A quick glance at my LinkedIn profile illustrates the adventurous journey known as my professional life. I owe much of my recent success to authentically engaging individuals online, who quickly became friends offline.

One great example is Susan Tabor-Kleiman, a professional writer and business owner, and I'm honored to say a friend of mine. LinkedIn is what brought us together - quite literally. She connected with a board member of Young Involved Philadelphia, was asked to give a presentation on optimizing LinkedIn profiles, which I helped to host at a former employer's. As usual, I live-tweeted take-aways and took pictures to post and share.

Susan's presentation was insightful and engaging. We've since kept in touch, and I've since seen her give similar presentations. I learn something new every time! Several weeks ago, she told me about an opportunity to speak to a group of professionals about social media. I'm happy to say that she introduced me to The Press Club of Delaware County.

A varied group of professionals met last Saturday for a Social Media for Business Workshop at Open Connections, a thoughtfully designed facility dedicated to alternative education for children age 2-18. The entire campus is breathtaking and the room we occupied, comprised of sustainably sourced materials, was filled with representatives from several industries including writers, photographers, young adult novelists, and more.

Partaking in the workshop was an inspiring way to spend my Saturday and share best practices while learning some applicable tips. Connecting with participants and my fellow panelists will certainly lead to more awesome developments, thanks to the ease of keeping in touch via social media.

The next time you meet someone at a networking event or workshop, don't be shy! Connect with them on your favorite social media platform. You may be surprised at how well you can cultivate a genuine relationship between seminars and conferences.