There's a difference between posting about National Women's Day and actually doing something about it. One takes thirty seconds. The other takes real effort: showing up for women-owned businesses, making introductions, spending your dollars with intention, and choosing collaboration over competition.
My goal for 2023 isn't to build a bigger network. It's to build a better one. I want genuine connections with other female entrepreneurs, not the transactional kind where we exchange business cards and never speak again, but the kind where we actually show up for each other.
"There is room for all of us to succeed, and more potential than ever with an incredible network of women who have each other's back."
We've played the comparison game for too long. Measuring ourselves against other women, wondering why their business looks a certain way while ours doesn't, scrolling past their wins instead of celebrating them. It doesn't serve any of us. The only direction worth looking is forward.
What I've found, in my friendships and now increasingly in my professional relationships, is that the best networks feel like the best friendships. People who challenge you, celebrate you, and tell you the truth when you need to hear it. That's what I'm building this year.
2023 has already brought me into rooms with women I previously thought were out of my league. They weren't. They were just further along, and willing to reach back. I'm trying to be that person for others too.
So on National Women's Day, sure, post something. But also send the text. Make the introduction. Book from the small business. Show up in the way that actually counts.