We asked some of our members to share their thoughts on the value of connections and how Connected Women meetups have helped them connect with like-minded individuals. Moreover, we wanted to know what they think is the role of community in helping women build and thrive in both entrepreneurship and corporate career. Here are some of the things they had to say:

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DAET
“When you are running a business, your inspiration can come from almost anywhere. You never end the search for the best tools. When I attended the first meet-up in Daet, I realized that the biggest and most important tool is on my fingertips now—the Connected Women community. In any city, there will always be a community to connect with, and as an entrepreneur, it is needed. Through the meetups, I can meet different entrepreneurs in my industry. This will serve as a backbone, inspiration, and my emotional support. They might not be close friends but women in this community will listen because they all need and want to know what I have to say. Together we learn, empower, and help build a better community,” said social enterprise entrepreneur, mom, and TESOL Certified Teacher Ann Sabdao.

SINGAPORE
“It was empowering to see how technology can transform our lives, if only we know how to use them. Knowing how to apply the tools can help us to have access to a balanced, happy and successful life. Being a part of the community, our role is to have courage to take that initiative, just like what Gina (Romero) did with belief, passion, and thought, and constantly keeping a lookout for like-minded people to collaborate with and work together in building this dream to help women build and thrive in both entrepreneurship and corporate career. Besides that, we, women, also want to have a fulfilling life whereby we can care for our loved ones in different seasons of need as well as helping those in need when and wherever we can,” Christina Chua-Wadia of Gilana Studio.

LAHORE
“The community is definitely the catalyst for not only building women’s careers but [it] also plays a crucial role in the economic development and financial independence of these women. As women need the encouragement, support, solace, and help of other women, a community can only build the most compatible support system for them to thrive. They crave role models and colleagues, mentorship and fellowship on their journey. In other words, successful women entrepreneurs and professionals require the sustenance of community,” said entrepreneur Tehmina A Chaudhry, who is the director of INSTA Foods.

NAGA
“A community is a potent source of opportunities that provide platforms wherein women can freely and fearlessly discover, explore, and showcase their individualities. With the wider horizon, women are exposed to in varying degrees, they can very well identify where they can maximize their potentials, making it easier for them to arrive at sound decisions on what track to pursue and excel at. With a clear end in mind, these women on a mission walk the halls of the corporate and business world with brilliant minds and happy hearts—oozing with contagious positive energy that warms and inspires the people around them,” said financial advisor Beauty E. Cepriaso-Joson.

“It is very important for women to have a venue or event wherein they can ask for help from like-minded females and freely share their experiences. It can help create new ideas that would be beneficial not just for them but for the entire community. Having the right mindset with a clear goal, I believe that it would be easy to achieve whatever mission we need to accomplish when we’re united. It also provides an opportunity to learn new things and listen to inspiring stories and as a result, we feel that sense of connection or belongingness. Every meetup is indeed a great learning experience. It provides us not just to grow personally but also holistically,” shared businesswoman Ida Avenido.

MANILA
“I think it is important for women to have a venue or event wherein they can exchange ideas with like-minded women. In a predominantly patriarchal society, it is a challenge for women to rise up and express their voice. Fortunately, there are plenty of groups and/or associations like Connected Women that empowers and reminds women of their limitless potential. I am grateful to be part of a community where women lift each other up by sharing personal and professional advice, support, and encouragement,” said TESOL teacher and language facilitator Katrina Nacar.

“A community helps women build and thrive by providing helpful life experiences and venues for continuous education and learning for women. Also, a community gives opportunities suitable for their life circumstances that empower them to grow and develop as a person,” shared entrepreneur Check Say.

