“A new school year means new beginnings, new adventures, new friendships and new challenges. The slate is clean, and anything can happen.” — Denise Witmer
August is here, and that means back to school for the kids and a break for the parents. Although it is the middle of the year, it seems like this month represents a fresh start. I want to encourage everyone to get out, meet someone new and make a few friends. Have you noticed once you entered the workforce — maybe even relocated — you began to lose touch with your friends?
Well, it’s not just you. Oxford University did a study and found that after age 25, you begin to lose some friends. There are many factors that contribute to this loss, including distance, crazy work hours and a shift in priorities. After a long, hard day, it’s easy to grab some food and turn on a TV show. However, we need to connect with other people to regulate emotions, improve self-esteem and lessen anxiety and depression.
Making friends as an adult isn’t easy, but there are many opportunities to do so: visiting your favorite Cobb County restaurant, attending a sporting event, participating in trivia nights, going to block parties, joining book clubs. It starts with putting yourself out there, being authentic and kind, and seeing where a new friendship can go.
A great way to meet new people with mutual interests is at networking events. Lucky for you, the Kennesaw Business Association (KBA) sponsors a number of great events with lots of people to meet. On Aug. 8 at 11 a.m., we will have our monthly luncheon at the KSU Professional Education Building. We will be hosting a panel to talk about building a better future for Kennesaw in the nonprofit sector. Freedom Church and Aroundabout Local Media are sponsoring this great event.
On Aug. 22 at 7:45 a.m., we will have our monthly Wake Up KBA at Winkenhofer Pine Ridge Dignity Memorial. This is perfect for the early-bird networkers who like to start their day off right.
“The most important thing in communications is to hear what isn’t being said.” — Peter Drucker
On Aug. 25, the super women of KBA are doing it again! The third annual Three-13 Salon, Spa & Boutique SUPER Women’s Conference will be held at the Marietta Country Club. This year’s theme is “Changing the Communication Game,” with keynote speakers Holly Moore and Natalie Born teaching how to do so. In addition, there will be a roundtable discussion, vendors, networking and more! Don’t miss out on this amazing event that will make you feel empowered!
August is about making new friends and new connections and maybe even having new adventures. The KBA is here to help you. We can’t wait to see you at these great events!
– Kevin Jabbari is the president of the Kennesaw Business Association and owns Jabbari Property Services LLC.
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