Sun, celebration and inspiration on International Women’s Day
Spring sunshine streamed through the windows at Beckenham Place Mansion as Successful Mums’ in-person events made an exuberant comeback this week.
Founder Jane Knight was delighted to host our first post-pandemic live event on International Women’s Day – the perfect day to celebrate the women in our lives and those who joined us for an afternoon of ideas, advice and inspiration.
In her signature fun and informal style, Jane offered practical hints and tips for bouncing back to work or into business after a career break. The relaxed and lively session touched on everything from boosting confidence and working out what you really want to do, to finding flexible jobs and turning business dreams into reality. Jane explained how Successful Mums can connect women with local employers and mentors, as well as the support and resources we have to help mums find their career or business mojo.
We also heard from inspiring guest speaker Parisa Wright of Greener & Cleaner Bromley, a community organisation whose environmental projects are making a huge impact locally and whose message is close to our hearts. Our group of around 50 mums then had the chance to chat with the Successful Mums team to get the lowdown on our courses and coaching, and to enjoy networking with like-minded women out in sun.
Empowering women is at the heart of Successful Mums. We’ve helped more than 6,000 women find flexible, family-friendly jobs, change careers or start their own brilliant businesses, and we love nothing more than bringing women together to celebrate and support one another as they make their journeys with us.
“I’ve really enjoyed meeting all the motivated mums who took their first steps with us this afternoon,” said Jane, following the IWD event. “I love our webinars and virtual events but I’ve really relished the chance to get back in my heels – albeit only for about an hour before I had to kick them off! – and in front of a great group of mums today.”
As well as those learning about Successful Mums for the first time, the crowd included a few familiar faces, as some of the mums currently undertaking our training took the opportunity to come along and get together with the other women on their courses.
One of those mums was Rizza Joy, who is currently doing both our Confidence Course (for those preparing to return to work after a career break) and 121 Career Coaching.
“The women from my Confidence Course webinars have really bonded over the past few weeks and I feel so lucky to have found myself part of such a great community,” said Rizza Joy. “It really feels like we’re in this together and we all help each other. Having made those bonds, it has been lovely to actually see them face to face today.”
The mum-of-two, who has a background in marketing but has been away from the workplace for five years with her young family, said she can’t recommend Successful Mums highly enough.
“I keep telling absolutely everyone about it! When I first started thinking about going back to work, my confidence was a real barrier and I was constantly questioning myself. Did I still have the skills I needed? Did I still have any skills? But now I feel so much better within myself; I’m more articulate and I’ve got the confidence to express myself in situations when I would have previously felt a little intimated. Doing the career coaching at the same time has also helped me focus on the type of role I want to go for and now I can really see my way forward,” she said.
For Rizza Joy, joining her new friends at Beckenham Place Mansion for the Successful Mums event was the icing on the cake: “Leaving there today, I felt so motivated and empowered. It was the perfect way to celebrate International Women’s Day.”
Take a look at our fully-funded courses here so you too can take the first step on your return to work, new career or business journey today with Successful Mums.