She Nearly Quit Her Business. Then She Went to One Networking Event

She Nearly Quit Her Business. Then She Went to One Networking Event

Let me tell you about the summer Gemma nearly gave up. She’d been self-employed for two years. Her youngest had just started school. And she spent the entire summer holidays applying for jobs because she just couldn’t see how to make it work. Then in September she came to her first Women Inspired Network (WIN) event. She met a client. That client is now one of her biggest. And every single client she has worked with since has come through networking. In this episode I sit down with Gemma Gooch — virtual assistant, WIN Felixstowe leader and one of my favourite people — for one of the most honest and practical conversations I’ve had on the podcast yet. We talk about how networking actually translates into real clients, real income and a business you genuinely love — and what it really takes to get there. This one is for anyone who has ever wondered whether networking is actually worth their time. Spoiler: it is. But not in the way most people think. In this episode we cover: ✨ Why networking is just talking to people — and nothing more ✨ Why consistency is the single most important thing you can do ✨ Why clients rarely say yes straight away — and how to play the long game ✨ What to do when you lose a client and how to keep going ✨ Why the person in the room might not be your client — but their best friend might be ✨ The importance of following up after every event ✨ Why investing in yourself has a direct impact on your clients too Find Gemma at: 🌐 https://www.gemmagooch.co.uk/ [https://www.gemmagooch.co.uk/] 📸 https://www.instagram.com/gemassist.va/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/gemassist.va/?hl=en] 👤 https://www.facebook.com/Gemassist.va [https://www.facebook.com/Gemassist.va] Find out more about Women Inspired Network events 👉 www.womeninspirednetwork.com/events [http://www.womeninspirednetwork.com/events] Follow us on Instagram 👉 @women_inspired_network Join our Facebook community 👉 Women Inspired Network: Networking For Women In Business 📖 Read the full blog: https://www.womeninspirednetwork.com/blog [https://www.womeninspirednetwork.com/blog] 🎙️ Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0DM7Ooc5nLezg4u91OklYo?si=83acff1303aa4471 [https://open.spotify.com/show/0DM7Ooc5nLezg4u91OklYo?si=83acff1303aa4471] 📺 Watch the full playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDVCZqf8LiBs92aTeEHZsWrtoNRJEVCXn&si=kfsbmnaQYm0lelUk [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDVCZqf8LiBs92aTeEHZsWrtoNRJEVCXn&si=kfsbmnaQYm0lelUk] Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode — and if this one resonated with you, a review or a share means the absolute world to me. 💛

When Life is Really Hard: Building a Business Alongside Motherhood with Leah Scott

Leah Scott is the founder of Bravely Together, a health coaching business supporting medical mums — mums of children with complex care needs. Her own story includes losing her daughter, watching her twin boys undergo bone marrow transplants and chemotherapy before their first birthday, and flying to Italy for their treatment. And through all of it, she kept going. She built a business. She found joy. In this episode Leah opens up about her incredible journey and shares the most honest, grounded advice for any mum who is trying to build something while life is throwing everything at her. We talk about mum guilt, asking for help, why it takes longer than you think to build a business, and how to find small moments of gratitude even on the hardest days. We also talk about Leah's brand new role as our WIN leader in Diss, Norfolk — bringing women's networking to an area that has never had it before — and why she believes every business owner should be networking regardless of what stage they're at. This one will stay with you. I promise. In this episode we cover: ✨ Leah's story — loss, resilience and finding purpose through the hardest years of her life ✨ Why mum guilt is something we need to stop accepting as inevitable ✨ Why asking for help is not cheating — it's one of the smartest things you can do ✨ How to give yourself grace when you're in the early stages of building a business ✨ Finding small moments of joy and gratitude even when life is really hard ✨ Why networking works even when your ideal client isn't in the room ✨ The new WIN Diss events launching in Norfolk Find Leah at Bravely Together: 🌐 https://bravelytogether.co.uk/ [https://bravelytogether.co.uk/] 📸https://www.instagram.com/bravely_together/ [https://www.instagram.com/bravely_together/] 👤 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573927418665 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573927418665] Find out more about Women Inspired Network events 👉 www.womeninspirednetwork.com/events [http://www.womeninspirednetwork.com/events] Specifically for Leah's Diss events: https://www.womeninspirednetwork.com/book-events/diss [https://www.womeninspirednetwork.com/book-events/diss] Follow us on Instagram 👉 @women_inspired_network Join our Facebook community 👉 Women Inspired Network: Networking For Women In Business 🎙️ Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0DM7Ooc5nLezg4u91OklYo [https://open.spotify.com/show/0DM7Ooc5nLezg4u91OklYo] 📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@womeninspirednetwork-o3b?si=oadkKbAuWLS9RMPz [https://youtube.com/@womeninspirednetwork-o3b?si=oadkKbAuWLS9RMPz] Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode — and if this one resonated with you, a review or a share means the absolute world to me. 💛

Where Do You Even Start? The No-Nonsense Guide to Starting a Business with Danielle Marshall

