Wednesday Wisdom: Good Ole Girl Power

Providing 15 Years of Entrepreneurial Wisdom, Economic Ties, Events, and Business Success Strategies for
for Women Entrepreneurs

When a late September warm air billows between rust colored leaves and pale-yellow sun rays, my spirit floats back in time to the Lodge at Welch Allyn in Skaneateles where for nine years 150 women gathered at the Women TIES special autumn retreat for women entrepreneurs. Every year we had stellar weather, which was so deserving for the hard-working female business owners driving from all corners of the state to meet other women, learn from top female experts, and settle into a non-traditional business day. The place, topics, music, food, kinship and setting were to inspire success deep inside these women to bring back to their office.

Monday as I set poolside in the most glorious weather day, reminiscent of our Retreat days, waiting for 3 women entrepreneurs from Rochester to enjoy my invite to rest by the sparkling aqua water to relax, talk business, network, or fill-up on peace and beauty, I recognized the blessing in making this happen for them. Not every Monday is filled with such positive anticipation for the host and guests but it was that day. I’m sure my neighbors could hear our friendly banter, catch a glimpse of our large smiles, and sense our joy of a last summer day swimming and “catching up” under a canopy of golden leaves in the back hilly sanctuary of my nature-filled back yard.

It wasn’t all fun-and-games though, even if the setting paints it to be that way, we had some pointed discussions on the benefits of contacting clients more effectively via email vs. phone, how each of our business industries were doing since the pandemic hit, our different type of preferred sales styles, buying franchise businesses vs. starting one from scratch, and a few of us were landing business contracts as we gathered. I suppose it was normal in a woman’s day of work in 2020.

If the pandemic has taught me one thing, it is how much I miss my favorite customers, members, new women, and old collaborators when live events went dormant. I appreciate that Zoom can bring them closer to me via computer screen once in a while; but there is nothing like real human interaction to make one’s heart sing and to bolster personal relationships which women live, survive, and work best with. It doesn’t matter if the setting is inside a conference room, in a beautiful wooden lodge, or poolside in bathing suits. Women were meant to feel better being around other women.

Today’s Wednesday Wisdom is to remind you as this beautiful summer weather exits our part of the world and the threat of Covid-19 looms as the cold weather arrives, don’t forget that if you are a woman, you need lots of female relationships to not only get your through business and life, but to lighten up your days with additional sunshine, love, laughter, and good ole’ girl power. Don’t be so nervous about getting sick that you isolate yourself from other women, who with the proper precautions, can safely be invited to spend time with you while sharing business wisdom, and laughter. We need each other.

The letter F is for so many important things in our entrepreneurial life – finances, fearlessness, frolicking, feminism, fashion, failing, flourishing, and above all things female friendships.