Florida Creatives – Creating a Community of Innovation

Alex Williams, a New York Times reporter, sent out a request through the Likemind organizers mailing list asking a few questions about the event that has grown to be an international affair every month. Here is a sample of his article:

To Erin Middleton, a 27-year-old brand strategist in Dallas, the word “networking” calls to mind “stodgy business types in suits,” who are “very uncomfortable and poor at engaging conversation,” she said in an e-mail message.

Melissa Clark, an advertising account manager in Minneapolis, said there is “something smarmy” about the word.

Peter Bihr, 28, a media consultant in Berlin, was even stronger in his denunciation. “ ‘Networking,’ as a word, makes me feel like I get a physical reaction, I hate the term so much,” he wrote in an e-mail message. “It sounds all like strategically talking to people and trying to be their friends. It’s not authentic.”

So, what exactly, are these three doing at 8 a.m. on the third Friday of each month, meeting with other young professionals at their local coffeehouse?

They are participating in likemind, a monthly kaffeeklatsch for creative professionals, held in 55 cities around the world, including Mumbai, São Paulo, Shanghai, and Malmo, Sweden.

Read the rest of the Likemind article on the New York Times' website

The article calls out the no-agenda, no-hard-sell nature of Likemind, the differences with Meetup.com events, the similarity to Unconferences, or Green Drinks, and even gives some literary reference.

Our next Likemind in Orlando (or anywhere else) will be Friday, December 5th. Jim Hathaway and Ryan Price are the co-organizers of the Orlando Likemind.

If you work in marketing, design, advertising, or something more squirrely, please check out Likemind, the conversation and the coffee are never cold, and always welcome in the morning.