I had the privilege of meeting and speaking with the genuine and genuinely talented Andrea Martin last week. I was photographing the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s (full disclosure: client) The Heart Truth Fashion Show and VIP reception.
Just four days before the event, I happened to be talking to a friend about Club Paradise, the 1986 Harold Ramis film starring Robin Williams, Peter O’Toole, Rick Moranis, Eugene Levy and Andrea Martin. We were having a laugh about the shower scene (I won’t spoil it for you). It was a classic Andrea Martin comedy moment — while it’s been a while since I’ve seen the movie, I remember her facial expressions amped up the comedy.
Suddenly I found myself just a few feet away from her. So, I approached her after she finished up another conversation, introduced myself and thanked her for making us all laugh. We talked for a few minutes and she posed for what ended up to be a few photos, the best of which was a misfire when Ms. Martin and I were moving back into pose position.
There’s more to Ms. Martin’s charm and finesse than just a keen comedic sense. She is amazingly sincere and engaging. She gave everyone who wanted to speak with her the time it needed to get to know one another, connect on a certain level and then pose for as many photos needed to be taken. She didn’t just stand idly by with a smile and nod (a lurker in social media parlance). She didn’t carry on about herself like an insecure self-promoter (an expert in social media parlance). She is human. She’s a great conversationalist. If it exhausted her, she never showed it.
When you’re connecting or networking online, remember what Andrea Martin teaches us:
- Be genuine
- Be generous
- Be interested and interesting
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