Member Article

Entrepreneur and owner of Forward Ladies on her new vision for women’s networking

Yorkshire’s Forward Ladies, the women’s organisation established in 2000 by Etta Cohen was sold recently in a member buyout to Griselda Togobo, a consulting entrepreneur.

With 13,000 members across the country, Griselda has taken on quite the challenge. Griselda spoke to Bdaily about the problems she faces, the importance of networking and where she plans on taking Forward Ladies from here, to modernise and revamp the organisation.

How did you first get involved with Forward Ladies, how long have you been a member?

A friend invited me to a Forward Ladies event a few years ago when I set up my consulting business www.awovi.com. I needed to network but found it challenging as I had a young family and the networking events I heard of all seemed to be scheduled outside of nursery opening times - making them impossible to attend. I also wasn’t excited by the prospect of entering a room full of grey suited men so Forward Ladies was the only way I could network during that time. I found the network really supportive so I became a member, an ambassador and a licensee over the coming years.

Why did you decide to buy the organization?

This is a question I’ve been asked a lot. It’s also a question I had to ask myself very deeply in-order for me to take up the opportunity to buy the organization. When it comes right down to it. It’s all about making a difference and an impact in the lives of other women. I decided to buy the organization because I could see so much potential in it.

I could see the opportunity to help more people and expand it nationally as well as internationally. I found it to be a great support network and I wanted it to be more widely available and recognized as a serious organization for serious and ambitious entrepreneurs. It’s not all cappuccino mornings and pampering events.It’s about creating a non threatening environment for women to do business.

What direction would you like to head with Forward Ladies, is there anything new and/or different you would do?

I would be leveraging technology and social media to help connect the members so they can do business with each other and also showcase their businessesto attract the opportunities they need to grow. To do this I’ll need to have a more targeted offering for the different women we serve. It’ll have to be more than a networking organization if it’s to achieve this.

What do you think are some of the key challenges facing the organisation?

There are many challenges facing an organization like Forward Ladies. The networking landscape has changed in the 14 years since the organisation was formed. There is a lot more competition for networking so we need to work hard to stay relevant to our members. We need to raise our game on the quality of resources, networking and trainings we have to offer our members giving them a reason to keep coming back.

Memberships organizations are also notoriously difficult to grow particularly in a world where people do get a lot of things for free. So I’m under no illusions about the amount of work and change I’ll have to bring across the organisation both internally and externally in order to make it a viable and sustainable commercial proposition for its members. I’ll be working really hard tonot only attract but also retainbusy female professionals and entrepreneurs who I believe are the future of the organisation.

What is your focus for the following year, what do you hope to achieve?

There is a lot of restructuring to be done internally so this year, my focus is really on investing in the systems that can deliver the vision I have for the business alongside building a stellar team to help me deliver that vision. I cannot do it all myself, I need the right people onboard to make the impact that I feel Forward Ladies can make across the UK and beyond. I’ll also be focusing on rewarding the loyal members who have been around right from the beginning and continue to lend their support. This first year is all about consolidating to build a strong foundation for growth next year.

What do you think are the benefits of women joining an organisation like Forward Ladies?

An organization like forward Ladies can be wrongly regarded as ladies having coffee mornings but that is not what it is or what its about. Joining an organization like forward ladies will give you access to female role models and mentors, an opportunity to meet ladies outside your region and normal circles and to hear from inspirational and successful speakers. Forward Ladies is known to attract some of the best speakers out there. We also have peer support groups for members to network and support each other whilst sharing ideas and knowledge. Women only events are less threatening for some women and will provide an invaluable support for those needing to build up their confidence. Membership of Forward Ladies will also help any women to build a much needed peer support network across several organisations and industries. This is one benefit that our members tell us has had the more profound impact on their career and businesses. Forward Ladies is currently the only network providing access to both enterprising and corporate networks. I don’t see any other network with the track record that we have.

What would you say to someone who said that an organisation like Forward Ladies is too exclusionary?

I invited a lady to one of our meetings recently and she said,“What would a nobody like me (pointing to her job title) want to do at a forward ladies event?” Those comments sadden me because that is who Forward Ladies is for! Forward Ladies is the most inclusive, diverse and welcoming network I’ve ever been part of and I’ve been to many in the past few years.

I want to attract all women who believe in the values of inclusivity, diversity and women supporting each other. Its all about bring women together who want to progress on their ambitions. Our doors are open to any women who aspire to do better and to support other women do the same. All are welcome!

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .