Louise started out at Barclays where she
built an impressive track record in
sales and marketing; picking up several
awards and receiving recognition for her
outstanding performance during her nine
years. Then moving to Business Network
International (BNI) as Director of
London and Birmingham, she successfully
helped to set up and support over 40
networking groups.
After five years with BNI, Louise set up
a highly successful aromatherapy
practice in Harley Street. Running the
practice alongside her BNI work, she
found that the two businesses dovetailed
perfectly. Networking comes as easy as
breathing to Louise and she quickly
built up a great client base for her
practice.
Transitions are a major part in women’s lives
and a watershed came for Louise when she had her
first daughter and relocated to Hertfordshire.
Knowing from experience that personal
recommendation is one of the best ways to find
new business, she naturally wanted to join
business networks in her area to support her
business
But how? The goal posts had moved. With a new
baby to consider breakfast meetings were no
longer viable. So how are women to find
support, contacts and a network to fit in with
their hectic work and home demands? Louise
tuned into a zeitgeist among other
entrepreneurial women who were working to have
it all. Lightbulbs started popping.
Louise’s inspiration produced a unique and
workable model for business networking that
would fit in with women’s business needs and
lifestyles. In January 2005 she founded a
networking organisation for women and it was an
overnight success. In the first year 23 groups
were set up in the Home Counties, bringing the
total tally of networking groups Louise has
personally founded to nearly 40.
Business
was good but when Louise joined forces with
Jacqueline Rogers, who was working directly with
business owners as a coach, mentor and trainer
they knew they could take women’s networking to
a new dimension.
Thus The Athena Network was born.
“Like a magenta and silver army we are moving
across the country connecting women; and when
women connect they don’t just move mountains,
they do it in heels and manage to sort
the laundry out later.”
Louise Heasman
Regional Director & Co-Founder - The Athena
Network
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