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The Athena Network

Henley mum-of-three Lindsay McLoughlin runs The Athena Network for Maidenhead, Marlow and Cookham, helping to build  and shape your business…

Tell me about you and your family/where you live… 
I live in Henley on Thames with my husband, Donal, and our three amazing daughters: Wendy, 15, Laura, 13, and Anna, 11. They all go to the same secondary school in Henley. Well, for this year anyway. Wendy will move on to another school after her GCSEs. We moved out of London
to Henley 13 years ago and we have not looked back. We love living in this area. 

 

Tell me about your new business/networking group and what it offers...

I run the Athena Network for Maidenhead, Marlow and Cookham. Our business networking meetings are for women only. They are relaxed, informal and friendly. The lunchtime meetings have a structure to them, but there’s always room for laughter!

 

Have you always been interested in doing this? How did you get involved? 

I started working from home when my youngest daughter went into Reception seven years ago. It’s been an extraordinary story since then. I was offering proofreading/copywritiang/
social media services but, through the Athena Network and the people I met, my business
grew and changed. 

   I opened a Facebook group called Henley Women of Inspiration #HWIN with a view to developing a warm/friendly online community in my local area. Through Athena, I met Kran Sondh from The CookCurry Club. We got on like a house on fire! We then started running business curry networking events. 

   Our #HWIN Christmas Curry has been a great success. Last year, this event sold out to ninety women before the half-term break! We will be running this again on Tuesday 4th December (tickets currently available via Eventbrite). Some ladies who work from home see this as their annual Christmas treat; others bring clients or colleagues from the office as a way of saying "thank you".

   Having run several events with Kran and knowing how well Athena works for women in business, I jumped at the opportunity to run The Athena Network region for Maidenhead, Marlow and Cookham. I have inherited two established groups; one in Maidenhead (moving
to Cookham in November) and the other in Marlow. Not being one to let the grass grow
under my feet, I am also about to launch two brand new groups in Maidenhead and Marlow
this September. 

   For me, with the Athena Network and the business curry events, it’s networking all the way! 

 

What do you like about it the most? What did you do before?

My motto is: If it’s an Athena day, it’s going to be a good day!    
   At Athena, you meet the most amazing, incredible women. They will help you build and shape your business, in ways you may not even anticipate. The meetings themselves are uplifting, inspiring and enjoyable through the relationships you make. 

   My working life was centred around proofreading and copywriting when I started; now I am running Athena networking meetings and business curry events with Kran. Who knew?

 

What are your goals for the future of the groups?  

Through various marketing strands, I am building up the groups and raising the Athena profile within the Maidenhead/Marlow/Cookham region. 

   I am about to launch two brand new groups in September:

The two launches will run as follows:

Maidenhead Athena

Fredricks Tuesday 25th September 11.30am–2.15pm 

(this group will then run on 2nd Tuesday of the month)

Tickets for the Maidenhead Launch Event can be found here:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-athena-network-maidenhead-launch-event-tickets-49481874619

Marlow Athena

Harleyford Wednesday 26th September 11.30am–2.15pm 

(this group will then run on 2nd Wednesday of the month) 

Tickets for the Marlow Launch Event can be found here:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-athena-network-marlow-launch-event-tickets-49482603800

 

Who is your idol? 

Oprah Winfrey leads by example. She focuses on being the best person she can be. She refers to herself as a ‘woman in process’. She is a woman we can all relate to, as she tries to improve both professionally and personally. She once said: “Don’t worry about being successful but work toward being significant and the success will follow.” Oprah makes complete sense. 

 

What's in your handbag right now?

I’m just back from a beach/camping holiday in Scotland with the family, so it needs a bit of a changeover as we move into term-time/work mode… I have lipstick, hairbrush, sun cream, a notebook, business cards, a walker’s map of Dumfries & Galloway, and a purse with no
money left! 

 

What can attending these meetings do for your members? Any success stories? Anything else we don't know about you and should? 

Membership is open to women business owners, and women who are employees generating new business clients. The trick is to come to one of the meetings or a launch to see how Athena works for yourself. They are fun, friendly and you always learn something! An Athena friend of mine said the meetings “have to be seen to be believed”!

   Our members range from solicitors to jewellery designers, coaches, nutritionists, accountants, virtual assistants, videographers/photographers, cake bakers, coaches, florists, IT specialists, to marketers and financial advisors. Some of our members started networking when their children were very young and, like me, have stayed with the network as their business grew. 

   This is one of my favourite success stories… At one Athena meeting a few years ago, there was a lady present who sold Spanx. She asked the group specifically for a connection to Adele. One of the ladies in the room replied that her sister is her best friend. Amazing things happen!

   Athena is not solely about the business growth it brings (although that is an important part); it’s about the people you meet and you may need later. You develop ready-made relationships with eg. Travel specialists, nutritionists, therapists, all of whom are helpful to you in your personal and professional lives. You may not need the services of a travel specialist now, but in January you might be thinking about summer holidays again…​

 

https://www.facebook.com/AthenaMaidenheadMarlow/

https://theathenanetwork.com/lindsaymcloughlin/meet-lindsay-mcloughlin/

https://theathenanetwork.com/lindsaymcloughlin/events/categories/athena-meetings/

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/henley-women-of-inspiration-christmas-curry-tickets-42745860018?aff=erelexpmlt

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2018 04 LMcL Profile Pic Coffee Cup .jpg
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2018 09 Inside Mtg Pic I have an idea!.j
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