Anti-Networking Workshop
How to get promoted by building real relationships without playing office politics
What: A live, 90-minute interactive workshop for mid-career women and marginalized folks (10+ years into your career).
Why: Because you want to advance at your job by having real, ethical conversations, not by being transactional, awkward, or pushy.
How: You'll leave with a clear sense of who to talk to and a simple, repeatable conversation framework that feels natural — and actually leads to support, sponsorship, and promotions.
When: Friday, Jul 24, 2026 at 9am - 10:30am PST | 12-1:30pm EST via Zoom
Investment: $25
Co-led by: Executive Coach Jamie Lee and Informational Interviewing Strategist Sarah-Neel Smith, PhD
If you’ve ever been told to “network more” or “be more strategic” to advance your career but the idea makes your skin crawl, this workshop is for you.
Because the truth is you don’t need to have awkward, transactional networking conversations to secure that internal promotion.
What you do need is a simple, proven framework for having low-key conversations with decision-makers and allies.
This is anti-networking: no fake personas, no corporate games.
Just low-pressure conversations that feel human, ethical, and energizing, and that get you where you want to go.
This workshop is designed for you if:
You’re 10+ years into your career and feel like: “I can’t do this exact role forever, but I’m not sure I need to leave my company either.”
You’re a woman, from a marginalized background, or an ally in a corporate environment where promotions feel political or out of reach.
You’ve been conditioned to stay quiet, be humble, and not “toot your own horn.”
You want to move up within your company and you hate "playing the game."
Your job or industry has changed since you first started and you're not sure if you like it anymore.
You like your industry and you're curious about different roles but don't know where to make the jump.
You're feeling restless or curious. You find yourself wondering, "What else is out there? Do I want to do this for the next 5, 10 years?"
What you'll learn
You’ll leave this 90-minute live, hands-on workshop with:
Clear next steps
Know whom you'll talk to and how to hold the conversation, so you can take concrete action post-workshop
Proven, repeatable framework
That feels natural and human and reveals opportunities and allies you couldn’t see before
Expert coaching
12 years of coaching and 100+ anti-networking conversations held by Jamie and Sarah-Neel combined
Let us introduce ourselves!
I'm Jamie (pictured leading a workshop at Stevens Institute in New Jersey).
As a certified executive coach, I work with smart women who hate office politics and help them get promoted and better paid without throwing anyone under the bus.
My secret sauce is that I blend the best of proven leadership strategies with evidence-based neuroplasticity tools so my clients take the lead and advocate with confidence and ease.
Now some fun facts:
I'm a South Korean immigrant who learned the value of self-advocacy from my mom, who single-handedly raised three daughters while running a nail salon and speaking broken English in New Jersey (she still does!).
Sarah-Neel and I are both Smith College alums. We overlapped for one year on campus but didn't meet until when she reached out to me for 1:1 coaching three years ago.
My mind was blown seeing Sarah-Neel make quantum leaps in her career through anti-networking conversations with the exact framework we're teaching in this workshop. So when she suggested we co-lead this workshop, I was an immediate YES!
I'm Sarah-Neel Smith, PhD. I'm a former professor who left academia, became a private investigator, and now work at the Milken Institute, a nonprofit think tank.
I built my nonlinear career through informational interviews, close to 100 of them. Now I teach other people how to do the same.
Through my workshop, Small Conversations, Big Impact, I show how simple, low-pressure conversations can help you navigate career uncertainty and figure out what's next.
In this workshop with Jamie, I'm bringing that same repeatable framework, so you leave knowing exactly how to start conversations that open real doors, without any of the awkwardness or pressure that "networking" usually brings.
My fun facts:
Before working in fundraising and strategy, I spent nearly a decade as a professor, helping more than 1,000 students think through complicated ideas out loud.
Many of the approaches I teach today grew out of research interviews I conducted while writing my first book and living in Istanbul, Turkey.
Informational interviews helped me navigate not one but two major career transitions—including an unexpected chapter as a private investigator.
What our past clients and attendees are saying
At the workshop, I gained some practical knowledge and insight…I feel like I walked away with a valuable ‘secret weapon.’
Christie, Marketing Director (coaching client)
Now, I ask questions when I don't know the answers and I don't necessarily feel any kind of shame or anything around that.
Now that I've learned better ways to handle situations, I'm a different person.
DeAndra, Health Compliance Officer (coaching client)
I was afraid doing the interview would feel stilted but this approach felt seamless and completely natural.
Recent interview workshop participant
This made informational interviews less scary and therefore more successful.”
(Including leading directly to a resume being passed along to a hiring manager and a job offer.)
Recent interview workshop participant
It was so helpful to hear about the experiences of others during a time that is stressful and can often feel isolating.
Recent interview workshop participant
This was one of the most valuable workshops I’ve been to.
Olivia, CEO of Number Queen (workshop participant)
So helpful and insightful. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire workshop and felt that I came out of it learning so much.
Recent workshop participant
I feel more confident and have specific suggestions on how I can improve my leadership skills.
Donia, Engineering Manager (coaching client)
Questions?
Don't worry, we got you. Here are some answers for your questions.
Q: I want to join but I can’t make the event live due to work meetings, planned vacation, etc. Will I get a replay and will I benefit from it?
A: Yes, absolutely.
The entire live event will be recorded, and once you've registered, you'll receive the replay in your inbox by Monday, Jul 27, 2026.
Watching the replay has its own benefits — you can pause, rewind, and digest the material at your own pace. We'll also include a written transcript. And if anything sparks a follow-up question, you're welcome to email us directly.
Q: I’m between jobs right now, but I think the skills listed here are in fact what I needed to elevate my career. Can I join and will I benefit from it?
A: Please join! Informational interviews are a useful tool for navigating all kinds of career transitions, especially if you're looking for work.
That's because the value isn't just in the content of the conversations themselves.
You're also practicing one of the most important job-search skills there is: learning how to quickly understand a new field, pick up industry language, and have thoughtful, curious conversations with people you've just met.
Q: My mid-year performance review is coming up and I want to improve my chance of getting promoted ahead of it. Will I be able to use this framework?
A: While informational interviews are often associated with career exploration, the same skills can be used within your organization to better understand how decisions get made, increase your visibility, and cultivate the support and sponsorship that can help you move forward.
Q: I work fully remote and feel awkward reaching out to people I've never met in person for virtual 1:1s. Will this still work for me?
A: Completely understandable — and yes. The framework and case studies we share are drawn from both in-person and virtual conversations. The same principles that make a coffee chat feel natural translate directly to a Zoom call. If anything, virtual 1:1s lower the barrier to entry: no commute, no venue to coordinate, just a conversation.
TBD
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© 2026 Jamie Lee and Sarah-Neel Smith, PhD