July 2006 - Networking Evening

An interesting mix of networking tables and member-speakers was enjoyed by members of Andover Women in Business Club at its July meeting.  On a beautiful summer’s evening, members and guests mingled at The Bourne Valley Inn, St Mary Bourne, with the opportunity to learn more about fellow members’ businesses and view some of the wide range of products and services on offer.

Seven members took the opportunity to book tables to promote their business, ranging from cosmetics, to theatrical performance and pottery painting.  Following a delicious buffet, four members were each given the opportunity to give a broad overview of the work in which they are involved.
 
Amanda Prideaux (Miglio Jewellery) explained to members how her role as Miglio Jewellery consultant had given her the opportunity to meet many new people and recruit new consultants.  In just four years, the Miglio Jewellery business in this country had increased its consultants from only three to around 350, with new consultants being recruited all the time.  Selling the jewellery, mainly through party plan, has been very popular, offering a proportion of sales as incentive to the host, some of which is often now donated to charity.

left to right - Sue Corney, Amanda Prideaux, President Tessa Makepeace, Mary Clegg and Katherine Graves

Mary Clegg (Beecourse Limited) took the opportunity to raise the taboo subject of sex, explaining how her own sex education had been inadequate and had prompted her launch a website selling ‘sex toys’ in a discreet way.  Mary explained how many couples, after many years of raising children and concentrating on careers, need to rekindle their physical relationships and, in these days of remarriage, how older couples sometimes need to learn how to get the best from their relationships.  Mary is planning to run her first local Pleasure Masterclass in September, which aims to help women learn more about therapeutic, safe sex and the benefits of sex toys in an existing and stable relationship.

Sue Corney (Associated Futures) captured the attention of the members with three simple exercises to determine how life coaching can help in everyday life, whether at work or at home.  Demonstrating how most people spend a considerable time doing things they do not enjoy, Sue was able to show how guidance can help to redress the balance to encourage people to concentrate more on the more pleasurable tasks and less on those that do not bring enjoyment.  By allowing a life coach to draw out a person’s real desires, it is possible rearrange priorities in life to the benefit of all concerned.  Making her point, Sue involved the audience in a short exercise to count squares on a page to show how out of one shape, there are many different answers.

Katherine Graves (Hypnotherapist) continued the mind theme by explaining how the mind can affect the way the body behaves.  Again involving those present, Katherine demonstrated some of her theories with simple exercises to show how physical strength can be influenced by the mind and astonished members with the outcomes.  A widely trained and experienced hypnotherapist, Katherine has considerable success in her specialities of Hypnobirthing, HynoFertility and stopping smoking.  

Andover Women in Business Club meets again for an informal Summer meeting with partners on Tuesday, 1st August in the gardens of Bliss Beauty Therapy.