Building a network of people around you who you trust, know and respect is a great way to generate contacts.

This is why the group you join needs to become your premier sales team and why we must work together to make it just that.  In our groups we only allow one lady per profession to be represented and although we aim to balance the industry groups and grow the group strategically we do need your help.

It is much better to be part of the same group with ladies who you can do business with rather than have too many strangers thrown together.

To be successful at networking relationships need to be foremed and often this can take time to develop.

By helping us grow your group by introducing ladies you know into the network, will help you get results quicker.  Alternatively please let your Regional Director know if there are any companies you would benefit from networking with and we’ll invite them along.  You will have the best understanding of a potential strategic partner for you than we will.

“Building a network of people around you who you trust, know and respect is a great way to generate contacts”

People love to do business with individuals or businesses that have been recommended to them. Every day, just by talking to people, we’re passing on business leads.

Business Networking Really Works!

Focusing exclusively on women in business fulfilling a business development role, The Athena Network offers inspiring opportunities to engage with business owners and decision makers from diverse industry sectors. Founded on values of respect and integrity, Athena groups are committed to welcoming members and visitors in a relaxed, mutually supportive and ethical environment.

Why Join The Athena Network?

The business was founded to provide women in business with opportunities to make strategic connections with professionals in a wide range of industry sectors.

At the heart of Athena’s activities, networking groups meet each month over a good lunch in an attractive venue to make new contacts, develop valuable business expertise and explore visionary ideas. Additional local and regional initiatives provide excellent membership value, through motivational workshops on networking skills and business planning, social events, training courses, business retreats and one-to-one consultancy services.

Vibrant and fast-growing, Athena is the UK’s premier business networking organisation for women in business and is establishing a significant international presence.

To find out more about a group meeting near you please view attend a meeting or telephone us on 0845 004 9262.

We look forward to welcoming you to one of our meetings

I rather think it chose me! I had worked for Thomson NETg for nearly 12 years in project management, consultancy and latterly sales. During those 12 years the majority of my meetings were scheduled by a telemarketing team.

You can imagine my surprise when I set up my coaching and training business ‘Phoenix Potential’ to find I needed to source my own clients … a culture shock to say the least. Business advisors suggested networking, I couldn’t think of anything more abhorrent but made the effort so I could, at the least, go back to my business advisor to say that I had done it.

I attended several breakfast networking events and was challenged. I consider myself to be a confident women but at these meetings my knees would knock and I didn’t know what to say. When I spoke to the organisers about this I was advised that “you will just get used to it”. I didn’t want to spend an indefinite period of time ‘getting used to it’ but didn’t know how else to improve. A friend advised me that there was a networking group for ladies being launched in Watford and I made the decision that this would be my one last attempt at it. I loved it!

With a background in business development, corporate training and motivation, I recognised that what was currently being offered could be improved upon with the inclusion of training and a simple replicable business model.

When was the decision made to franchise the Athena Network?

The Athena Network was launched in January 2006. and the intention was always to franchise Athena. I am an advocate of Michael Gerbers E-Myth Revisited, I had worked with excellent coaches, Chris Barrow, Nicola Cairncross who also followed Gerbers principles and very simply  Athena ‘started with the end in mind’

And what led you to decide that there was a need for a networking organisation specifically for women?

Ladies I was meeting were finding that they were not able to commit to attend the early morning meetings. A trial of networking at lunch time attracted more women than men

The Athena Network was launched with the intention of providing networking events specifically for women

So, do men and women have different networking needs do you think?

We certainly have different styles of networking. Women tend (and this is a huge generalisation) to respect that networking is a long term strategy. I’ve been to networking events with men where my eyes have nearly been taken out the business cards are being thrown at me so hard and fast.

Part of the success of Athena is the preparation we give our members and visitors. When they attend a meeting they know exactly what is expected of them.

Is there something special about Athena compared with other women’s networks?

I’m completely biased and of course I would say yes! What differentiates us is that the members have embraced the values of Athena, they are proud to be members. There is a genuine feel of community with Athena

And why do you think Athena has become so successful so quickly?

Because of the training, the support and the community that has been created.

We have incredibly fabulous Regional Directors on the team who are all committed to supporting their members. Many networking organisations are run by individuals who do it as an additional revenue stream, they take on ladies who are paid a commission to run a group. Very simply there is no commitment from them. Although Regional Directors do have other businesses they are as committed to Athena as they are to others.

Speaking as a franchisor, what do you think are the key elements in putting together a successful franchise business?

Training, support, motivation, holding the vision for them (it can become heavy sometimes), creating a simple effective model to follow. Documenting each process acurately, ensuring that you are constantly adding value and supporting.

And do you think buying a franchise is a better business option for women particularly than other start up routes?

