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This is a good story and people like this always fascinate me considering how socially awkward I feel.

I can understand the logic and even the motions but going from "That's a really good idea and I should be more engaged" to actually engaging with people are a huge gulf to people like me sometimes. Perhaps it's more of an excuse than it needs to be too.

I think there is an unspoken opposite rule here. If you can't "be on" for one reason or another, don't position yourself in front of your primary audience. I know I personally did myself and my "brand" a great disservice by continuing to put myself directly in front of huge numbers of people while grinding my way through a slow-moving mental breakdown.

I've tried hard to make up for that time, but I know there are some people I'll never win back because their most visceral experience of me was uncomfortable and negative.

Nobody is perfect, and your self-assessment of the issue suggests that you are probably already on the right track.
Appreciated.
The hidden tip I picked up here:

Make observations about the person.

Ask them questions to confirm your observations.

A nice story to remember...especially when you're next in a meeting or someone's talking directly to you and you simply can't resist averting your gaze to glance at your smartphone.
Good story. The great politicians have a way of doing this too. Center on the person you are with.
Yea, I heard Bill Clinton was a master of this.
He was the one I had in mind. I randomly bumped into Curtis Sliwa of Guardian Angels fame, and he was the same way for the first 3 minutes. Then he started repeating the questions. :-)