| From the CEO's Desk

Dear Guest,

I hope you are all going well as we approach the end of another working week. One opportunity I did take this week was to watch Cathy Freeman's 400m Olympic Gold Medal victory in the beautifully captured documentary, Freeman. Over an hour, you get a real insight into her athletic journey and her personal perspective on what was a wonderful achievement 20 years ago at the Sydney Olympics. Like any inspiring journey, there were opportunities and challenges but she overcame with a positive and resilient attitude. If you love sport and/or inspirational stories, check it out on ABC Iview.

On Wednesday, we presented the final episode in Season Two of our WNA Virtual Series with our WNA Leadership Team kindly sharing their diversity of expertise and passion for business. Each member of the Leadership Team shared how business shaping up in the future, as well as sharing details of their passion projects and business expertise as they work through this recovery phase. Read on to get a full recap and check in each week as we feature one of our leaders in this weekly communique.

There are many positives that have flowed for WNA including our first real event on #techmindfulness which was a fantastic opportunity for our Tasmanian members to connect together.

The WNA Christmas Charity Luncheon is approaching quickly so book your ticket now. The connection also continues with Socialise at Sunset this Friday, so register to stay updated and enjoy a moment away from your work.

Thank you to those who have already contributed to our 30-Year WNA Souvenir Magazine Edition. Our editorial team is busy pulling it together! We can't wait to bring you the best edition yet. For those who have advised they would like to contribute, but haven't yet, please get in touch ASAP!

Don't forget to keep your amazing WNA blogs coming through - Sarah-Jane Smith, thank you for reminding us that testimonials and reputation are key when sourcing a business such as a commercial cleaning company in your latest piece!

As always, I am here to help, so please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Janelle ♥

THIS WEEK OUR WNA LEADERSHIP TEAM FIRED UP YOUR CONFIDENCE!

What a pleasure it was to be joined by the WNA Leadership Team on Wednesday night to discuss the current business environment, the benefits of WNA for your business and so much more! I really enjoyed hearing from each member of the team about how their business has coped with the impacts of COVID-19. Interesting, while some have had to pivot in order to keep their business going, others in different industries have been overwhelmed with new business prospects.

I think the best part though was hearing about how the Leadership Team and WNA members have been collaborating to help each other during this time. If you missed this session, it was recorded so we can still send it your way. Please reach out if you would like to watch it.

I look forward to sharing more information about our Leadership Team over the coming weeks.

WNA CHRISTMAS CHARITY LUNCHEON - LAST CHANCE FOR EARLY BIRD TICKETS!

If you enjoyed our much loved 2019 Christmas Charity Luncheon, you won’t want to miss this event.

Catch up with new and long-time friends and celebrate the end of what has been a long and tough year for many. This event typifies the art of mixing business with pleasure – it’s a wonderful opportunity to network and meet genuine contacts, while also taking the chance to celebrate your wins and have a great time.

We will be ready to get out to party – with social distancing most likely still in play!

Book your ticket or table here.

Sponsorship opportunities for this event are also available. Download the kit here to find out more!

SOCIALISE AT SUNSET IS KEEPING US ALL UNITED!

Bring your drink of choice and catch up once again with your colleagues and fellow members to discuss the weekly challenges, wins, event ideas and keep helping each other through what has been a tough year for many. Register now to join your fellow members at the following times:

QLD, NSW, ACT, VIC, TAS - 4.30pm
SA: 4.00pm
WA: 2.30pm

WE HAVE RECEIVED YOUR WOMEN'S NETWORK MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTIONS - THANK YOU!

Thank you to everyone who submitted their articles and advertising bookings for our 30-Year Anniversary Edition Magazine. Submissions are in and our editorial team are now busy collating and working enthusiastically to bring our best magazine to you yet! It's a wonderful opportunity for individuals and businesses to boost your business brand and I am excited about bringing this to you in the later stages of 2020! If you wanted to contribute but have missed the deadline, please get in touch as soon as possible to see if any space is available.

OUR MEMBER OF THE WEEK WANTS EMPLOYEES AND LEADERS TO EXCEL!

Lota Samonte, CEO and Founder of Your Virtual People started her business in 2012 after a diverse career including sales, marketing, tech support and more.

Lota achieved all her credentials as a byproduct of her determination and persistence. She was once a dreamer and she never settled for less! She worked hard for it to become her reality. Her drive to make a difference in the lives of many people brought her to where she is now. Lota understands how it is to be an employee and a leader which makes her great at what she does!

Lota has recently become one of the Core Leaders of The Everette and Austin Project, a charity helping children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in Africa. Well done Lota!

SCOTT MORRISON ANNOUNCES FUNDING TO SUPPORT BUSINESS EVENT RECOVERY!

The Prime Minister has announced $50 million in funding for Australia's business events industry. The funding was granted in response to the Business Events Council of Australia's (BECA) Recovery and Rebound Framework and is aimed at driving confidence and creating momentum within the events industry.

Under the Australian Business Events Grants Program, approved business events, including meetings, conventions, incentives and exhibitions will be able to apply for upfront grants to cover up to 50 per cent of their costs (between $10,000 and $250,000). This initiative is part of the government's $1 billion COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Fund, which supports sectors severely affected by the pandemic.

In a recent survey conducted by BECA, 67% of businesses said they don't have any events confirmed for 2020 and 48% of businesses don't have any events scheduled for 2021 either. BECA's goal is to not only support the business events industry itself, but to also maximise the contribution business events make to the recovery of the wider economy. Read more here.

Download BECA's Recovery and Rebound Framework here.

GREAT NEWS FOR WOMEN'S SPORT IN VICTORIA AND AUSTRALIA!

The Minerva Network are a wonderful group of businesswomen that support our professional female athletes both on and off the field around Australia. They have exciting news to share for their Victorian members and friends!

The Victorian chapter will be launched and co-led by two powerhouse female leaders in Kate Palmer AM and Peggy O'Neal AO who have empowered and influenced women's sport in Australia. They will be launching a new scholarship program which is a fantastic opportunity for Minerva Stars to receive financial support to continue or commence study alongside their sporting ambitions. You can read more here.

The Minerva Network also run a number of virtual and in person events so check out the website to learn about how you can also support Australia's next generation of female sportspeople and leaders!

PHOEBE TULLY HIGHLIGHTS THE SKILLS AND CRAFT OF REGIONAL ENTREPRENEURS!

Creative project manager Phoebe Tully loves bringing people's ideas alive through print, online and event activations. She enjoys combining project management and creativity and these skills have come together fantastically with the University of Southern Queensland in the new podcast Regionally Speaking. Phoebe interviews some of Australia's impressive entrepreneurs, such as Karen Barnett of Montville Coffee and Jemima and Bede Aldridge of Saddler & Co, who are running successful businesses from regional cities and towns.

Do you know someone who would benefit from being part of WNA?

Feel free to forward our Member Benefits link so they can join too!

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