I spent two years developing a coaching and training business that was only just starting to earn the revenue that an Athena franchisee could earn in a month. I do think that women need to be discerning in their choice of a franchise, make sure that it matches their values, their lifestyle and that it is something they can see themselves still doing in three years time.

What I personally love about franchise models is that you can still run other businesses but are guaranteed an income from your franchise.

In terms of developing a successful business do you have any top tips for other business owners or those thinking of starting up?

Be kind to yourself! Start with a business you can still imagine yourself in in three years time, surround yourself with mentors and advisors who have trodden the path before you. Educate yourself daily and ask lots of questions!

Finally, how do you see the future of networking developing in the UK?

The UK are behind the USA in their networking strategies and I hold the belief that the future of networking will explode in the UK within the next three years. I only have to look at how many networks start up (sadly as many fail because they don’t understand the principles) hoping to fulfil a need.

Networking will become more diverse, there will be more gender/profession specific groups established and for that I am grateful. One of our Regional Directors said that when she knew she had competition locally it made her ‘sharpen her pencil!’.

A huge success in the UK since 2005, The Athena Network was founded by Jacqueline Rogers to provide business women with opportunities to meet like-minded women from a wide range of industry sectors. The network has now grown to 26 franchisees, 2600 networking members across 30 regions already throughout the UK.

Spearheading the Singapore/Asia Pacific Athena Network launch is “rock chick entrepreneur” Gina Romero, who previously served as Athena Operations Director and Regional Director of the North London area. Now based in Singapore with her family, Gina is poised to launch the Athena Network in the Asia Pacific Region, alongside her brand “Business Rocks!”.

Gina is excited to bring resources, training, events and expertise to start ups and small business owners in Singapore. “Singapore has a thriving community of small businesses and entrepreneurs. I am very excited about the opportunity to bring the Athena brand here to APAC. My vision is to create a dynamic community of inspired women who come together for personal and professional development, fun and of course to open the door to bigger and better business opportunities for all. I believe the key to success in business is collaboration and Athena is a wonderful platform for women to learn, grow and connect.”

Along with the Athena brand, Gina brings with her 6 intense years of IT experience, creativity, logic, boundless energy and savvy business ideas, much of which she attributes to Athena. “Joining the Athena Network was one of the best business decisions I ever made. I had amazing success as a member and I put this down to the support I have received from other members and the founder of Athena Jacqueline Rogers over the years. Being part of the Athena head office team, was a phenomenal experience and I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to work with so many outstanding business women. I am extremely proud to be an Athena woman and I am delighted to be an ambassador for the Athena Brand here in Singapore and Asia Pacific.”

As part of the team supporting Gina with The Athena Network launch is Claire Kidd, a fellow UK expat and associate of Gina in Singapore. Claire has over seven years experience in the corporate world as a facilitator and trainer and is looking forward to assisting The Athena Network launch. Claire is a published magazine writer and is excited about extending her professional network through Athena by helping others with their written content requirements. A certified NLP practitioner, Claire is passionate about empowering people to define and achieve their goals by using innovative techniques.

Gina and her team, along with all the women of The Athena Network look forward to bringing the opportunity to attend fun, focused networking events, trainings and coaching in business and personal development to the dynamic business community of women in the region.

For more details of the Athena meeting in Singapore and/or to reserve your place, please contact:

Gina Romero
Email: gina.romero@theathenanetwork.com
Tel: + 65 8511 6912
Twitter: @gina_romero

She started her career as a psychologist researching how we learn to communicate. This interest led her to train teachers and business people, write books, run a global chain of schools and finally set up her own highly successful language school in Oxford.
Then in 2001 she moved with her husband and daughter to New York just in time to watch the twin towers come down. Living in central Manhattan, at the top of a skyscraper, gave her a bird’s eye view that day. It also made her realise that life is fragile and that we must use every precious moment wisely. Under these unusually stressful circumstances she and her husband decided to part company. Joni moved to their chateau near Toulouse and spent several years writing (unpublished….so far!) novels whilst setting up social networking for Brits in SW France.

Moving back to Oxford in 2009 she developed a corporate income stream for a national women’s charity. This work opened her eyes to the multiple disadvantages of many women. She saw that they had almost no resilience to life’s knocks yet encountered them so often. She knew then that she wanted to put together a programme that would help all women, and men, develop this resilience – so that sadness or emotional upset does not develop into clinical depression. She wrote The Happiness Programme as a step by step practical approach to restructuring one’s life to make it much happier. Today she is starting out to market her innovative work as a ‘happiness coach’.

She first came to Athena to learn how this work could be furthered by networking in Oxford. But she loved the Athena model and knew immediately she wanted to run a group herself. And so was born Athena Bristol.
‘I’ve lived in London, Paris, Rome and New York – just like the Chanel bottle! When you find yourself somewhere new, networking skills are essential. Just as they are when you set up a new business. And a major aspect of The Happiness Programme is the importance of building strong networks. Without these we don’t take risks and we easily get dejected and isolated. Networks are key to living life to the full and to achieving success in business.’

