Behind the Scenes of WIN: The Reality of Running a Networking Community

Everyone sees the events. The connections. The reviews. The smiling faces. What they don't see is everything that happens before any of that.

In this episode I'm pulling back the curtain on what running Women Inspired Network actually looks like day to day. The nap-time work sessions. The last minute venue changes. The refund requests, the admin, the Instagram DMs, the plate spinning. The week I had two events in three days with no childcare, no sleep and — just to really top it off — a speeding ticket.

This is the honest, unfiltered behind the scenes of building something from scratch around two young children, a 24 hour parenting job and a genuine belief that what we're creating really matters.

I talk about why I feel like I'm failing nine times out of ten. Why I'm working towards doing less so I can grow more. And why, despite all of it, I am absolutely not stopping.

If you've ever wondered what really goes on behind a growing business — or if you've ever felt like you're just about keeping your head above water — this one is for you.

In this episode:

✨ The reality behind ten networking events a month

✨ Why I nearly didn't make it through this week

✨ How WIN adapts when things don't go to plan

✨ Why I feel like I'm failing most of the time — and why that's okay

✨ Where WIN is heading next and why I'm so excited

Find out more about Women Inspired Network events 👉 www.womeninspirednetwork.com/events

Follow us on Instagram 👉 @women_inspired_network

Join our Facebook community 👉 Women Inspired Network

Watch on Youtube 👉 https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDVCZqf8LiBs92aTeEHZsWrtoNRJEVCXn&si=MxUjnElg9wopazAc

Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode — and if this resonated with you, a review or a share means the absolute world to me. 💛

We need to talk about the event that nearly broke me.

I arrived to a packed café, no reserved space, a manager who shrugged and said “just pick a table” — with twenty women on their way. I was pulling furniture across the floor, apologising to first-timers, and trying to hold it together on the outside while quietly falling apart on the inside.

And then it turned out to be one of the best events we’ve ever run.

In this episode I sit down with our brilliant Felixstowe leader Gemma Gooch for one of our most honest conversations yet. We talk about what actually makes a networking event valuable — and it’s not what most people think. We get into imposter syndrome, adapting when things go wrong, why polished events don’t always make people feel comfortable, and what it really means to build something real.

This one is for every woman in business who has ever held it together on the outside while quietly figuring it out on the inside.

In this episode we cover:

✨ The venue disaster that turned into our best attended event

✨ Why polished doesn’t make people feel comfortable — but realness does

✨ Imposter syndrome and underestimating yourself

✨ What actually makes WIN different from other networking groups

✨ Why the connections matter more than anything else

✨ Why being imperfect is not a weakness — it’s the whole point

Find out more about Women Inspired Network events 👉 www.womeninspirednetwork.com/events

Follow us on Instagram 👉 @women_inspired_network

Join our Facebook community 👉 Women Inspired Network:Networking for Women In Business

Watch on Youtube 👉  https://youtube.com/@womeninspirednetwork-o3b?si=oadkKbAuWLS9RMPz

Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode — and if this resonated with you, a comment or a share means the absolute world to me. 💛

I'll be honest with you — when Sharon Buckley first offered to run our online networking events, I wasn't convinced. I come from a sales background and I've always been a face-to-face person. The idea of replicating the magic of our in-person WIN events through a screen? I genuinely didn't think it was possible.

I was wrong.

In this episode I sit down with Sharon Buckley — grief therapist, burnout specialist, and our brilliant WIN online leader — for a super honest conversation on the podcast. We talk about why online and in-person networking aren't in competition with each other, who online networking is really for, and why showing up consistently in both spaces could be the most powerful thing you do for your business this year.

We also talk about the real stuff — networking from your sofa in your pyjamas, putting kids to bed mid-session, and why sometimes the online version is actually the braver choice for women who aren't quite ready to walk into a room full of strangers yet.

In this episode we cover:

✨ Why I changed my mind about online networking completely

✨ How Sharon has replicated the WIN experience online — and why it works

✨ Who online networking is perfect for (it's more people than you'd think)

✨ The real collaborations that have come from our online sessions

✨ Why social media alone isn't enough anymore

✨ Tips for getting the most out of networking online

✨ Why online might be the perfect stepping stone if in-person feels too daunting

Find Sharon at:

🌐 sharonbuckley.com

📘 Facebook: Women Navigating Life & Loss — Grief Support with Sharon Buckley

📸 Instagram: @theemotionalpainhealer

Find out more about Women Inspired Network events 👉 www.womeninspirednetwork.com/events

Follow us on Instagram 👉 @women_inspired_network

Join our Facebook community 👉 Women Inspired Network

YouTube 👉 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDVCZqf8LiBs92aTeEHZsWrtoNRJEVCXn

Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode — and if you loved this one, a review means the absolute world to me. 💛

In this episode of Women Inspired Networking Conversations, I'm joined by the incredible Emma from Start Strong Fitness CIC for the most honest conversation about juggling business around being a mum.

Emma is a pre and postnatal fitness specialist, mum of two under two, and the founder of a CIC offering free grant-funded exercise classes for parents and babies across Colchester, Ipswich and Stowmarket. She launched her business while pregnant with her first daughter Maya — and hasn't stopped since.

We talk about what it's REALLY like to build a business in the newborn trenches. The mum guilt that pulls you in two directions at once. Running a business through pregnancy with no sick pay and no cover. The moment you cry on the stairs because it's all just too much. And the mindset shifts that help you get back up and keep going.

This one is for every mum in business who has ever felt like they're failing at everything simultaneously — you are not alone, and you are doing so much better than you think.

In this episode we cover:

✨ The reality of launching and growing a business while pregnant

✨ Mum guilt — and how to start shifting your mindset around it

✨ Why finding your community changes everything

✨ Tips for staying sane and keeping your business growing through the newborn stage

✨ Why being a business owner mum is anything but the easy route

Find Emma at Start Strong Fitness CIC on Instagram and Facebook.

Find out more about Women Inspired Network events 👉 www.womeninspirednetwork.com/events

Follow us on Instagram 👉 @women_inspired_network

Join our Facebook community 👉 Women Inspired Network: Networking For Women In Business

Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode — and if you loved this one, a review means the absolute world to me. 💛

In this second episode of Women Inspired Networking Conversations, I'm joined by the wonderful Gemma Gooch for a really honest chat about our very first networking experiences — the nerves, the awkward moments, and what we wish we'd known before walking through the door.

We talk about what makes Women Inspired Network events so different from traditional networking, why creating a welcoming and supportive environment matters so much, and our top tips if you're thinking about coming to your first event but not quite sure what to expect.

If networking has ever felt intimidating, overwhelming, or just not for you — this episode is your sign to give it another go. 💛

This podcast episode introduces Women Inspired Network (WIN) and its founder, Martina.

It covers Martina's journey holding networking events, her experience of building someone else's dreams, and how Women Inspired Network has evolved.

You will find out what makes WIN so different to conventional networking, such as no public speaking and no sales pitches, as well as the focus on small group networking and the business journey.

Additionally, you'll find out what to expect from the podcast, and what value you will get at every stage of the business journey.