Hi boss girl, I hope you’re been keeping warm and are even happier than you were when I last vented.
So I’m back, as promised, with part II of this fab topic I’ve been exploring. Since part I went live, I’ve loved the feedback I’ve received from the amazing group of ladies I’ve connected with on Instagram since first joining the platform.
Just in case you’ve forgotten, let me remind you what we spoke about last time:
“I’m grateful for the amazing ladies I’ve gotten to digi-meet in my short time on IG but whoa, introduce me pls? Entrepreneurship is such a tough and lonely road, we all need a little support.
Okay back to the topic. Unless your business literally makes money per follower or like, is it worth shooting your shot to be part of a group of CEO baddies? I’ve wondered this for a long time and I just need one girlie to tell me, how has being part of a clique (don’t feel bad please, you know exactly what I’m talking about, you’re a tribe with codewords and sh*t LOL) benefitted your business? Do you get referrals? Have you successfully explored a fruitful collabo? Anything?”
I think I may have been a little too upset with my frustrations by the time I got to the above paragraph. I’m much calmer and objective today and thought I’d put to you a new stand point. Are we maybe trying too hard to shove entrepreneurship down our own throats and using it to establish ‘friendships’ that we expect to be genuine even though we’re really only in it as long as it benefits business?
I spoke to my mentor about my last column and she presented me with an interesting chat: What do I want from my time on Instagram? Am I open to establishing real, personal connections or is this about networking and making business connections?
That was my epiphany. Maybe my priorities aren’t as clear as I thought, I’m not sure why I even wanted to ‘be part of a clique’. And maybe that was why my approach may have sounded like an interrogation. A clique is a group of friends (loosely defined) and it has never been about securing the bag. But overtime, social media has blurred those lines.
I’m realising that I want organic connections with boundaries. Of course I want my friends to support me. But I don’t want us to become friends of convenience just because all roads lead to the bag. And that’s ME. This shouldn’t put me in a position where I judge how others navigate their friendships.
So, maybe the answer is yes. Social media has proven to be a fabulous tool to business success for many entrepreneurs. And it has also been a way to progress your idea. Since 2020, we’ve all seen or read about someone who made a success as a digital entrepreneur, and at the heart of all things digital, is SOCIAL MEDIA! Duh!
The take away here is, be clear about your intentions and what you want. There’s nothing wrong with making connections on the gram with the sole purpose of growing a business, be upfront about it and what you bring to the table. Similarly, there’s also nothing wrong with making genuine connections with women who end up as friends and sisters who support you where they can in business but most importantly outside of the hustle and bustle of Life of Girl Boss.
It can be a win-win. And different strokes work for different folks.
Here’s what I’m going to do. I love that writing this column has forced me to really reconsider my own priorities and I hope this makes you do so too if you’re a bit wobbly like myself. I’m going to go back to my drawing board and answer first this question – WHAT DO I WANT? I mean after money (LOL!)
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it. And I’d like to send a special shout out to Helen P, Mable, Masaku and Lorraine, for taking the time to read my column and share their honest thoughts with me. You guys are stars and I’m so glad you I met y’all!
I’ll be seeing you very soon in my new column piece in the June Edition of Director Woman Fastrack.
Take care,
