of wine, or a shared story about a client disaster turned win.