A natural ‘people person’, Rachel’s career started off in the hospitality sector – she was the UK’s youngest pub landlady at The Grapes in Pease Pottage, West Sussex at just 19 years old before she moved into the field of Human Resources in her early twenties. After 8 years with a large multi-national company, gaining a great deal of corporate experience and capability in generalist HR as well as writing and delivering training workshops both in the UK and abroad, she decided she wanted to work with smaller businesses. Following a move to Oxfordshire, the ideal opportunity presented itself with Business Link MKOB, part of the government’s initiative to support small to medium sized businesses. Rachel worked with more than 300 SME’s of many different business types, helping them with their HR challenges, Investors in People accreditation and delivering both business and personal development. Changes in the Business Link model offered a natural transition into running her own HR and training consultancy where she was able to fulfil her passion of working with SME’s and she was able to add business mentoring and coaching to her portfolio of services.

After becoming a mum in 2006, Rachel continued to juggle her career and motherhood, remaining in the HR, recruitment and development field until she and her husband set up Goddard & Son www.goddardandson.co.uk, a bespoke kitchen design, manufacturing and installation business in 2010. Despite the challenging trading conditions, the company is going from strength to strength and much of its success can be attributed to the opportunities, relationships and support delivered by the Athena network.

“Now Goddard & Son is established, it just seemed like the logical next step to become part of the Athena team and I’m very excited at the opportunity to bring this wonderful business network to a new area. I’m so looking forward to meeting the fabulous women I know will be drawn to Athena and helping them with both their personal growth and business journeys. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing a woman realise her potential and her dreams and knowing that in some way you’ve been able to play a part.”

Gayle’s flair for communications and her entrepreneurial spirit were born very early in her working life when she realised that she would never be the ideal employee due to her lack of desire to conform. Gayle decided to blaze her own trail by collecting knowledge, experience and skills as a Sales & Marketing professional across several industries including media, PR, retail and finance that would help her to create and run her own business.

Through her career path, Gayle has been able to help large and small businesses to define their identities and develop their business beyond their existing horizons. It was here that Gayle developed her outstanding team building skills and learnt that she had a natural penchant for engaging and empowering the individual whilst never losing sight of the overall goal. Gayle now uses this expertise to facilitate change in her clients.

Gayle is an engaging and humorous speaker who is able to guide her audience through her personal roller coaster journey whilst leaving them inspired to take action in their lives and achieve new levels of success.

Gayle speaks on many topics to enhance her audiences personal and professional development including Increasing Confidence, Preparing for and Achieving Success and Enhancing your Wellbeing and Body Confidence.

Additional Information

Gayle is a British Board of NLP (BBNLP) & Global Organisation of NLP (GONLP) Certified Master Practitioner in NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), Hypnotherapy and Time Line Therapy® as well as being a Breakthrough Coach. Added to this Gayle is also a Certified City & Guilds Trainer and an honours graduate in common sense and empathy.

After leaving school, she went to the London College of Fashion to train in dress design, pattern-cutting and textiles. That wasn’t taxing enough so she then retrained in computer programming and analysis which kept her very happily employed until in 2001 she started planning her wedding and realised that there was nobody out there who could help with the finer details of the planning and then be there to help out on the day.

Following her wedding in 2002, Debbie decided to fill that gap in the market and Wedding Wonders was born. 2 years later, Debbie took the plunge and left the comfortable computing contract and realised that networking was a great way to build her business.

Being a people-person, Debbie thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to network with like-minded business women and having a chance to help others with their businesses.

Since joining Athena, she has never looked back and now, as well as being a Regional Manager for 4 Athena groups in the North West Hertfordshire and Middlesex regions, she is launching a new Watford group in October.

You can read more details here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Athena-Watford/277537212275410?sk=app_211519365579403

Debbie Diggle
Regional Director Watford
The Athena Network
m : 07733 076775

Members – some who have been with the group for 3, 4 or even 5 years, and some who joined more recently – and visitors gathered at Badgemore Park Golf Club to celebrate this special event.

Everyone wore a splash of pink, and there was pink fizz and cakes to help the celebrations.  Networking was still the focus of the meeting, and there were lots of connections being made.

The group meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month.  For further details please contact Penny Stephens, Regional Director penny.stephens@theathenanetwork.com

Members took the opportunity to donate bras to the Bra Bank  for recycling in aid of Against Breast Cancer, an Oxford-based charity.

This group of keen networkers meets at The Oxford Centre in Summertown and attracts businesswomen from a wide range of professions from Accountant to Change Agent to Pilates Coach and just about everything in between.

For more information contact Penny Stephens, Regional Director, on 07729 555474 penny.stephens@theathenanetwork.com