The Awkward Handshake
The Awkward Handshake is a podcast about networking, business, and what really happens in the room.
Hosted by two friends in business who’ve doubled down on the local scene, this show pulls back the curtain on the good, the bad, and the deeply awkward realities of networking. From event logistics and social dynamics to follow-ups, coffee chats, and conversions, we’re talking about how relationships turn into revenue in the real world — not the internet fantasy version.
We record from Sasquatch Media Grounds in Vancouver, Washington, and most episodes draw directly from our experiences attending multiple networking events a week across the Portland–Vancouver metro. Sometimes we’re joined by guests who host or design their own events. Sometimes it’s just us, downloading what worked, what didn’t, and what we wish someone had told us sooner.
Your hosts are Megan Eckman, co-founder of Fat Cap Design and author of PDX Spellbound, and Mary Williams, founder of Sasquatch Media Grounds and Sensible Woo.
This show is for people who take their business seriously, care about doing work that sustains them, and want to stop guessing where clients come from. Expect candid stories, sharp insights, and practical perspective on building a business through real human connection.
Business is people. Don’t be passive.
The Awkward Handshake
Values Matching: What Silence Costs in Business
In this special episode of The Awkward Handshake, Mary and Megan step outside the usual event debrief to talk about something bigger than networking logistics.
This wasn’t originally on the calendar.
But when the world shifted — and it felt disrespectful to launch premiere week into that noise — we paused. Then we gathered our community. And what came out of that room sparked this episode.
This is a conversation about values. About fear. About silence. About what it means to lead — especially when you don’t feel ready.
Because “silence is complicity” sounds simple on social media.
In real life, it’s more complicated.
In this episode, we unpack:
- Why we postponed premiere week — and what that decision modeled
- What came out of our January coffee party with community organizers
- The tension between being authentic and being performative
- Why social media isn’t the only (or best) place to take a stand
- What “10 out of 10 people” means in a networking room
- How to make your values clear without becoming a political pundit
- Why some leaders are waking up late — and what that costs
- The fear of “getting it wrong” publicly
- The difference between loud and effective
We also talk about:
- Economic power as a form of resistance
- Following the money — both who pays you and who you pay
- How values misalignment quietly wrecks your health and your business
- Small ways hosts can make rooms safer
- When to call someone out — and when to simply walk away
- How reciprocity, visibility, and association shape safety
This episode isn’t about perfection.
It’s about participation.
It’s about recognizing that business is people — and people are living through something real right now.
And whether we like it or not, that shows up in our networking rooms.
Keep in touch!
Follow Megan Eckman
Follow Mary Williams