As much as I love being my own boss, working by myself can get a bit lonely. My coworkers are now my dogs and as much as I love them, they just aren’t the same as working in an office full of people.
To combat the lack of daily human interaction, I’ve connected with almost 50 lady bosses via virtual coffee dates (plus a few IRL cups of coffee). I’ve built a strong network of fellow creatives that I can turn to when I need some inspiration, advice or collaborator.
The good news is, you too can build a community of like-minded lady bosses by scheduling virtual coffee dates. Those amazing ladies will become great friends and supporters as your biz grows and changes.
What is a virtual coffee date?
With so many creative entrepreneurs living all over the globe, it is impossible to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee with them face-to-face. Instead, invite them to a virtual coffee date via Skype, Facetime or phone.
How do I schedule a virtual coffee date?
I created an Acuity (affiliate link) calendar that I can send directly to people I want to schedule a virtual coffee dates with. I reach out via email or Facebook to set up the date.
Another way to connect with fellow lady bosses is via the Heart Centred Biz Bosses Facebook group. On the first of every month, group member are encouraged to connect with fellow members so they can get to know each other and develop stronger relationships.
What do we talk about?
Half of the time with I chat with fellow biz bosses, we don’t even end up talking about our businesses! Instead, we chat about where we grew up, what we did over the weekend or our favorite Netflix series.
But when I get on a call, I do want to learn about other’s businesses, so I make a point of asking about her business, how she got started and how I can support her. I try to keep a few notes about our conversation in a spreadsheet so I can easily look back at who I have chatted with. Reina also has a great guide to connecting with fellow creatives on her site.
Building Community
Taking the time to connect with fellow biz ladies will open more doors than you can imagine! Not only will it expand your network, but as you get to know the ladies you are connecting with, you will build a community with the ladies you chat with. Take the time to understand their businesses and how you can support each other. Create a spread sheet to keep track of who you connect with, what they do and their contact information. That will make it easy to follow up with new friends and share their services with others.
As you build relationships with the ladies you have had coffee chats with, you will find you have a built in network of friends ready to share your services and sing your praises!
So I challenge you to book a virtual coffee date with a fellow creative you’ve been wanting to get to know better. If you aren’t sure who to start with, I’m also looking to get to know other lady bosses. Book a coffee date with me!
Great read Katie! When I was writing out my goals for 2017 this is most certainly one of them. I love your pointers. Thanks for writing! ❤️
I live in rural Western Colorado and connecting with people from afar is essential for me. Thanks for the great advice and resources!
Love virtual coffee dates (and in person ones, too!).
Such a great reminder to stay connected to others on the path to growing their businesses!