So you've got the idea. You've got the passion. But every time you sit down to actually start, you feel completely overwhelmed and have no idea where to begin. This episode is for you. I sat down with the brilliant Danielle Marshall from Danielle Marshall Business Solutions for one of the most practical and genuinely useful conversations I've had on the podcast yet. Danielle has spent years helping women go from 'I have an idea' to 'I have a business' — and in this episode she holds absolutely nothing back. We talk about where to actually start, what you really need on day one and what can wait, how to price yourself properly from the beginning, the free tools that will save you time and money, and why you absolutely do not need a website before you launch. We also get into the reality of building a business through word of mouth, why social media doesn't have to be overwhelming, and the best kept secret for getting professional looking branded templates on a tiny budget. If you've been sitting on a business idea and wondering whether to take the plunge — this one will give you the clarity and the confidence to just go for it. In this episode we cover: ✨ Why you should just go for it — and stop waiting to feel ready ✨ How to write a simple business plan without the overwhelm ✨ Social media — pages, groups or personal profile? What's right for you ✨ Why a Google Business Profile is a free tool you cannot afford to ignore ✨ Branding and templates on a budget — the Etsy trick you need to know ✨ How to research your market and price yourself what you're actually worth ✨ Why networking is one of the most powerful tools for a new business owner Find Danielle at Danielle Marshall Business Solutions: 🌐 https://daniellemarshall.co.uk/ [https://daniellemarshall.co.uk/] 📸https://www.instagram.com/daniellemarshall_business/ [https://www.instagram.com/daniellemarshall_business/] 👤 https://www.facebook.com/DanielleMarshallBusinessSolutions [https://www.facebook.com/DanielleMarshallBusinessSolutions] Find out more about Women Inspired Network events 👉 www.womeninspirednetwork.com/events [http://www.womeninspirednetwork.com/events] Follow us on Instagram 👉 @women_inspired_network Join our Facebook community 👉 Women Inspired Network: Networking For Women In Business 📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@womeninspirednetwork-o3b?si=oadkKbAuWLS9RMPz [https://youtube.com/@womeninspirednetwork-o3b?si=oadkKbAuWLS9RMPz] Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode — and if this one helped you, a review or a share means the absolute world to me. 💛

How to Back Yourself: Confidence, Resilience and Proving People Wrong with Evie Capon

What would you do if someone in a position of authority told you that you would never be successful at anything in life? For Evie Capon, that moment became the fuel for everything she’s built since. Evie is the founder of Little Voices Suffolk, a performing arts franchise for four to eighteen year olds, a national franchise award finalist, and co-founder of The Opportunity Stage CIC — all by the age of twenty-three. But her journey to get here was anything but straightforward. In this episode Evie opens up about being bullied at school, struggling with her mental health, leaving drama college after a deeply difficult experience, and being told repeatedly she was too young to be taken seriously. We talk about how she turned every single one of those knockbacks into the foundation for something extraordinary. This is one of the most honest and inspiring conversations I’ve had on the podcast. If you’ve ever doubted yourself, been told you’re not enough, or wondered whether it’s worth keep going — this one is for you. In this episode we cover: ✨ Evie’s school experience and why she struggled ✨ What happened at drama college and how she found the strength to walk away ✨ Buying a franchise at twenty one and why she just went for it ✨ How to filter criticism and decide whose opinion actually matters ✨ Why success means something different to everyone — and why that matters ✨ Her tips for backing yourself even when your confidence is low ✨ What she’d say to that principal now Find Evie at Little Voices Suffolk: 🌐 https://littlevoices.org.uk/suffolk/meet-the-team/ [https://littlevoices.org.uk/suffolk/meet-the-team/] 📸 @littlevoicessuffolk 👤 https://www.facebook.com/littlevoicessuffolk/ [https://www.facebook.com/littlevoicessuffolk/] Find out more about Women Inspired Network events 👉 www.womeninspirednetwork.com/events [http://www.womeninspirednetwork.com/events] Follow us on Instagram 👉 @women_inspired_network Join our Facebook community 👉 Women Inspired Network: Networking For Women In Business Check out the Youtube channel here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDVCZqf8LiBs92aTeEHZsWrtoNRJEVCXn&si=6rJQPy680iSkJlCQ [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDVCZqf8LiBs92aTeEHZsWrtoNRJEVCXn&si=6rJQPy680iSkJlCQ] Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode — and if this one resonated with you, a review or a share means the absolute world to me. 💛

Nap Times, Cold Coffee and a Speeding Ticket — A Day in the Life of WIN

Behind the Scenes of WIN: The Reality of Running a Networking Community Everyone sees the events. The connections. The reviews. The smiling faces. What they don't see is everything that happens before any of that. In this episode I'm pulling back the curtain on what running Women Inspired Network actually looks like day to day. The nap-time work sessions. The last minute venue changes. The refund requests, the admin, the Instagram DMs, the plate spinning. The week I had two events in three days with no childcare, no sleep and — just to really top it off — a speeding ticket. This is the honest, unfiltered behind the scenes of building something from scratch around two young children, a 24 hour parenting job and a genuine belief that what we're creating really matters. I talk about why I feel like I'm failing nine times out of ten. Why I'm working towards doing less so I can grow more. And why, despite all of it, I am absolutely not stopping. If you've ever wondered what really goes on behind a growing business — or if you've ever felt like you're just about keeping your head above water — this one is for you. In this episode: ✨ The reality behind ten networking events a month ✨ Why I nearly didn't make it through this week ✨ How WIN adapts when things don't go to plan ✨ Why I feel like I'm failing most of the time — and why that's okay ✨ Where WIN is heading next and why I'm so excited Find out more about Women Inspired Network events 👉 www.womeninspirednetwork.com/events [http://www.womeninspirednetwork.com/events] Follow us on Instagram 👉 @women_inspired_network Join our Facebook community 👉 Women Inspired Network Watch on Youtube 👉 https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDVCZqf8LiBs92aTeEHZsWrtoNRJEVCXn&si=MxUjnElg9wopazAc [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDVCZqf8LiBs92aTeEHZsWrtoNRJEVCXn&si=MxUjnElg9wopazAc] Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode — and if this resonated with you, a review or a share means the absolute world to me. 💛