SUBIC / ZAMBALES
“As a full-time work-at-home-mom, having a venue to connect with and share a similar passion with like-minded women is relevantly important to me. You see, when you work from home and attend to your children’s needs on a daily basis, it just eats up your energy that sometimes, you forget about yourself. When you have a group to turn to, it feels like breaking free from the stress, regaining your value, and finding your other purpose. I likewise believe that surrounding ourselves with the right people can contribute to a happier and healthier life with the same thought as when one woman support another woman, build each other up, and not tear each other down. Once a solid relationship is built, then it becomes more powerful,” said marketing manager and blogger Michelle Carvalho.

MANDALUYONG
“It is important for women to have an event like this wherein we can share our stories, learn from their experiences, and connect with new groups of people who can help us improve our business or the profession. For the Connected Women – Mandaluyong meetup, we talked about digital career and freelancing. It was so informative that we even had our question and answer portion, which showed how interested the women were in working from home or getting a job online. We got to share personal and professional advice in whichever field we are from. Matching our profession with the person we are looking for is a great avenue to meet new people who can help us in our future collaboration,” said event planner and entrepreneur Paula Limbang from DreamTheme Events, Mugz Stevia Café, and Nurture Manila.

LUCENA
“I’m so glad I was able to attend the Connected Women meetup last November 7 in Lucena City. This is a breather for me as I’ve been working remotely for more than a year. Taking my time away from the screen and talking to some of my fellow freelancers and aspiring ones was therapeutic. I was inspired by my fellow women’s success stories. It was motivational. Meetups like these are such a big help for those who are aspiring freelancer, entrepreneur, business owners, or startup entrepreneurs. This an opportunity to learn from each other, gain and share experiences, be an inspiration, and be inspired. Though we can have this all online too, I can say that learning and supporting each other up close and personal takes it to a whole different level,” said Isabel Joy Ong.

QUEZON CITY
“Meetups are great opportunities to expand your network. Having these events in person is so much better than meeting people virtually. They are avenues to meet people who you can help or can help you—real, relatable women from whom you can learn from. Some even become good friends after. The ability to help and provide value to each other go beyond an evening of meaningful conversations. These connections are priceless and the possibilities are endless. It’s great to know you’re not isolated in your journey towards your life goals and that you have a community of women behind you with similar goals to win. Opening yourself up and hearing people share is therapeutic in and of itself. It provides perspective on how similar or different we all are and be just as awesome. That capacity to help each other is a result of the sharing and caring vibe, definitely contagious and you’ll be looking forward to the next,” said director and trainer Jing SG from Rapid Results.

PARAÑAQUE
“The role of community is to build relationships. Whether you are climbing the corporate ladder or [you are a] startup entrepreneur, you will need a support group who will motivate and empower you to thrive and grow. That is what Connected Women is all about, creating a relationship, strengthening it, and [making] it long lasting, founded by trust, respect, and encouragement. Every woman can,” said Leah Purugganan of Shared Spaces Coworking Pad.

VALENZUELA
“The role of community in helping women build and thrive in both corporate career and entrepreneurship is being a “confidence booster”. Every woman has a vital role in both fields of entrepreneurship and corporate world, but it is inevitable for women to be vulnerable in times of ups and downs. For us women, we need our fellow sisters in the community to remind us that we are not alone [and that] in every woman’s success, there’s a sister behind. Who else could boast our confidence more than our fellow women,” said Angelica Nievera, owner of FLN Services.

“[The] November 7 Connected Women Valenzuela was my first ever meetup. It was a nice experience to meet up new people and open new opportunities from the CW Valenzuela community. For me, [a] community has the role to offer opportunities to women for a better life, for dreams to happen, and contribute also in the economy of our municipalities,” said entrepreneur and freelancer Adela Cruz.

CAVITE
“A community can either expire or inspire women to do their passion. But for me, the role of a community [is to] drive and encourage women [towards] greater opportunities that they can look into to fuel their desire; and most especially, a support system to balance them physically, socially, mentally, and spiritually,” said wellness ambassadress and oil enthusiast, Leodivine Quizon, organizer of the Cavite Connected Women meetup.

 

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