Each month, the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce hosts monthly networking meetings for young professionals. The Concord Young Professionals bring together movers and shakers in town, lets them mingle, and feeds them appetizers – it’s not a bad deal.
The next meeting will be held April 21 at New Hampshire Distributors, 65 Regional Drive, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Admission is free. For more information and to register, visit concordypn.org.
But first, allow us to introduce you to one of CYPN’s members, Elyssa Paris, store manager at Zoe & Company:
First, the basics: How old are you, and what town do you live in? I’m 24 years old, and I live in Manchester.
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? I think I had a new dream career every week as a kid. I wanted to be everything. My first dream job was to be Madonna – I used to tell people she was my big sister!
How did you get into the bra business? I wanted to do something that was customer service based, in a non-corporate setting with lots of room for growth. I love helping people, and I wanted something where I could really work one-on-one with people and make connections. I wasn’t necessarily looking to get into the bra fitting business but I’m glad I did! I love my job and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
In honor of being our third Young Professional of the Month, tell us three things that people probably don’t know about you:
1. I’ve been sewing by hand since I was 4, and by machine since I was about 6. I also knit, embroider, make jewelry, and do about everything else crafty I can get my hands on.
2. I’ve been a vegetarian for three years.
3. I’m a newlywed! My husband Bryan McCarthy and I got married on Oct. 10, 2009 at the Concord Audubon Society’s McLane Center.
How has being involved with CYPN helped you? CYPN has been a great way to meet other career-minded inpiduals my age and to set up great connections. It’s nice to see so many different people who are looking to advance their careers and work hard at a young age. And in a world where all communication is now mostly electronic, it’s nice to see people face to face once in a while!
If CYPN were a condiment, what would it be? Salsa! It’s spicy, there’s a blend of different flavors, and it gives things a nice little kick.
What advice do you have for other young professionals in Concord? The best advice I can give is to get out there and go for it. There is nothing you can’t accomplish with a little hard work. Networking opportunities are vital to businesses because it puts a face to a name or a company. You are so much more likely to be remembered from a person-to-person interaction than an email, so go to the CYPN events and get your name out there!
