If you’ve joined us in the last 3 years, you’ve probably encountered us mostly online! If you’ve been with us a little longer, well you’ll remember ‘the good ol’ days’ of meeting up for lunch as women in business, being inspired and encouraged on your business journey.
So in celebration of our 10th year empowering women to succeed in business, we’ve decided to BRING IT BACK! To kick of 2023, we’ll be hosting our first Business Lunch event in 3 years in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Where it all began 😃 So let’s take a look look back over the years to see a bit more about what this business lunch looks like!
Founder & CEO Angela De Souza started a women’s networking lunch in 2013 when she felt a call back to business after a career break. Sadly, she felt that she didn’t ‘fit in’ in the business world she knew. So she set out to create some different! Somewhere where she and other business women would feel free and empowered to be themselves. Hear more about Angela’s heart and vision in the video above!
The events were so successful, they quickly branched out from Cheltenham into Gloucester and Angela set up training courses for women wanting to grow their business more intentionally.
Women’s Business Club on the road!
The Business Lunch events couldn’t be restricted to one event in Cheltenham, and so we brought Women’s Business Club to the surrounding areas including Gloucester, Swindon, Somerset & Wimbledon. Food became a very important part of the event, and the lunches were known to always have a healthy yet delicious lunch! Such a treat! After another 6 or so years of building community, raising leaders and launching new events – there were lunches across England and starting up in Scotland!
The event was refined and improved until we reached the formula for the Business Lunch event we know and love! Firstly, we offered professional exclusivity for those booked in to the lunch – you were the only person in your field in attendance! We also opened up space for businesses to showcase their wears and services – even offering professional headshots, mini make overs or manicures at events. Not only were you getting a treat of a lunch with your professional networking, but you could also have a little pamper or update your professional profile for a small fee. Businesses also started mini clinics offering professional advise – the Business Lunch was growing exponentially and we decided that 20 is the magic number of business women in attendance, and so capped all events at 20. We might need to start a second event in some areas…
Women’s Business Club goes GLOBAL
In 2020 we were hit with a global pandemic, which saw us taking the business online. Things looked very different, but our passion for connecting business women and empowering them to succeed in business was as strong as ever! So we met online once a month, and since there was no location barrier, we started to reach women around the world.
Coming up in 2023…
This year, we are excited to get back to our roots! Meeting in person for a delicious, healthy lunch. Chatting face to face over a coffee, without having to figure out how to unmute ourselves! We’re excited to build local business communities, lifting and supporting the women in business around you. We’re excited to empower YOU to succeed in business.
So come and join us for our 10th Anniversary Business Lunch event in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire or in Edinburgh, Scotland. I guarantee you’ll feel right at home and that you’ll LOVE it. And look keep an eye out, Women’s Business Club will be coming to a city near you in 2023 🎉
Book for the 10th Anniversary Business Lunch event, or find out how you can bring a Women’s Business Club event to your city.