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I am writing to you after landing from an incredibly bumpy 6 hour flight into San Diego. It's so beautiful here, so don't worry – I'm not going to complain.

I'm here to enjoy John Carlton's Action Seminar II, which is a 2-day intensive on all things marketing and copywriting. I basically devour everything John writes, and am completely stoked to attend this conference.

But flying here to attend is even more than learning from the best of the best. It's also about getting out and meeting new people. Networking with folks without the barrier of your computer screen.

Now I'll be the first to admit that I've attended a TON of networking events in the past that were a complete waste of time. But the reason was because I didn't take the time to find the ones that were comprised of people within my target market, or those comprised of peers that I could partner/joint venture with.

If you have any reservations about hopping on a plane and spending your hard-earned money on a live event, follow these tips:

• Ask former attendees about their experience. Many of these folks are listed on the website if they provided testimonials. You can also reach out to your own network to see if anyone has attended in the past.
   
• Find out where your industry mentors are speaking and get there! This is a phenomenal way to meet the folks that you respect and also to join a like-minded crew of professionals that may be open to parternships.
   
• Get a sense of the event from the marketing materials and agenda. Most live events have some type of agenda and often use a sales letter or video to entice people to come. Go with your gut on this. If you don't have a good feeling from the marketing, it's likely the event itself will be a disappointment.

Do you attend live events and in-person networking groups? What were your experiences? Leave a comment below!

And, don't forget to check out the upcoming course that will help you Boost Your Fame Factor – http://www.boostyourfamefactor.com/

Among my coaching clients and entrepreneurs I network with every day, a few statements occur quite often:

"I can't wait until I hit that one big break."

"If I can just get that one big press hit, my company will take off."

"If I just land this one client, my business wiil skyrocket."

"If I win this award, I'll keep going."

While we should all aspire to land clients, get featured in the media, win awards, etc, believing that there is that "one big break" is actually self-defeating. I see people land a huge account that brings in 6 figures, only to lose them a few years later. Why? Because you can't rely just on that one client. What happens when they leave?

Actors film movies or television series all the time and end up going back to their temp jobs shortly after, or even in-between filming, to pay the bills. You can't rely on that one role catapulting you to 'A' list status.

A client and friend of mine shared a story of landing a huge media placement years ago that brought lots of sales. Then she spent the next year trying to recreate it, with no luck. She now realizes that instead of just chasing the press for a whole year, she could of done something better to serve her customers.

This week, I stumbled upon a video from actor Kevin Spacey on "Inside the Actor's Studio." He is answering a question from someone in the audience that's waiting for that 'one big prize.' His answer is so compelling, I was inspired to write a whole blog post on it. Take a moment to watch this video and leave your thoughts below!

This week I received an email from a reporter with the subject line "Interview – <client name>." I opened it and realized that she was responding to a pitch I had sent 9 months ago.

That's right – "nine" months ago.

I immediately responded to the reporter, set up the interview, and everything is peachy and set to run in their next issue.

Afterward, my client said to me "I'm so glad this happens, because I always get worried that the media doesn't like me, and then they respond and all my worries go way!"

She's not alone in this thinking. In fact, many entrepreneurs think if the media doesn't respond right away to cover your product, interview you as an expert, review your book, etc – it means that you're not worthy. This is simply not true.

Whoever said that 'public relations is a marathon, not a sprint' is a genius. There are hundreds of reasons that the media doesn't respond immediately including:

• They aren't working on a story that fits your company, product or service at this time
• They are just too darn busy
• They just covered a story very similar to yours
• They already have a go-to expert in a specific subject matter
• They want to see what you come up with next
• They love your product but it doesn't fit with the other products in a round-up

And the list goes on.

The important thing to remember is that if you want the media to tell your story, you have to be patient.

In the meantime, there are plenty of tools available to you to tell your own story without waiting for the media to be your spokesperson. Email newsletters, Facebook, Twitter, and connecting with influential bloggers are just a few strategies you can employ to build a buzz for your business and help you get noticed by the mainstream media.