You never really know what can happen when curiosity, grit and a willingness to bet on yourself all meet at the same time.
For Jake Maines, it started with a decision to leave his job and pursue his own path. Like many people who step out on their own, he quickly realized that building something new would require more than a good idea. It would require people.
“I needed a way to meet new people,” Maines said. “I didn’t want to be another salesy networker.”
He had been attending networking events, but the rooms did not always feel like the kind of environment he wanted to be part of. Maines had always enjoyed throwing parties and connecting friends with other people, so he decided to build something that felt more natural.
That idea became Networking Happy Hour.
What started as a way to make new connections has grown into one of Hampton Roads’ most recognizable networking platforms. On Aug. 5, Networking Happy Hour will host its 60th event, marking five years of building rooms where thousands of people have made connections, started conversations and created new opportunities.
Maines said he did not expect it to become what it is today.
“Sometimes it doesn’t even set in,” he said. “I look around the room and I see all these people making connections, and I can just imagine all of the business and relationships that are being created.”
On the same day Networking Happy Hour celebrates its five-year anniversary and 60th event, Maines is launching the next chapter.
It is called Just Market.
Held from 1 to 5 p.m. at Waterside District in Norfolk, Just Market is a half-day conference designed for professionals, entrepreneurs, creatives, business owners and operators who want to grow through relationships, reputation and real connection.
In many ways, the conference is a direct response to the question Maines has heard again and again over the years.
Networking Happy Hour helps people get in the room. But what happens after that?
How do people continue the conversations? How do they stay visible between events? How do they build trust before someone needs what they offer? How do they turn a good introduction into a real relationship?
That question stuck with Maines.
“I come from a marketing background, and I want this to be more than just a networking event,” he said. “When I put out content and when I promote the event, I’m giving marketing tips and business tips. The question really resonated with me because it’s something that stumps a lot of people.”
Just Market is built around that space between the first conversation and the next opportunity.
The conference will feature Brittany Peregoff, Johnny Bobby, Alexis Perkins, Emily Elgin, Danny Rubin and Robert Biehn, with each speaker bringing a different perspective on how people can better market themselves, build relationships and create momentum in a world where attention is harder to earn and trust is harder to build.
For Maines, the event is also a full-circle moment.
Networking Happy Hour began because he was willing to question what was already available. He did not wait for the perfect room to exist. He built it himself. Over time, that room became a place where others could make introductions, find collaborators, meet clients, build confidence and create new possibilities.
Just Market is built from that same instinct.
Maines said the biggest impact of the last five years is not only what entrepreneurship has changed in his own life, but what the events have helped create for others.
“Ultimately, it’s not about what changed in my life,” Maines said. “It’s the opportunities that have opened up for so many other people that have come to the networking events.”
That is the larger story behind Just Market.
It is not just another conference. It is the next answer from someone who saw a gap, got curious and kept building.
Because the real work does not stop when the event ends. In many ways, that is when it begins.
Just Market will take place Aug. 5 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Waterside District in Norfolk. Tickets and more information are available at justmarketconf.com.
