First REIA meeting

[Brian Lo]

Hi BP! This newbie is going to their first REIA meeting tonight and I'm open to whatever advice you might have for me to help this evening as successful as possible. I plan introducing myself to others, telling them I'm a newbie and am trying to figure out what would be the best investment strategy for myself. I've got an attitude of openness and a desire to learn. Any advice would be appreciated.

FYI, the REIA meeting is with FIBI in Long Beach, CA. So if you're also a BP member who'll be there, please introduce yourself to me. I'd love to meet a fellow BP'er face-to-face!

Brian

[Chad Clanton]

Howdy Brian, hope it's as warm there today as it is here! As to your meeting, I'd say just be yourself. A lesson I'm finally learning is to stop selling myself as a newbie (which I still consider myself, and in many aspects actually am). That is absolutely not to say "fake it", because I don't believe that works in the long run nor do I think it's the right direction to take (in my opinion). However, I've had better luck with just a quick intro "Hi, I'm so-and-so, I'm working on XYZ" (or whatever variation), and then just talk shop. It's more fun, it helps you get more immersed in what you're actually doing, and it helps build confidence both with you and with whomever you're speaking. One REIA complaint I often see with newer folks is that folks who know each other get into cliques and that it's harder for the new attendees to actually network (that of course being the actual point).

Try out the REIA and don't worry about it. You're not pitching (ideally), so just be yourself and talk naturally with people. If you don't get much out of the meeting, throw your own get together. That's REALLY fun, can be as cheap on your end as you like (free is good), and really lets people get together and network without having to negotiate a crowd. Either way you go, just enjoy it, it's REI! Best of luck, and let us know how it goes!