Professional Networking Essentials– Advice – Part 4

·         Laurie Michel - Trust Yourself and Your Network

·         Debbie Hansen-Bosse - Embrace Unique Perspective

·         Olivia Rutman - Get Involved Early in Startups

·         Kelly Hughes - Seek Mentorship and Build a Network

·         Rachel Bassini - Build Mutually Beneficial Relationships

·         Sarah Mirsini - Gain Experience and Expand Connections

·         Nicola Johnson - Utilize Community Support and Work Hard

·         Margaret Muscat - Network and Empower Others

·         Angie Wiles - Be Brave and Network Intensively

·         Sally Page - Leverage Female Founder Support

Trust Yourself and Your Network

Listen to your voice, trust yourself and surround yourself with people who believe in your business and who dream as big as you.

Laurie Michel, Founder, Vivala Offline

Embrace Unique Perspective

For young women aspiring to be entrepreneurs or those already on the entrepreneurial path, here are some pieces of hard-won advice:-

-Embrace Your Unique Perspective:Recognize and value the unique perspective you bring to the table as a woman. Your diverse experiences can be a strength in navigating challenges and finding innovative solutions.

-Build a Stellar Network: Surround yourself with mentors, advisors, and a network of fellow entrepreneurs. Having a support system is crucial for gaining insights, sharing experiences, and overcoming obstacles. Attend civic events to stay relevant on current issues.

-Keep Learning:Stay curious and commit to continuous learning. The business landscape evolves, and staying informed about industry trends, technology, and market changes will keep you ahead of the curve.

-Confidence in Decision-Making:Trust your instincts and have confidence in your decision-making abilities. Being assertive and decisive is essential in entrepreneurship, and learning from both successes and failures is part of the journey.

-Resilience:Entrepreneurship comes with ups and downs. Develop resilience to bounce back from setbacks, learn from challenges, and keep moving forward. Every obstacle is an opportunity for growth.

-Seek Feedback and Pivot: Be open to feedback and willing to adapt. Constructive criticism is a valuable tool for improvement. Use feedback as a means to refine your ideas, strategies and goals.

-Value Work-Life Balance: While entrepreneurship requires dedication, it's crucial to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Prioritize self-care to avoid burnout and sustain the long-term success of your endeavors. This is difficult for many women, especially if they have children.

-Negotiation Skills:Sharpen your negotiation skills. Whether it's securing deals, partnerships, or contracts, effective negotiation is a vital skill that can contribute significantly to your business success.

-Diversity and Inclusion:Promote diversity and inclusion within your business. Embrace diverse perspectives and experiences, as it can enhance creativity, problem-solving, and overall business success. 

Hiring from diverse backgrounds will help build a strong organization with various viewpoints.

-Celebrate Achievements: Take the time to celebrate your achievements, both big and small. Acknowledge your hard work and successes, as it fuels motivation and provides a positive outlook on your entrepreneurial journey.

Debbie Hansen-Bosse, Founder, The Flora May Foundation

Get Involved Early in Startups

One of the biggest tips I would say is to get plugged into the startup community as early as you possibly can, even before starting your company. I have learned so much from other founders, investors, partners, etc. by being a part of startup events, following startup news on LinkedIn, and pitching investors. Learn many of the common mistakes before you make them. The second would be hire no one, don't quit your job, and don't spend a penny on marketing until your product is developed, tested, and ready to deploy. I spent a fortune on marketing and payroll before my product was ever ready. I thought I was being proactive and giving it everything I had, but it turns out I was burning too much capital too early and hoping the technology would catch up.

Olivia Rutman, Founder, Kids Care Finder

Seek Mentorship and Build a Network

Seek mentorship from others. Create a wide circle where you invite input and the ability to learn from others.

Kelly Hughes, Founder, Foster Love Project

Build Mutually Beneficial Relationships

Don't be shy about asking others in your network for connections, referrals, advice, or new business opportunities. Don't think of such outreach as asking for favors; you have a lot of value to offer back, and by reaching out, you are building mutually beneficial long-term business relationships.

Rachel Bassini, Founder, Grow Sharp Consulting

Gain Experience and Expand Connections

Gain more experience: The more experience you have, the better you and your business will be. I got a mentor while I was learning. Someone who could guide me and give me advice when I was stuck. I believe having a mentor is crucial if you want to grow in life.Read: Every article, every book. I spent hours upon hours reading about cannabis, essential oils, how the skin works, the industry. Self-education is a must.Talk to people in the industry: Get different views and perspective of things. The way you see one thing, someone else might have a completely different opinion on.Learning by doing: Try, and fail. This is the only way! No one got successful over night by knowing everything. Your business may be completely different in a year, and you might end up in a different place from where you started. Expand your mind and go with the flow.Attend as many events and networking opportunities you can: You never know where a conversation can take you. I have met so many interesting people and gotten help from unexpected sources that I didn’t even know that I needed. I try to broaden my connections by not only attending events in this particular industry, but other ones as well.

Sarah Mirsini, Founder, MĀSK Skincare

Utilize Community Support and Work Hard

Utilise your community, the people around you want you to succeed but you often need to ask for help in order to get it. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Don't be afraid to work hard for what you want and don't let people who don't believe in you get in your way! Stay in your lane and GO FOR IT

Nicola Johnson, PhD, LMFT, Founder, Progressive Health Clinic

Network and Empower Others

Building a business and putting yourself out in the community to make a difference from your knowledge is empowering not only to yourself but to others also. In sharing business to learn and grow from other women who have built success you lay a great foundation to become a successful entrepreneur. Networking builds self confidence and structure as well.

Margaret Muscat, Founder, Hilltop Hypnotherapy

Be Brave and Network Intensively

Having now set up two leading UK based healthcare communications agencies, my advice would be: Be brave, have the courage of your convictions, look for the gap, network like crazy, find your USP, marketing...marketing... marketing, make sure you get the finances right and look for mentorship.

Angie Wiles, Founder, The Difference Collective

Leverage Female Founder Support

As a woman, you're much more likely to be given warnings about the risks associated with entrepreneurship. Those are real; but you're smart, and you know that already. What I didn't know before I became an entrepreneur is the depth of support that exists in the female founder community. Thousands of women are lifting each other up, solving challenges together and creating a safe space to ask questions or express fears every day. If I'd known these communities existed, I'd have made the leap a long time ago.Also: no-one knows what they're doing, so you're no less likely to success than the next person.

Sally Page, Founder, WorkTripp