The last few weeks, I’ve been doing something I haven’t done in a while.

Showing up to real, in-person UX events.

And it reminded me of something simple we forget:

LinkedIn is amazing.

But nothing beats talking to people in real life.

I’ve met thousands of designers online — through my posts, comments, DMs, Zoom calls.

But meeting someone face to face? That’s different.

No lag.

No camera filters.

No “Can you hear me?”

Just real humans, with real stories, talking about real challenges.

I spoke to a junior designer stuck between two career paths.

A senior lead burnt out by toxic leadership.

Someone trying to pivot into UX without any formal degree.

And none of these stories would’ve hit the same way through a DM.

Here’s my challenge to you:

1. If you’ve been following someone on LinkedIn you vibe with —

DM them.

2. If the convo goes well —

Invite them for a 15-min virtual coffee chat.

3. And if you’re in the same city —

Grab a real coffee.

That one conversation could shift your whole career.

I’ve seen it happen.

People land referrals.

Get insider info on a team.

Find support they didn’t know they needed.

And sometimes, you walk away with a new friend who just gets it.

That matters too.

If you’re job hunting right now, I know it’s tempting to just keep applying, scrolling, posting.

But your next big break might not come from your resume.

It might come from a conversation.

You could be 1% away from your next opportunity.

And that 1% might be a person.

Show up. Be real. Start small.

Who’s one person you’ve been meaning to connect with? DM them today.