How to Build Your Network of Badass Womxn
SheWorx joined the Republic family in June 2019 because of our shared belief in the power of community. Our mission has been to close the funding gap by collaborating, not competing. Republic is on a mission to democratize private investing by making crowdinvesting and other alternate funding strategies accessible to more founders and investors. Together, we leverage the power of community to drive us forward.
Our community is built of diverse, dynamic individuals and institutions who share our vision for a more equitable and innovative future. But we didn’t just Tweet our #struggles and stumble upon a group of like-minded individuals.
Finding our allies and champions has been a volume game that any founder can benefit from implementing. Find as many people as you can who have a whiff of values alignment, talk to them as many times as you need to sniff out the posers, and hold your true advocates near and dear to the heart of your business.
Being a founder and operator is lonely and gruelling work. Resources (financial, human, emotional) are scarce and often embedded in a culture of competition. But if you’re a womxn founder, these are things you already know.
Building supportive networks around womxn founders is crucial to their success and bridging the leadership gap. And we know we need more womxn in C-suites and board rooms to create products and services that are responsive to a broader audience. So where do you find these supportive networks? They say the rising tide lifts all boats, but where are all these other boats?
You came to us at SheWorx for this, and it is definitely your best resource for building your network of sheroes. In the past four years, SheWorx has organized over 300 events and successfully helped women within community raise over $50 million in cumulative funding.
But every person is different, and you don’t always find your people at the first party you’re invited to. Whether you connect with other womxn over your favorite place to work in your city, the particular challenges you face in your industry, or a shared passion for erotic embroidery, finding folks that see you is crucial. There are many places you can easily find these womxn to surround yourself with strong allies and partners.
It’s important to think about what exactly it is you’re looking for before diving in. Are you looking for recommendations for professional services for your business? Other professionals in your industry or your city? Local partnerships? Other starving and sleep-deprived entrepreneurs to commiserate with? Consider the following characteristics you may be looking to have in common with your desired network when you conduct your searches:
Industry
Geography
Demographics
Company size
Professional background
Academic institutions/alumni networks
Whether you’re looking for something really broad (e.g. womxn entrepreneurs in Austin) or something really specific (e.g. tech x service industry non-binary 30-somethings who love rollerskating with their pet birds), figure out what’s important to you and what search terms might optimize your results.
Once you have an idea of what you desire in the next cohort of champions to add to your community, check out these resources to conduct your search. Remember, this is a volume game. You may have to enter five variations of your roller skating bartenders before you find something that sticks.
Facebook groups
Facebook groups can be a really easily accessible forum for quick answers to your questions. Search for groups in your city and industry. You can use generic search terms like “[city] female founders” and “[city] women in [industry]” and you’ll probably find what you’re looking for. Womxn use these groups to find contract workers, interns, events, and sometimes just a little bit of local love. There are also plenty of gender-inclusive groups that can be excellent resources as well, especially if you are in a niche market. Examples: Austin Women in Tech, Austin Digital Jobs
Meetup.com
Meetup is another one of our favorite ways to find groups of like-minded individuals. KC Women Empowered is an example of a group of women supporting women, literally offering free advice.
It is especially useful for finding local resources, though of course in the age of COVID many meetups have moved online. But that’s okay, more opportunities for you to scavenge!
City resources
Fourth wave feminism and the #MeToo movement have created a sea change in the United States by drawing attention to unique challenges faced by womxn across the non-binary spectrum. Cities are hotbeds for progressive policies, and some city governments have led the charge in opening more doors for womxn. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh started the Boston Mayor’s Office for Women’s Advancement which has offerings specific to women entrepreneurs. Check your county and city websites for resources for womxn-specific business resources provided by your mayor or sector commissioner.
Summits and conferences
We know that conferences can sometimes feel like a slog of networking and repeating your name and three-sentence bio 10 million times, but if you work smart and not hard you can extract incredible benefit from these events. Ask colleagues and friends about their favorite events, and do your research. They can be incredibly time consuming, so it’s important to make an informed decision in advance of registration whether the sessions offered or target attendee audience will be worth your time. Many (but not all) conferences charge for tickets. The Female Entrepreneurs Summit of Cleveland was only $75. If you don’t have the cash to front the cost of a ticket, reach out to the event organizers to inquire about scholarship or sponsorship opportunities. It never hurts to ask! The Women’s Entrepreneur Summit coming up on November 19 is offering scholarships for students.
Slack
Over 10 million people use Slack on a daily basis. Yes, many use it as an internal company communications tool, but it is leveraged by a variety of communities to connect, especially in the age of COVID. Look for public Slack communities using your search criteria, and explore the channels. Many communities have a general or intro channel where you can look for individuals to DM about their experiences. You can use the Slofile database to find public Slack. There are also plenty of Medium articles that list Slack communities to check out.
We know... we know! Reddit is the front page of the internet... or the Gate to the Upside Down of the internet, depending on who you ask. But, there is a reason it is the #7 most visited website in the US and #18 most visited in the world. Reddit communities are an easily accessible and casual platform for info sharing. Try searching for conversation threads, called subreddits, in the area you’re interested in exploring. If you don’t know where to start, try /r/womenleadership, /r/slackhangouts, or /r/womenentrepreneurs.
Of course you can also look for connects the old fashioned way. Go do some work at your favorite coffee shop, coworking space, or bar (What, you don’t ever sit at the bar with your laptop and a beer? Don’t judge me I know you do too.) by not-eavesdropping-but-definitely-eavesdropping on conversations that you might magically relate to.
But with social distancing and public space closures looking like a guarantee for the foreseeable future, online searches are a safe bet. So it’s important to remember that any online forum you join is not that different from IRL eavesdropping. You may see or hear things you don’t like, or that might not be true. Do your due diligence on forums and people to avoid scams and bad actors to protect yourself in your business. Check for community guidelines or ask a moderator for guidance when the participation etiquette is not clear.
And then when you’re done with that, have some faith in the goodness of the world and the genuine desire people have to help others. You may be surprised by what you find.