Great advice right? But that's only half the battle. For an introvert, getting in the room is actually the easy part, what comes next is the hard part. Taking advantage of being in the room is what many introverts like me struggle with.
So now you're in the room... You quickly realize you're surrounded by all of this knowledge, experience and prestige. Your feet, mouth and hands should be moving in that order but you're frozen, afraid to put your foot in your mouth....
This scenario has played out for me more times than I care to admit. Something has got to change and believe you me, I want nothing more.
I have actively been working on being more outgoing socially. I've even been challenged by a close friend to actually talk with (not just speak to) at least one stranger a day. I have my moments of social brilliance BUT when I'm in the presence of notable professionals I shrink into a super-shy, non-assertive version of myself that's pretty to look at but not much else.
With all that said... I totally accept that I'm a work in progress and my best moments are still ahead of me. Eventually I'll find myself "in the room", standing tall, breathing deep and owning it!