My first Chamber breakfast

For some, the title ‘Chamber of Commerce’ evokes images of comb overs, starched grey suits and polite half nods at formal dinner parties. Indeed when we, the trainees at Brighton Journalist Works, were asked if we would be interested in writing for Brighton and Hove Chamber of Commerce, many of us puzzled over our lack of financial or business experience; what could we possibly contribute and what could we hope to gain?

But this is Brighton and the secret to the city is in its name; the Brighton and Hove Chamber of Commerce is made up of an eclectic mix of people across a vast variety of businesses, job titles and backgrounds. The Chamber holds many events, including breakfasts and brunches, offering opportunities to mingle and connect, as well as to listen to speakers from different areas of business. As a result, my experience of the ‘Living the authentic life’ breakfast on Friday 25th January was very positive. It sounds somewhat trite from afar, but I would even go as far as to say that I left feeling inspired.

For an aspiring writer in my mid-twenties, my biggest question was why come to these events? Can they really be useful to someone like me with no current business plan?

What struck me most was how welcoming and friendly everyone was. There was a big turn out and Carluccio’s, the venue where the Chamber hold their monthly breakfast, was full. Before sitting down to a cooked breakfast, members and non-members circulated, talking excitedly about new projects, catching up with friends and welcoming new comers.

Networking can be intimidating, especially if you are young and relatively inexperienced. Going up to strangers and not only introducing yourself but having something comprehensive and semi-interesting to follow up with requires courage. However, it quickly became apparent that these events, immediately informal in tone and atmosphere, are about meeting people, making friends and connections and most importantly, learning from the experiences of those you talk to. Far more exciting than intimidating, I had the opportunity to talk to PR people, fashionistas, consultants and more, each with a different perspective to share.

“We’re here to engage with each other and learn from each other,” said Tino Da Silva from MCC IT Support. An immediately welcoming man, Tino assured me that the Chamber was about forming long term relationships and that the breakfasts are as much a chance to build new friendships as they are to catch up with old. Mark Zandler from Portmore Insurance agreed, “I hate that word, ‘networking’, it’s about making friends and meeting people. People do business with people they like.”

The talk of the morning was from quirky duo Jill Wootton and Sara Maude who formed Within Sight Training four years ago. As is the spirit of BHCC breakfasts, they told the story of their journey: the itch that wouldn’t stop, the leap away from a comfortable salary and business car, following a strong passion and belief in what they were doing and ultimately, their success. “Once I’d cleared the decks of what I knew was not right”, said Jill, “A whole chain of events opened up for me.” Within Sight Training has taken techniques such as hypnotherapy and counselling into the business world, aiming to provide people with the tools to take their emotional and physical wellbeing into their own hands.

We are of a generation that is bombarded with negative media and conflicting messages. “Tweet your way to a better job”; “There are NO jobs!”  It is easy to become disillusioned with the prospects of our future careers, pigeon holed by the crushing fear of mortgages, lifestyles and ‘really making something of yourself’.  The talks at the ‘Living the authentic life’ breakfast showed in an eloquent and amusing way how, with hard work, creativity and a whole lot of gumption, you can not only change your career path but you can mould it to fit your passions and beliefs and that this really can work.

Maybe it is not what you know but who you know that counts. However this doesn’t mean idle connections; BHCC gives the opportunity to get out there and find the know, letting who you know inform what you know, and vice versa.
    
By Sophie Turton, trainee journalist at Brighton Journalist Works

Visit Sophie's blog here: www.aintnobigthing.wordpress.com

Follow on twitter @TurtonSophie

If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk