It was 2014 and I had found myself far far away from my favourite city in the world, London, and was feeling quite alone in Manly Beach, Australia.
Desperate to find what I had left behind and my incredible meditation & spiritual community back in London, I set out to create my own tribe in Manly and joined a wonderful Meetup group called Womanly lead by Luisa Manfredini.
This group was different. 3 simple reasons why it stood out:
1. It was a morning networking group vs an evening, after-work one. Coffee rather than cocktails. I liked the healthy angle.
2. It was all women and there was an instant sisterhood feel.
3. The mission was to build lasting relationships that lead to organic business collaboration, rather than smarmy “how can I squeeze money out of you” type of thing.
Luisa, the organizer, was so interested that I was a meditation teacher that she asked me to lead a meditation right then and there in the middle of the networking event. I did, and the feedback was mind-blowing. Everyone loved it and asked for more.
The best part is that through this event, a woman named Michaela C. Bisch took an interest in me and reached out to me afterward wanting to connect. She ended up taking a meditation course with me and I ended up working with her as a healer many times over the years. The best part of all is that we became friends, true friends, almost even sort of best friends. 9 years and 3 continental moves later, I can still count her as a true friend and an almost best friend.
All this is thanks to Womanly.
Fast forward 4 years…
In 2018 I found myself in a new country again. This time it was in Männedorf, Switzerland. The craving for community was even stronger this time around but there was nothing available.
Finally this year, in 2023, I set out to create my own.
I didn’t want to reinvent the wheel because Luisa’s format was simple and effective so I asked for her blessing to start a similar group in my small town and launched Womännedorf Networking Event in May.
We came together, almost relieved to at last have a community like this in our own little corner of Switzerland.
Little did I know that at least a dozen other women were just as hungry for a community and a sisterhood of like-minded women who also dream of being self-employed.
We are determined to carry this on and keep the momentum going because this type of community that leads to genuine relationships and natural business collaboration is rare.
Once you find it, and recognize it, you don’t let go.
I thank all the lovely ladies who were part of the first event and can’t wait to see them again as well as many new faces at the next Womaännedorf event on June 23, 9 am at Untervogthaus Café in Männedorf.
Please join us! All the details are here: thelifester.com/events
