As some of you may know I recently relocated from my beloved Edinburgh, to big scary (not really) Manchester. It’s been a great opportunity to be closer to my family, who I’ve been practically estranged from living in Scotland for four years. However, one thing that made me nervous was finding new work in a city I hadn’t lived in/near for almost 10 years.
Luckily I felt more equipped to tackle this challenge than when I first moved to Scotland. Not only did I have a better grasp of what I was good at, and the niche I liked to work; I knew how I liked to meet new people, and perhaps more importantly how I didn’t!
I’m obviously not alone in this but the term ‘networking’ sends shivers down my spine. Not knocking anyone who enjoys the more conventional version of it (cramped in a room, throwing out business cards at a rate of knots) it just isn’t for me. This is what inspired me to go along to my first Freshwalks.
It’s essentially a lovely walk through some of the most beautiful areas of the Peak District with a rabble of Manchester business folk, culminating in a delicious pub lunch at end. Sure, there’s some ‘work chat’, but generally the topics of conversation can range from your favorite Japanese whisky to your childlike excitement for the new Star Wars film (clearly I was in good company).
I’ve always felt blessed growing up in the Peak District; I have fond memories of exploring much of it with my grandparents as a kid. It’s nice to know there’s folk in Manchester who’re game for a yomp up to Kinder every month.
You can book yourself onto the next walk here. Or follow Freshwalks on Twitter too.