We had the good fortune of connecting with Miguel Garzón Martínez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Miguel, have you built meaningful relationships at networking events? What makes you want to connect with someone, and what are things people do that make you want to steer clear?
This is a great question that gets asked a lot. Personally, I am very shy and I have a hard time approaching people and talking to them unless I feel there is a clear motivation to do so. In the same way, when someone approaches me at an event and talks to me, it helps to find a common ground that we can share and that will serve as the basis of the conversation. Most of the time, this common ground is a given because it will be related to the event itself. I work as a writer and director in films, so my the main kind of events that I attend are film festivals. For that reason, the main ice breaker that we use is: Do you have a project in this festival? When is it screening? It is very important to note that I am phrasing the question to be about the other person, and not about myself. I would never approach someone to tell them out of the blue: I have a project in this film festival. That is something that I would also find off putting. Building relationships and networking has a large component of being a goal in itself and of being about people. When someone approaches me very clearly trying to sell a product (even if the product are themselves), I do not find it pleasing. Therefore, my two main advices are: 1) Don’t make it about yourself. Show real interest in the person that you are addressing, and they will in return show real interest in you and 2) Don’t make networking about selling yourself and your product, but about getting to know people. Finally, keep in mind the words of the former President John F. Kennedy, who said: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”. In a similar fashion, when networking, you shouldn’t focus on what this new person can do for you, but try to find what you can do for them. For example, if you meet a person who owns a fancy camera, don’t ask them to shoot your project for free, but offer to write something for them for free. True collaboration starts from a selfless place.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a film director and screenwriter born and raised in Colombia, so that always helps me to have a different perspective on some of the stories that I tell, because growing up there and then moving to the United States opens up your mind to very different points of view and experiences. I also studied philosophy before I got into film, and that is something that I always try to incorporate into my projects. Getting to where I am was not easy, and as an artist I feel the struggle is never truly over. We never “make it”, because we are always “making it”: every day and every project bring a new unique set of challenges that we must overcome. But the reason why I am still pursuing this path is because I love those new challenges and the feeling of overcoming them every time.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in New York City, so if you come here for a week, I would say that we need to get the touristy stuff out of the way first: a trip to the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street and then to the top of the Empire State. We should go and have ice cream in Central Park and then see a Broadway show (somehow after all these years, I still haven’t seen The Lion King!) But after that, we should focus more in the lesser known spots that I love. For example, we should spend an afternoon at Union Square Park and go to the nearby library The Strand to explore some books. New York is notorious for its night life, and no trip here is complete without a bar hooping experience that could start at Solas in Manhattan and end at The Alligator Lounge in Brooklyn, where, and this is true, you get a free slice of pizza for every drink you order.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Anthony Robert Grasso, who is an actor and teacher, and a prime example of networking gone right. We both asked what we could do for each other, and ended up writing and shooting a Short Film together.

Website: www.miguelgarzonmar.com
Instagram: instagram.com/miguelgarzonmar
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MiguelGarzonMar