This month’s Casual Conversation is a bit different than the inspiring women you’ve gotten to read about and know better in the past, yet I’m hoping that it is just as inspiring, heartfelt, honest and motivational as those were! The desire is to help the long-time members reminisce and recall why they joined PWN and the experiences that helped them build their business and develop friendships – at the same time give insight and answer questions for the newer members. Whichever approach you’re coming from, sit back, relax, grab your coffee, tea or wine and enjoy the conversation!

PWN was born in 2003 primarily growing up in the Homewood area although the reach is much further to include all the Chicagoland area and I might add, during the COVID shut-down, it included visitors from many states across the US. (PWN is being referred to as “she” for the purposes of the interview format.) She was born from the minds and motivation of a small group of women in business desiring deeper, more meaningful connections with one another. Even though these were busy women, all involved in other networking and professional organizations, they saw the need for something more – specifically women supporting women in business!

The mission, purpose, and by-laws were written, leadership determined, paperwork filed, and the fledgling organization was birthed! The Mission Statement remains the same today, “The mission of the Professional Women’s Network is to help women develop their careers, enhance their businesses and mentor the next generation of women business leaders through educational programs, resource sharing, and networking opportunities.”

When wondering about “where the fire comes from to keep doing do what she does”, PWN points directly to a testimonial from a long-time member:

“(PWN) has been a huge part of my life both professionally and personally. Over the years I have met and relied upon so many of the members. It’s an extremely smart, savvy, helpful and connected group of women. My business grew from the relationships over the years. Opportunities of serving on the PWN Board, facilitating the monthly Sales Networking Group, and coordinating major events for PWN honed many of my skills and brought me so much joy. Most of all, I met many of my closest friends through PWN. Professional Women’s Network, a fabulous organization of “SHEroes” to be a part of through all seasons of my life.”  Debbie Cladis .

Because PWN knows how lives are impacted through what she stands for and strives to achieve everyday with every event, social media post, and member spotlights – she keeps going in spite of obstacles that may come. 

When pondering what the most rewarding part of the organization is, PWN can’t help but reflect on the word “growth”. Whether it’s facilitating the growth of someone’s business life or their personal life, growth is a movement forward and one to be appreciated for all it’s worth! Thinking about the members that have honed public speaking skills, or have authored a book because the opportunity to join a Writer’s Group was available to them is inspiring. The day that someone volunteered to join a committee to mentor young girls going into business was a day that made PWN proud to exist! The moment someone said they would love to be a board member or to step into another leadership role – that is a day that is truly treasured by PWN because it shows another level of growth in women.

But perhaps one of the most impactful acts that PWN experiences is when women invest monetarily in her through membership dues, attendance fees, and sponsorships to support the necessary aspects of her existence. It is then she knows she is making a difference in their lives and that they choose to see her go on into the future to continue to help businesswomen take the next step in their journey. 

On the flip side of that, the worst part of the PWN journey came a few years back when the pandemic shut down everything in life and in business we knew as normal. It created many challenges for her as well as her members. Being female-centered, she knew the thing to do was to pivot and that is what happened. All in-person events came to a screeching halt, so all programs, meetings, and events went virtual!

As an organization built on building relationships, it became a challenge to maintain, but PWN did as best as was possible through that time. It was also discovered during this time that there were some communication and website issues that created an entirely new set of obstacles to overcome. PWN was losing many things monetarily due to those communication issues as well as no longer charging for events and programs as had been done while being in person – being a women driven organization, simply giving up was not an option, even in the face of these challenges. 

This brings us to today – three years after the fact and struggling a bit to find the path along this journey to the thriving, inspirational, educational, and growing organization it once was. Trying to navigate a new existence and looking forward to the future of women in business may look different in many ways, but in that same thought process many things remain the same – in the forefront is connection!

Women still need relationships and in-person connection to other women in business. PWN has planned several events over the past year and they’ve had to be cancelled due to low or no registration. She has wondered why? Volunteers have been few. She has wondered why?  Membership renewals and new memberships have begun to dwindle. She has wondered why? So, what has been the worst part of the PWN journey? Wondering why…

When thinking about what the best piece of advice to women entrepreneurs would be, PWN still stands strong in, “Believe. Invest. Act.” Believe in yourself, your business, your inspiration and in PWN. Invest in all those things. Invest in yourself through learning, practicing self-care, and connecting with like-minded professionals and although PWN is a non-profit, she also knows in all honesty, it takes money invested to maintain and to grow, just as in your business.

And finally Act on it. Join the board, a committee, participate in planning an event, attend an event, show up and connect with incredible women. Lastly, invite another woman in business to join, renew your membership and consider being a sponsor! 

Find out more, renew your membership, and become a sponsor by visiting: https://pwncentral.com/