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Fulfilling a dream

I’ve always found networking extremely daunting.


When I put out a post in January 2025, wishing that there was a network focused on women's leadership in my area, I never realised that just a few months later, I would be making it happen!


I am naturally quite shy and introverted, and I found it scary to network with people I didn't know well.


As my career progressed, I found myself in rooms with senior executives and CEOs.


The majority of the people in these rooms were male, and I found it increasingly difficult to find my voice and share my perspectives due to feeling intimidated surrounded by so many confident, successful and vocal people.


Even though I knew that I was highly capable and effective in my role, I preferred to be observant from the sidelines, learning from others around me.


Since starting my own business, I've pushed myself to attend a few networking meetings but I’ve not yet found a network that truly meets my need to genuinely connect with other women leaders.


🟣 I wanted to get beyond the superficial small talk.


🟣 I wanted to be in an environment where I could relax and feel more confident.


🟣 I wanted to build real relationships with other leaders.


🟣 I wanted to learn from other women, but also to offer mutual support and compassion for the leadership challenges they were navigating.


So what changed?


I happened upon the BANES WLN led by Hannah Wilson.


And this network offers exactly what I was looking for.


From the start, the welcome was warm and genuine, and there were opportunities to connect meaningfully with other women from a diverse range of sectors. The content was tailored to help women leaders navigate their roles and responsibilities.


But I wanted something closer to home.


This gave me the germ of an idea...


🤔 What if I started a women's leadership network closer to home?


🤔 Could I do it? It was a massive step outside of my comfort zone.


🤔 Would anyone come? Devon and Cornwall are so geographically diverse...


So I started meeting with women leaders to discuss what they were looking for.


All the women I met agreed that there are limited opportunities for women leaders to genuinely connect and build worthwhile relationships to support one another in their leadership roles and ambitions.


So now I find myself here, with just under a week to go to the first face-to-face event of the Devon Women Leadership Network brunches.


We're meeting in Plymouth on Sunday 29th June at the Ocean View restaurant in the Plymouth Dome, and in Exeter on Tuesday 1st July at the Cosy Club.


I am so proud of myself for taking this leap, but I am also delighted that so many other women are being brave and coming on this journey with me.


😉 There are limited spaces left at our events, so if you know you’d value connecting with other like-minded women leaders, there is a ticket with your name on it.


Join the LinkedIn group:


Come along to one of our events:


Plymouth:


 
 
 

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