If the thought of walking into a room full of strangers makes your palms sweat, you’re in good company. Local networking can feel terrifying—especially when you’re naturally introverted or shy. But here’s the truth: some of the most successful freelancers and agency owners built their entire businesses through local connections, and many of them started out just as nervous as you are right now.
In this episode of Freelance to Founder, Brittany from Brittany Stat Design asks about taking those first steps into local networking despite being shy. Clay Mosley, who built his agency from solo freelancer to 23 employees in four years—hitting a million dollars in annual recurring revenue by year two—shares his complete playbook for local networking success.
Key Takeaways from this Episode:
Your number one goal at networking events should be making genuine friends, not closing deals. Focus on getting to know people as humans, and let business happen naturally.
Join structured groups like BNI (Business Network International) or your local chamber of commerce to plug into regular networking opportunities with committed local business owners.
Try the “$100 Friday Tab” strategy: sponsor a tab at a local coffee shop or restaurant each week, create video content around it, and build goodwill while getting your name out there—all without a sales pitch.
Start With the Right Venues
Not all networking opportunities are created equal, especially when you’re just starting out. Clay recommends beginning with structured environments where the awkwardness is reduced and the format is clear.
**Your Local Chamber of Commerce**
Every chamber of commerce hosts numerous networking events throughout the week. These gatherings bring together local business owners in a relatively low-pressure environment. You’re not expected to pitch aggressively—people are there to connect, share resources, and build community relationships.
The beauty of chamber events is their regularity and consistency. You’ll start seeing the same faces, which makes it easier to build genuine relationships over time rather than trying to force connections in a single meeting.
**Business Network International (BNI)**
BNI might feel a bit “campy” as Clay describes it, but for someone starting out, it’s nearly perfect. Here’s why:
BNI chapters limit how many members can join from each discipline. You won’t be competing with five other graphic designers or web developers in the room. Instead, you’ll be the go-to person for your specialty among a diverse group of local business owners—plumbers, accountants, videographers, bakers, and more.
Members pay to join (typically a few hundred dollars annually), which creates a built-in commitment level. People who invest in membership tend to be serious about supporting each other.
The loyalty factor is real. Even if members just met you, they tend to be incredibly supportive of fellow members, sending referrals your way and genuinely rooting for your success.
Everyone does a one-minute pitch at meetings, so there’s a structured format that removes the guesswork about how to present yourself.
While BNI might plateau after three or four years in business, it’s an excellent foundation for building initial local connections and generating your first steady stream of referrals.
The Introvert’s Networking Strategy
Here’s Clay’s confession: “When I started my, when I went freelance for the first time, I had never networked in my life. I didn’t know anything about sales. I didn’t know anything about business. When I went to my first chamber event, I was scared. I was about to shit my pants.”
If that sounds familiar, you’re not broken—you’re normal. Even today, after years of success, Clay admits that attending networking events remains one of the most uncomfortable things he does. The difference? He’s developed a system that works even for introverts.
**Focus on Making Friends, Not Sales**
This is the golden rule that changes everything. Instead of going into networking events with a sales mindset, shift your entire approach to simply making friends.
Be genuinely curious about what people do—not just their business, but who they are as people. What do they do outside of work? What are they passionate about? What challenges are they facing?
Make sure they know what you do, but don’t force it. The goal is to become familiar, to be top of mind when they or someone in their network needs your services.
Remember that not everyone is in buying mode right now. But if they see your face consistently—whether weekly or twice a month—they won’t call anyone else when they finally do need your services. They’ll call the familiar face.
Track Results, Not Just Activity
Preston raises an important question about systematizing your networking efforts. Should you track every interaction in a spreadsheet or CRM like you might with cold email outreach?
Clay’s take is refreshingly practical: he tried the spreadsheet approach, and while it works as a numbers game, local businesses simply prefer to shake hands. The personal connection matters more than the systematic follow-up.
That said, you should be tracking one critical metric: ROI. Watch over six, eight, twelve months—or even two, three, five years—to see what builds the highest return on investment, especially in terms of the kinds of clients you actually want to attract.
The $100 Friday Tab Strategy
This is one of Clay’s most creative recommendations for combining local networking with social media visibility—and it requires zero sales pitches.
Here’s how it works:
**Set aside $200-$400 monthly for this strategy.** Each Friday, visit a different local restaurant, coffee shop, or bakery.
**Talk to the manager or owner.** Explain that you want to open a $100 tab under your name for customers to enjoy their food or drinks. Set reasonable limits so one person doesn’t use the entire amount.
**Create video content.** Film a 30-60 second video with the owner or manager in front of the storefront. Introduce yourself, mention the business, and invite people to come enjoy coffee or food on your tab.
**Post and promote.** Share the video on social media. You can even put a small amount of ad spend behind it to reach more local business owners.
This strategy accomplishes multiple goals simultaneously:
It gets your foot in the door with local business owners without requiring a sales pitch. You’re helping them out, and they’ll love you for it.
It generates authentic social media content that showcases your commitment to the local community.
It creates touchpoints where local business owners see your face at events and then again on their Facebook or Instagram feeds, building familiarity and trust.
It demonstrates generosity and community spirit—qualities that attract clients.
Clay notes that while he’s recommended this to many people, only a couple have actually done it. But those who have committed to it consistently have seen real results.
Pairing In-Person Networking With Social Media
There’s always a balance between building a following and directly acquiring clients. Sometimes it takes as much effort to build a thousand followers as it does to land one new client through direct outreach.
The key is understanding opportunity cost. What are you spending your time on, and what’s generating the highest ROI over time—not just immediately, but over the course of months and years?
For local service businesses, the combination of consistent in-person networking and complementary social media presence creates compound effects. When potential clients see you at chamber events, spot you sponsoring local businesses, and encounter your content online, you become omnipresent in their minds.
You’re not just another service provider—you become the trusted local expert they already feel like they know.
Overcome the Fear and Start Small
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, remember: you don’t have to do everything at once. Start with one chamber event. See how it feels. Try one BNI meeting as a guest. Take it one step at a time.
The discomfort doesn’t completely disappear (Clay still feels it), but it gets easier. You’ll develop your own approach, find your rhythm, and discover which venues and strategies work best for your personality and business.
Clay’s agency story proves that an introvert who was terrified at their first networking event can build a million-dollar business through local connections. The secret isn’t being naturally outgoing or having a sales personality—it’s showing up consistently, being genuinely interested in people, and letting relationships develop naturally.
Local networking might feel awkward at first, but it remains one of the most reliable ways to build a sustainable freelance or agency business. So take a deep breath, commit to that first event, and remember: everyone else in the room was once exactly where you are now. The difference is they showed up anyway.
