| | | | | | Dear Guest,
This week has been full of positive stories - our latest WNA Event was a fantastic night of connection, laughter and learnings from three female business leaders who are 100% go-getters. It was also heartening to hear, after what has been a tumultuous time for her own leadership journey, Christine Holgate is at the helm of Global Express. It's a great example of moving forward with a positive mindset and overcoming adversity.
Additionally, it was great to read South Australian leader Simone Kain is inspiring children everywhere with her dedication to rural education. George The Farmer is teaching children through storybooks about the earth, food and farming. Simone was inspired to bring George to life after hearing that many children thought yoghurt came from a plant, cotton came from an animal, and many children don't associate lunchbox items such as bananas and cheese as originating from a farm. These stories certainly give me an added boost to keep striving to be better and give more everyday.
May Member Month has continued with stamina and strength! I have emphasised four ways you can make the most of your WNA membership and it's been pleasing to see many of you doing just that! You have been attending events, writing informative WNA Blogs, and joining in our Facebook discussions. It is also invigorating personally when new WNA members sign up to our network as I know the networking opportunities available to members is worthy and our membership is always willing to welcome, build up others on their entrepreneurial journeys and help them succeed.
Our Business Future is Bright in Brisbane event was a roaring success on Wednesday night and you can read further on about emerging trends and how we can all work together to grow our businesses in Brisbane and around the country. You also still have time to sign up for lunch in Hobart with Rosalind Cardinal. Don't forget if you are free today for more socialising you can join online with our monthly Socialise at Sunset (4.30pm AEST) and our next one is planned for Friday 11th June so pop it in your calendars.
I recently received the extraordinary book by Eddie Jaku and have included later on a little something extra on why you should take the time to read his book on finding happiness, or watch his Ted Talk which is short and sweet. I also found a little gem from Harvard Business Review on how powerful compliments are at work.
It feels like a lifetime ago but it was great to spend some time with my son last week celebrating Mother's Day. I was treated to a special lunch and a mimosa - yum! Seriously though, it was great to reflect on how important our families and friendships are. I hope you all spent some time away from your businesses, enjoying a bit of self care and joy. This time is genuinely special and important to prioritise in any busy businesswoman's life.
Thank you as always for your support of WNA and please reach out if I can assist with anything.
| | | | 4 QUICK AND EASY WAYS TO ENJOY OUR WNA MEMBERSHIP! - Contribute to our blog and include backlinks to your own business website to improve your search engine optimisation.
- Attend one of our upcoming events, hear from an inspirational speaker and get to know like-minded businesswomen.
- Get involved in our Facebook Group! There are plenty of opportunities to share your wisdom with the group, promote your business and meet like-minded businesswomen.
- Make use of our extensive Member Directory, find a WNA member with a specific skillset you are looking for and connect using their preferred contact method.
'Commitment leads to action - action brings your dreams closer' - Marcia Wieder. | | | | LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR FREEBIES!
It wouldn't be Member Month without some serious incentives! So let us lay them out for you: - Each time you refer a friend or colleague to WNA throughout May 2021 and that person joins our network, you will receive one free month of WNA membership for yourself!
- Once you refer five people to WNA during May 2021 who join the network, you're entitled to a free gift from our excellent collection of new release books, movie tickets, stationery, magazine and more! We've got them packaged up and ready to go!
- Refer nine people to WNA during May 2021 who join the network and we'll send you another wonderful free gift!
- Even better, refer 12 new members to WNA during May 2021 and you'll be entitled to a FREE annual WNA membership for yourself and even more free gifts!
- Last but not least, any WNA member who attends a WNA event during May 2021, including our virtual Socialise at Sunset, will enter the draw for a large hamper to be drawn at the end of the month. Each new referral will also put your name in the draw, so there are plenty of opportunities to put yourself in the running for our Member Month hamper valued at almost $1,000!
| | OFFICE DESIGN WITH FONTHIP WARD AND SOME NIFTY OTHER WNA BLOGS!
I love one of our latest WNA blogs from designer and marketing extraordinaire Fonthip Ward. It's often an under-resourced and under thought about area of business to impress and target your customers. Fonthip captures five professional office insights that have a great impact on your customers and making your working environment as comfortable as possible: - Professionally clean your carpets
- Expert cleaners keep your carpets sanitised and fresh and can handle those hard to remove stains!
- Keep your office space organised
- Tidy and uncluttered spaces create a good first impression and storage options can improve the look of your office.
- Keep everything simple
- Embrace modest lines, accessories and furniture that embraces simplicity.
- Add your credentials
- You worked hard for those qualifications, put them on display for credibility to your clients.
- Accessorise smartly
- Additions such as first-edition books can be great conversation starters.
| | | | BUSINESS FUTURE IS BRIGHT IN BRISBANE
Wow! What a night we had on Wednesday. A big thank you to all of our WNA members and friends who braved a big Brisbane storm to attend our very first event at the Brisbane Business Hub.
We were treated to a sneak peek of the rooftop area, even though we were unable to spend as much time up there as we would have liked due to the weather.
Nevertheless, our wonderful panel of Dominique Lamb, CEO National Retail Association, Alice Barbery, CEO Universal Store and Liz Golding, Fashion Director of Illuminate filled us with confidence about the local Brisbane economy and the emerging trends which will likely impact customer facing businesses around the country.
