Taking Networking to a Different Level

By Susan Regier

Imagine…being in a room filled with nearly 400 women (and a few men) – talking, shopping, and simply having a good time. And all the while, you’re making new connections with each introduction. Think of the possibilities – and the opportunities.

This is what happened last month when three good friends decided to do something they had never attempted. Often, ideas such as “wouldn’t it be great if…” or “you know, we really should…” are tossed around in social settings but these thoughts soon fizzle as the real world takes over.

While chatting over glasses of wine, the friends came up with a simple idea of what women really like: drinking wine, shopping, and having fun with their sisters…and then set a plan in motion to combine these elements, creating the successful venture: Wine, Women & Shopping, a unique shopping experience to celebrate sisterhood.

Now don’t get me wrong, this extraordinary event didn’t happen overnight – or over one glass of wine. It took more than a year of planning and reaching out to friends, business associates, and networking contacts. And we have had fun planning it and watching it breathe life.

The three friends included Nancy Kirwin, an insurance agent; Jennifer Murray, The Nimble Assistant, a virtual assistant; and Sue Regier (that’s me), head writer with Vantage One Writing and publisher of Networking Today. Three good friends, three completely different fields of work, and three diverse – and extensive – contact lists. We came together with one goal in mind – to help our sisters in need. Mix these elements together and you have a powerful force to be reckoned with.

At times, our sisters in need included one of us – on a revolving basis. Everyone experiences major upheavals in life and they can’t be put on hold because you’re planning a special event. Because of our “sisterhood” and our focus, we were able to help each other through some of the toughest moments of our lives this past year and get back on track. You could say, Wine, Women & Shopping helped the three of us to maintain a semblance of normalcy in the face of adversity.

And at times, we faced outside negativity. We were told that it would take two to three years to sell out an event of this caliber in our city. But the person who said that did not understand our networking talents. We quickly exceeded our original goal of 200 attendees, found more seats, and once again sold out fast…and the requests for tickets kept coming.

We chose to create a fundraising event to help My Sisters’ Place, a transitional support centre in London, Ontario for women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. (Click here for more information on My Sisters’ Place.) We used our media contacts for free publicity (including this Web site) and then it was word of mouth promotion through our networks to get the ball rolling.

In the words of Janet Christensen, one attendee, “Not only did you help My Sisters’ Place, you demonstrated the power of intention and collaboration and hopefully inspired some other people to take action.”

All it takes is an idea. Talk to your friends and business associates, find a good cause, and watch the ball roll. It’s a great way to increase your circle of connections, which is how business grows…and you’ll be doing something to give back to your community. But always keep in mind the main ingredients for success – be passionate about what you’re doing and have fun along the journey.

Take some time to sit and enjoy a glass of wine with your friends – you never know what may transpire.

Susan Regier is the publisher/editor of Networking Today and owner of Vantage One Writing, a professional writing service for businesses. (519) 471-8726 Email: regiers@vantageone.ca Web site: www.vantageone.ca