Episode 58: Networking Pointers for Pet Sitters and Dog Walkers With Gelie Akhenblit

On this episode, Bella speaks with Gelie Akhenblit, CEO/Founder of NetworkingPhoenix. They discuss the importance of networking, "do"s and "do not"s when going to a marketing event, and best practices for following up. “Networking is finding friends with professional benefits” Gelie Akhenblit (CEO / Founder of NetworkingPhoenix) has revolutionized the way Arizona’s professionals, small business owners, and entrepreneurs network in the Valley. Founded in October 2008, Gelie left her corporate position in order to launch her vision as a tech startup. This startup, NetworkingPhoenix.com, created a democratized platform for local networkers to connect online and in person through mixers, business events,  and local educational partners. Since its inception,NetworkingPhoenix has skyrocketed in popularity and has become one of the most visited websites in Arizona with nearly 40,000 members and growing. Subscribe To The Show: Transcript: This is episode 58 of Bella in Your Business. Welcome to Bella in Your Business, where Bella will discuss anything and everything about your pet sitting business to help you land on target. So get ready, Bella's got your chute. Let's jump. Welcome to Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta, your host, and today I have a friend with me. Her name is Gellie Akhenblit, and she is—my gosh, I don't even know how to introduce her. She's amazing. I've known her for almost a decade. Interestingly enough, we met through a boy. He connected us, and Gellie has started an incredible thing that Phoenix is very, very fortunate to have. It's called networkingphoenix.com. She's going to tell you her story today, but we're going to talk all about networking. So I want you to listen up if you are that pet sitter who shies away from those networking meetings or those lunches or those breakfasts or those mixers, because today we're going to give you lots of awesome tips to help you. Without further ado, Gellie, welcome to the show. Thank you so much for having me, and I love that introduction. So I came from the former Soviet Union, but I ended up in Phoenix, Arizona. The majority of my life I’ve spent in Phoenix. After going to college here and doing the traditional thing, I had two jobs out of college, and I was like, you know what? This whole job thing is not for me. I couldn’t handle it. I’d been working since I was fourteen, but what I didn’t realize was that I was a little hustler, a little entrepreneur, and I never knew it. I didn’t have anyone to guide me or explain to me that being an entrepreneur is a personality trait. During my second job out of college, it was absolutely horrific—for my soul, just to clarify. So I started networking to discover other opportunities and not so much other jobs, but just to see what it is that other people do for a living, what my options were. I was in my mid-twenties, so not working wasn’t an option. I started networking and realized that I was in love with it—completely addicted to finding people, hearing their stories, and connecting with them on a human level. It just does something to me. So I thought, how do I turn this into an entrepreneurial venture? How do I make money with this? I’d never taken a business class in my life. My background was marketing and communications, which I still use daily. I found holes in the market for opportunities. There were so many networking events happening every day, but there wasn’t a hub where they were all listed. I created one—a Word document where I copied and pasted events, different fonts, different colors. It was a mess, but people contacted me asking for it. Then it dawned on me in 2007—why not build a website? At the time, I happened to be married to a software engineer. I came home one night and asked if he could build me a calendar to list all the networking events. He took my vision and built an amazing online platform that, to this day, doesn’t exist elsewhere. It’s a hyper-local platform geared toward local professionals, small business owners, entrepreneurs—the hustlers. As of today, we have about 40,000 profiles on Networking Phoenix. The company is nine and a half years old and will be ten in January. We launched January 1, 2008—the same time the economy crashed—so everyone landed on the website. It gave people hope and connection when they needed it most. It was a great connector in the community. You have to build a community first before you start selling or pivoting. I initially wasn’t sure how we’d make money, but seven months in, I hired an assistant because I was overwhelmed. As soon as I hired her, I started making money because I could offload the admin work. We started with sponsorships, promotions, and events, and now the core revenue is recurring memberships. I got that idea from Netflix—people pay monthly. I launched at $10 a month, now it’s $20. The cheaper your product, the more headaches you have. There’s a lesson there for pet sitters and dog walkers. The higher you go, the less you deal with—and the better you work. Gellie also had huge quarterly events with sponsorships that grew from a thousand to thousands of dollars, becoming the place to be. So, what should a pet sitter wear and say at a networking event? Gellie: When I teach networking, I actually use you as an example. You once came to one of my events wearing a name tag that said, “What’s your pet’s name?” instead of your name. People love to talk about their pets, so it disarms them and starts natural conversations. My biggest tip—just have a real conversation. Small talk is okay to start, but aim for authenticity. I like to say, “You’re looking for friends with professional benefits.” Connect with people like you would with friends. You won’t click with everyone, and that’s fine. Trust is everything, especially if you’re entering someone’s home to care for their pet. Be yourself, be real, and share who you are. Bella: Let’s take a quick break and when we come back, we’ll talk about what not to do at networking events. One of my pet peeves is the person running around the room shoving cards into everyone’s hands without even saying hi. Don’t do that. Don’t collect people’s business cards and add them to your newsletter without permission—it’s illegal and spammy. And don’t monopolize people’s time. Ten minutes is good; then move on so everyone can work the room. The point of the event is to make connections—follow up later to build relationships. Selling at networking events? No. You’re not there to sell; you’re there to make friends and connections. Networking builds long-term professional relationships that can outlast your current business. Your network stays with you as you grow. You may need clients now, but focus on doing it right or you’ll get frustrated. The key is mindset. Your goals determine your results. Networking isn’t about instant sales—it’s about trust and connections. Bella: Some of my best friends came from networking. It’s about relationships, not transactions. You don’t get married on the first date—it’s like dating. You have to get to know people first. So, after the event, how do you follow up? Gellie: Follow-up is crucial. If you don’t, nothing happens. Create a system—if you come home with 10 cards, mark them A through D by priority. You have 72 hours (three business days) to follow up before the connection fades. I often email people right at the event, CC myself, and say, “Here’s my contact info—let’s connect.” That way, it’s already in their inbox. Connect on LinkedIn, maybe Facebook if appropriate, but don’t be offended if they don’t accept your request. Remember the rule of seven—it takes about seven interactions before people remember you. Meeting at the event counts as one, your follow-up email is two, a LinkedIn connection is three, a Facebook interaction is four, etc. It’s not difficult to have seven touches and build awareness. Networking is like building relationships—authentic, friendly, and intentional. Use social media for engagement. Like or share something meaningful, comment thoughtfully, and be real. It’s not about a quick sale—it’s about showing genuine interest. If LinkedIn and Meetup.com had a baby, it would be Networking Phoenix. The platform connects people online to meet offline. Gellie is working on expanding it nationally soon. The big takeaway—be normal, be a person first, business second. Use creative tools like the “What’s your pet’s name?” tag. Think of everyone you meet as a connection who might connect you to someone else. You never know where it leads. Especially for pet sitters, people have to like and trust you. You’re taking care of their fur babies. They’ll remember how you made them feel more than what you said. Gellie: People can reach me through gellie.com or on Facebook. I’m the most talkable person on the internet—there are a million ways to reach me. I also help people build networking strategies, whether local or not. We can create a six- to twelve-month plan—a roadmap—to grow your connections intentionally. Bella: Thank you, Gellie, for all your insight. Remember, everyone, be authentic, build relationships, and keep jumping. For more information, free articles, and coaching sessions, go to jumpconsulting.net. And remember—Bella’s got your chute.