There has been a lot of talk in the past year about the impact of more businesses moving online, but I loved what Alice said about it which was that she doesn't "think about it as bricks and mortar stores vs online stores - online is just another store". Being in the business of youth fashion, it was also interesting to hear Alice describe what youth are looking for as "fitting in and standing out at the same time"! Hilarious, but true. We also had a good discussion about payment gateways like Afterpay and their impact on young shoppers. From Alice's perspective, we should spend more time teaching money management, instead of blaming the tools. I loved her analogy of - "Is the knife good or bad? In the hands of a murderer - bad. In the hands of a chef - great. In the hands of a sculptor - excellent."
It was also pleasing to hear from Liz Golding about crowds returning to the shopping centres. While it was noted that there is still work to be done to ensure consistency around matters such as store opening hours, retailers are working together and finding new ways to bring shoppers back to stores. Big congratulations also to Liz who had 43,000 views in the first 7 days of her new Who's Who Brisbane website.
We also loved hearing some of the ideas that Dom and her team at the National Retail Association had recommended to the powers that be as ways to activate empty spaces in our malls. Ideas include taking empty and unleased shops and bringing them to life as art exhibitions or Instagrammable locations to draw people into these shopping hotspots with the opportunity of a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It was also good to hear there is some confidence returning to the Brisbane CBD with the recent announcement about state government workers returning to CBD office locations.
Thank you once again to all of our speakers, including Miriam Kent from the Brisbane Business Hub, for giving up your time this week. The feedback from our guests has been wonderful. | | | | SHAPING CHANGE AT RACV HOBART - FRIDAY 21 MAY
For Shaping Change and Susan Fahey Consulting, lockdown could not have come at a worse time. Rosalind Cardinal and Susan Fahey launched their new flagship Emerge, in what was quite possibly one of the last face-to-face networking events held in Hobart. Pivot is becoming a very overused word, but pivot they did. Moving to blended online delivery opened new markets interstate and internationally for them. Emerge was better than they could have imagined and they have had many success stories.
What you will learn!
Rosalind Cardinal, Managing Director of Shaping Change, will teach WNA guests: - Why it is more important than ever for women to step into leadership
- The three keys to success as women in business
- The tools and methods that were used to bring Emerge to a global audience
- What is next for Emerge.
| | | | A VIRTUAL CATCHUP - SOCIALISE AT SUNSET
While the WNA world has moved back into physical events, there is sometimes nothing like connecting with all of you nationally from my loungeroom at home. And if you are like me and enjoy spending some Friday afternoons with a nice glass of bubbly or a hot cup of tea, what better way to spend it than with more WNA friends online!
It's a great way to share tips and ideas that have worked in your business during the week. You can share a virtual hug if you had a challenging day or two, or you might just enjoy a casual conversation with friends as well. We are all friendly, supportive and happy to collaborate and share with everyone on the call.
Join us later today from 4:30pm (AEST). Registration is free! Boost your referral gifts and bring a friend or two along, plus go in the draw for our Member Month hamper just by turning up! | | | | ♥ KINDNESS AT WORK - A COMPLIMENT CAN TRANSFORM A DAY! ♥
Harvard Business Review are the experts at leadership, management and helping business people and managers lead better organisations and teams. I always enjoy reading an article or two from their line up of ideas, management tools and small business tips. I especially love one of their latest articles, 'Don't Underestimate the Power of Kindness at Work'.
It reminded me of the power of kind acts in my workplace from the latte that someone picked up for me one day before work, one of my leadership team complimenting one of our latest events, to the couple of referrals to my WNA network that made my Tuesday so much brighter.
With the advent of remote workplaces and less serendipitous encounters at the water cooler, more opportunities than ever are needed from work colleagues and bosses to share acts of kindness. I personally know that receiving compliments and encouragement from my bosses in previous workplaces has had a hugely transformational effect on my motivation levels and productivity, so I try to implement the same opportunities for others in my circles.
Not only do compliments and praise help with our self-confidence and self-esteem, but as HBR alerts, kindness makes life feel more meaningful and helps with long term job satisfaction. Make sure you read the full article because just one act of kindness in your workplace this week could transform someone's day from average to unforgettable and multiply generosity across your organisation. | | ♥ A BOOK FOR THOSE CHASING A BIT MORE HAPPINESS ♥
Eddie Jaku is an Auschwitz survivor and an incredible storyteller. If ever I have read a book from front to back in record time, 'The Happiest Man on Earth' is one of those books! And I must admit while occasionally we all have a bad day and feel sorry for ourselves, the courage, gratitude and bravery that jumped out from the pages at me were hugely impactful.
Eddie always considered himself a German first, a Jew second and he was proud of his country until all that changed in 1938, when he was beaten and taken to a concentration camp where he faced unimaginable horrors for the next seven years. His loss of family, friends and his dignity during those times is heartbreaking to read, but it is his ability to survive those times with friendship, hope and a determined belief that the world would be better that is so inspiring. A winner of the ABIA Biography of the Year 2021, Eddie's biography is one that should be on all bookshelves everywhere!
| | ♥ WISDOM AND BEAUTY FROM EDDIE JAKU ♥ | | | | | | 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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Our mailing address is: Women's Network Australia PO Box 5620 | MANLY QLD 4179 Australia
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