Gelie shares her amazing story as a refugee and describes how her family ended up living in Phoenix after emigrating from the Soviet Union.   "You don't stop until you get that freedom; whether it's personal freedom. We are all chasing a different kind of freedom"   "You don't know what you don't know. And if you're always around the same types of people, then that's all you'll ever really know."   Gelie's business, Networking Pheonix became a safe haven for people who were struggling with the economic crisis in 2008 and gave them a place to connect and seek new employment. As of today it is the second largest networking group in Pheonix, with more than 41,000 profiles that have been created.   Gelie get's real about going through a divorce from her husband and business partner, and says that being vocal and documenting her life has lead to her never being happier, "I'm a lot more than okay, just because I've shared my truth."   "At this point, I flaunt the things that go wrong. I flaunt them because I want everyone to know that things are going to go wrong."   "Everyone has a different way of moving through their own crap...and that's what's important, is to actually put a pause on life and work through it."   "Networking is making friends."   Tips for attending a networking event if you have social anxiety:

1. Get there early
2. Meet the organizers
3. People will gravitate towards you, because you're already there