{"id":2976,"date":"2019-09-09T14:19:37","date_gmt":"2019-09-09T14:19:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ona19.journalists.org\/?p=2976"},"modified":"2019-09-11T05:15:31","modified_gmt":"2019-09-11T05:15:31","slug":"samantha-raglands-guide-for-extroverts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ona19.journalists.org\/2019\/09\/09\/samantha-raglands-guide-for-extroverts\/","title":{"rendered":"Samantha Ragland\u2019s guide for extroverts at ONA19"},"content":{"rendered":"

Samantha Ragland, ONA Local organizer and Women’s Leadership Accelerator alumnae, attended her first ONA conference in 2014. She assembled this guide to offer strategies for extroverts to be A+ conference-goers and make the most of ONA19 \u2014 and it’s a companion piece to ONA Executive Director\/CEO Irving Washington\u2019s guide for introverts<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n

I\u2019ll be the first to admit that attending ONA five years ago changed my professional life. Honestly, it introduced<\/i> me to my professional life, and I\u2019ll be darned if I don\u2019t share that gospel with any and every journalist I meet. It\u2019s this enthusiasm and subsequent ONA conferences (ONA19 makes six) that has led my colleagues to jokingly call me the \u201cMayor of ONA.\u201d<\/p>\n

One step into the conference hotel and it is on, baby! You\u2019ll likely hear me shriek someone\u2019s name before you ever see my face, and once you see me, I\u2019m likely hugging someone so hard I\u2019ve dipped them nearly to the ground in a sort of overjoyed mambo-tango number. I am this kind of extrovert. And if you are a \u201cjust add water\u201d kind of instant extrovert like me, this guide is for you.<\/p>\n

Because let\u2019s be real: Even the Energizer Bunny\u2019s batteries run out.<\/p>\n

As an extrovert, I\u2019ve learned that I can\u2019t be on all the time, which means I\u2019ve also learned the value of strategic pacing, mindful rest and concentrated dialogue. These three things have elevated my experience at ONA\u2019s conference, and other such professional development opportunities, from work vacation to work sabbatical.<\/p>\n

From one proud extrovert to another, here\u2019s a three-step guide on how we can do conferences better.<\/p>\n

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Special thanks to our ONA19 sponsors<\/a>, including:<\/p>\n

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Have a \u201cpre-game, halftime and post-game\u201d plan<\/h3>\n

ONA19 is huge, and no amount of extrovert-ism is enough to outweigh the importance of a conference plan \u2014 before you get there, while you\u2019re there and when you\u2019re not there.<\/p>\n