I walk into a Latin professional networking event in New York City, LACREA’s Spring Mixer (the Latino American Commercial Real Estate Association) at Studio Office Solutions, and almost immediately I’m hit with that feeling. You know the one. The "okay, I don’t know anyone here, where do I look, should I check my phone" feeling that I think every human being on the planet has experienced at least once.
And I’m a recruiter. This is literally my job.
The difference this time? I’m Cuban and Puerto Rican, and I was in a room where that meant something. I heard familiar last names. Familiar stories. A gentleman I met shared a background so similar to people in my own family that within five minutes we weren’t talking business. We were just talking. About where we came from. What we were building.
Let’s just say the conversations switched languages mid-sentence more than once and nobody skipped a beat.
But You Don’t Need a Shared Heritage to Feel It
Here’s what I kept coming back to as the night went on.
Yes, most of us shared a cultural identity. But strip that away and there was something even more universal holding that room together, and it applies to every networking event, industry mixer, and conference happy hour you’ve ever talked yourself out of attending.
Not a single person in that room knew everyone else.
Every person there, whatever their title, background, or how effortlessly social they looked, was doing the same thing. Putting themselves out there. Walking up to strangers. Hoping it wouldn’t be weird.
That’s vulnerability. And honestly? Vulnerability is the great equalizer. You don’t need to share my culture, my industry, or my irrational loyalty to the Philadelphia Eagles to connect with me. You just need to show up and mean it.
So Here’s My Actual Advice
Stop waiting until you know someone going. Stop saving the event for when you feel more ready, more senior, more whatever. Treat a room full of people you don’t know as the opportunity it is.
I walked into LACREA a little nervous and walked out with new relationships, new perspectives, and a genuine reminder that the conversations that matter most in your career rarely start with a job posting. They start exactly like this: in a room, with a stranger, over a drink, with zero agenda.
Whether you’re a job seeker, a hiring manager, or a C-suite leader, get in the room. Be yourself. Lead with curiosity.
You never know what one honest conversation can become.
Entré sin conocer a nadie. Salí con todo.
Photos courtesy of LACREA.