Happy Sunday, fintech fam! 💜

Welcome to the latest edition of our "On Performance" column! Whether you're reading this on Sunday night or Monday morning, I hope you had a fabulous weekend and are feeling prepared to tackle another week.

While scrolling through my morning newsletters the other day, I came across this interactive article in the NY Times about how comedian Taylor Tomlinson crafted the closing joke for her Netflix special.

It delves into the months of work, iteration, and nuance that these performers invest, and I was captivated by it because you rarely see this process laid out.

I've mentioned it before and I'll say it again: storytelling is not just a talent. It's a craft. It's something that requires practice. Otherwise, you're just improvising (which I see founders and executives do repeatedly).

However, if you set aside time to practice, honing your craft is the quickest way to boost your confidence, strengthen your argument, and make an impact (aka achieve success).

In today's edition, we will break down my iteration process for developing my personal brand story as I prepare for the year's first major conference.

Let’s go!

ON PERFORMANCE

I have a confession to make: Networking events aren’t my favorite.

Being in a crowded room, shouting above the noise to answer the question "what do you do?" to three people simultaneously, trying to avoid sounding too salesy while also making connections, allowing others to speak, and attempting to be funny or witty... Ugh.

However, just because it makes me uncomfortable doesn't mean I can't find joy in taking advantage of the opportunities a room full of people looking to network can provide.

Next Saturday, I'm returning to Las Vegas for the first major fintech conference of the year.

Although I feel a bit anxious about the room, I'm excited for the possibilities.

The conference offers 45,000 one-on-one meetings.😳

Luckily, I’ll also be hosting an intimate breakfast event for women in fintech on Tuesday, March 5th, to help our community members easily find one another and reconnect. (RSVP here to join us).

Outside of the breakfast, I am determined to meet as many people as possible to establish personal connections that can lead to valuable partnerships in the upcoming year.

Instead of avoiding it, I am confronting this challenge head-on.

In the following section, I will demonstrate how I employ active listening to enhance my storytelling in real time to create an unforgettable first impression for everyone I encounter.

If you have not yet become a premium subscriber, today might be the perfect opportunity to do so.