That is the message from mortgage adviser Becky Runga, who is one of the driving forces behind Elevate Mind and Business which is organising a new networking event in Dunedin for women in business.
But rather than focus solely on networking, those behind it describe it as an experience that will combine inspiration, education and connection in a safe, welcoming and supportive environment.
The first event — Women In Business: Journeys — will be held at the city’s new events space Errick’s Venue on April 3 and speakers include sharebroker Haley Van Leeuwen; the Otago Daily Times 2022 Business Leader of the Year Heidi Renata and 2023 winner Sarah Ramsay; Elizabeth Zizik from menstrual health clinic Hekate; Ilse Erasmus from Elemental Integrative Wellness, and retreat The Longhouse at Karitane; and The Standard Kitchen owners Katie Petre and Nicol Whareaitu.
When Mrs Runga, who has a background in the banking industry, became a mortgage adviser with MortgageMe, she had a goal of meeting people and realised she needed to "hit the ground running". She also decided the point of difference she needed to stand out was social media.
She forged a strong connection with both photographer Kerry Hodge and designer Ngahuia Crossman, who as well as their own respective businesses, Inspiring Design Co and Kerry Hodge Photography, also share Ara Creative Studios together, and became a client.
Their stories — along with their energy, motivation and vibe — resonated with Mrs Runga and they formed a close friendship, continuing to stay connected.
Traditional networking events did not appeal to Mrs Runga; she wanted to meet people and get a sense of self-growth, development, challenge, accountability and learning.
In her head, she kept thinking of the tagline "self growth by design, network by default".
"I wanted the vibe, the passion and connection. I couldn’t find it so I created one", she said.
After also connecting with Cutlers Real Estate agent Alana Tamakehu , the pair started working on Elevate with the initial intention of holding monthly breakfast gatherings. But then they realised they did not have the capacity for that.
Enter Ms Hodge, who wanted to run a similar event, and Elevate was ready to go, so they teamed up with the intention of holding three or four events a year, each one with a different theme.
It was not just about connecting with other women but promoting and giving another platform for women to share their business stories, even down to the catering and entertainment selected.
At the first event, the theme was Journeys and a group of inspiring woman would be "talking everything" from resilience and grit to hormonal health and how to keep going. A workshop with the Highlanders personal development manager Sonia O’Neill would cover mental strategies.
Mrs Runga said Elevate was for "everyone": from those who had been in business for 30 years and were tired and unable to think of new ideas and wanted to be inspired and motivated, to those 25-year-olds who needed the wisdom and maturity of those at the other end of their business careers.
She wanted to make it accessible for women throughout the wider region — "people who don’t have access to this epic-ness" — to make a day of it in Dunedin.
Mrs Runga, a mother of four, said she had always been somewhat of a mentor and sounding board, right back to when she was at school and helping friends with their boyfriend problems. Now those skills had translated into her job which was never just about a transaction.
She recently launched a podcast series called "Broke to Brilliant" aimed at helping encourage financial literacy and confidence through practical tips.
Another busy mother, with five children and three companies to her name, is Ms Crossman whose design career started in Perth, then Asia before she relocated to New Zealand.
She operates her brand and web development agency, Inspiring Design, from the top floor of a building at Waikouaiti Racecourse, Ara Creative Studios is on the second floor and the scaffolding business she owns with her partner, U and I, is on the bottom floor.
Some networking groups in Dunedin had died away due to Covid and it was hard to find authentic relationships, she said. She hoped other women in similar trades to her would attend and she was looking forward to bringing women together.
Ms Hodge said she "fell" into a photography career a few years ago when a friend asked her to photograph her wedding. At the time, she was raising two young boys, the oldest having been diagnosed with autism, and she set up her business around the probability he would be home-schooled.
Both she and Ms Crossman were two mothers who were sick of working from home, she said, quipping that they would look up and see laundry, and Mrs Runga had become one of their biggest cheerleaders.
It felt like there was a market for a women’s networking event and while everyone talked about how it took a village to raise a child, it also took a village to become strong as a woman "and to wear all the hats we are expected to wear".
The quartet were having a lot of fun and were hyped about the first event and bringing more people into the hype. They were creating something they wanted to attend.
"We feel like a really awesome girl gang", she said.
