“Social
networking is playing a huge role in creating awareness and mobilizing support
for all kinds of common interests. What better way to use this remarkable tool
than to change the world?”
Natalie
Portman
You may remember a few weeks ago, I published a blog post titled: ‘The Importance of Peer Support in Mental Health’ (you can read it here) as pre-event content in the run-up to the Summer Open Day of my local Cat Protection’s Adoption Centre (Tyneside). Well, I promised you all another collaboration piece after the event so that you could see the photos and videos from the afternoon and read more some of the cats that the charity said myself and my two best-friends (Jack and Spencer) could visit. In this piece, I realised that – according to my search in my content archives – I’ve actually never done a blog post completely about networking (it’s typically just been mentioned in other posts) and I thought it was a great angle to use that would also work in introducing you to the three cats we actually networked(!) with too… Ps. There’s a YouTube video at the end of the piece too!
What Am I Even Talking About?
Networking
noun
- the action or process of
interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional
or social contacts
This definition
of ‘networking’ – I think – does little to really get across its importance and
the level of influence it can have, in both a negative and a positive sense.
For so many people, it’s about handing out a business card at an event, but for
me, I’d say that networking is – and has now been for almost thirteen years (I’m
NOT Disordered turns 13 on January 6th 2026) absolutely pivotal to
my career, particularly in so far as to the success and popularity of my blog
and the response that the content I create and publish earns from complete
strangers all around the world!
When I
first began blogging in 2013, I had no real motivation or intention to earn
over 2 million readers – in fact, I had no exact thought or focus on the potential
size of my audience at all back then! My reasons for starting to blog were so concentrated
on both the belief that blogging was going to be really emotionally therapeutic
for me personally, and the thought that it might help provide better insight
for my loved ones. The lack of thinking outside of these two motivations meant
that, when it became apparent that networking would be beneficial, I was in no
way prepared to do so! And I honestly think that if I hadn’t recognised the
level of importance it held, I might have avoided making any efforts in this
respect at all! But, as it was, I realised that networking was not only going
to increase the number of people who might read my blog and who might then benefit
from doing so, but that it could also contribute to me creating better, more creative
and unique content, in collaboration with others. And for me, those two things –
helping others and being creative – are everything!
Cat Number 1: Jet
Sex: Male
Breed: Domestic-Short-Haired
(DSH)
Age:
1yr, 10mth
Living Situation:
can live with other cats, with dogs, and with children, likes older families,
not an indoor cat – outside access required.
More info and to make enquiries about Jet, click here!
For all the other cats available for adoption at Tyneside Cats
Protection: Cats
Protection Tyneside Cat Centre
5 Links for Business Card Creation
Guidance:
22
Tips for Creating Business Cards (Plus Why They Matter) | Indeed.com
9
tips for creating your own business card design - GoDaddy Blog
11
Tips When Creating and Printing a Business Card - PRINTFINISH
Designing
the Perfect Business Card: Tips and Best Practices - ShareEcard
What
makes a good business card? 10 golden rules
Cat Number 2: Hiccup
Sex:
Male
Breed: Domestic-Short-Haired
(DSH)
Age:
8yr, 2mth
Living
Situation: Unknown whether can live with other cats, can’t live with dogs, can
live with children, likes older families, not an indoor cat – outside access
required.
More info and to make enquiries about Hiccup, click here!
For all the other cats available for adoption at Tyneside Cats
Protection: Cats
Protection Tyneside Cat Centre
5 Resources on Networking Body Language:
The
Four Body Language Factors When Networking | Dr. Ivan Misner®
How
to Display the Ideal Body Language When Networking | Entrepreneur
Body
Language Tricks for Networking Success –
6
ways to improve your body language at networking sessions | TopCV
4
Body Language Cues You Need to Know When Networking | Entrepreneur
Cat Number 3: Birdy
Sex: Female
Breed:
Domestic-Short-Haired (DSH)
Age: 7yr,
1mth
Living
Situation: can’t live with other cats, nor dogs, or children but likes older
families, not an indoor cat – outside access required.
More info and to make enquiries about Birdy, click here!
For all the other cats available for adoption at Tyneside Cats
Protection: Cats
Protection Tyneside Cat Centre
