Dear Mavens,
How is it Tuesday already? Today I have been thinking lots about how much I have pushed myself over the last 8 years. Let's be honest we all like to stay within our comfort zones. Even if we believe ourselves to be natural risk takers we do it within a certain parameter. After one of my sessions with Jessica Rogers a few years ago I made myself a promise that I would start networking with successful women in business. This may read a lot easier than it was! I always felt a little embarrassed of my background and I had a BIG issue with money. Self worth is a funny old game but I accepted the challenge and started arranging coffee dates with amazing women who were hugely successful. I look back and remember how nervous I used to feel, the really interesting thing about this challenge was of course that after a few times of putting myself in certain situations that I would normally feel uncomfortable in, they soon become the norm. From those meetings over the years I soon realised that these successful women were just like me and you! We all share the same worries and challenges and are striving to reach our own goals. The word networking is just so hideous but I have learnt over the last 8 years that true authentic networking results in real business and wonderful collaborations. I am genuinely interested when I meet anyone and I love to hear people's stories. I have read so many articles about networking (good & bad) and my conclusions are connections are invaluable when you run your own business. I adore this community we have built up and continue to keep building. When I look through the directory and read the descriptions I am always totally bowled over by the wealth of knowledge and experience we possess between us all. I would love to challenge each and every one of you today to email or message someone you admire as a successful business woman. Invite them for a lunch or a coffee, what have you got to lose ? Love Hayley x (Please excuse grammar and spelling, I am all about heart & passion NOT PERFECTION)
