Networking for Work At Home Mothers
Iris J Chapman
Copyright ®2004
There is a myth that in order to be an entrepreneur you have
to grow up in a family of entrepreneurs that guided and
shaped you. You have to have gone to the best schools and
rubbed elbows with movers and shakers.
There is no question that a family like that can make it
easier to have a business mind set and self-confidence, but
it is not mandatory. Many successful business women did not
grow up learning the structure of business. Regardless of
your upbringing, you always have the option in adulthood to
seek out guides of your own.
Attracting the right guide makes your journey smoother. A
guide is someone who sees you for who you are and helps you
to find your way. Guides can be teachers, parents,
relatives, mentors, coaches, friends, colleagues,
organizations, communities, support groups, spiritual
teachings, works of art, plays, movies, books, radio and
television broadcasts, Internet information or chat sessions
or any other encounter with wisdom.
For many self-employed women, guides are symbolic rather
than real. As Joan Jeruchim and Pat Shapiro wrote in Women,
Mentors, and Success, "Women who work alone, such as writers
and artists, often have a different problem in developing a
professional identity. They work in an isolated setting and
must create their own culture. Often they develop
professional identities by studying others' works and
fantasizing about a symbolic mentors or role models. While
it is difficult to maintain a personal relationship with a
more established writer or artist, the careers of these
symbolic mentors can be inspirational."
The same can be said about work at home mothers. The
Internet has made it easier for work at home mothers to
network. Listed below are three ways for WAHM's to increase
their networking.
- Join a forum with women who also have home businesses.
- Ask someone in business that you admire or respect for
advice.
- Join or begin a mastermind group.
What is a mastermind group? The term mastermind group was
started by Napoleon Hill, who said:
"The process of mind-blending, here described as a Master
Mind, may be likened to the act of one who connects many
electric batteries to a single transmission wire, thereby
'stepping up' the power flowing over that line. Each mind,
through the principle of mind chemistry, stimulates all the
other minds in the group, until the mind energy thus becomes
so great that it penetrates to and connects with the
universal energy known as ether, which, in turn, touches
every atom of the entire universe."
Simply speaking the group energizes each member and they are
able to accomplish much more together than they would have
ever been able to do on their own. The goal is to have
positive energy running through your group. Have positive
upbeat members on your team. A critical skill for many women
is discernment - knowing whose advice is from the heart and
really meant to be helpful, and avoiding people who pull
you away from your goals and may be trying to undermine your
achievement.
Wanda Carter summed it up nicely when she said, "Take
control of your destiny. Believe in yourself. Ignore those
who try to discourage you. Avoid negative sources, people,
places, things and habits. Don't give up and don't give in."
Belonging to a mastermind group that is fully functional,
positive and goal oriented is one of the best business tools
you can have.
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Iris J Chapman, Author
http://www.websitemasterminds.com">Website
Masterminds information on Mastermind Groups for
WAHM's. Join the
http://wmg-network.ryze.com/">WAHM
Mastermind Group and discover the
power of many.
