As an entrepreneur, it helps to be seen and heard.
This might sound simple, yet it's not always easy says Danielle Joworski, a Guelph business owner who helps other local female entrepreneurs to overcome their 'visibility' fears.
As a 'Biz and Viz growth catalyst', Joworski says this is possible by creating spaces, platforms, and opportunities for women to work on their businesses, visibility mindsets and skill sets.
"My first business failed because I failed to be visible. I hid behind my laptop and self-doubts, and trusted other's opinions as to how to show up instead of listening to my inner voice," Joworski said.
"At 40, my first business failed. I failed to put myself out there. So I ended up closing."
With the hope that no other entrepreneur has the same experience, Joworski says her joy is to focus on supporting local service-based businesses, specifically in helping to make visibility easier for female entrepreneurs.
"When it comes to appearance, there is an external perception of what we believe we need to look like. There's a fear of not having the look of what we think other people want," Joworski said.
"And then there's confidence. I've spoken with so many female entrepreneurs who say well, I can't do a video, or I can't do visibility strategies because I'm not confident enough. But confidence is an outcome of taking, what I say, is courageous action."
In an effort to advocate for local female entrepreneurs, Joworski will host a networkshop event on Sept. 24 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m at the Wildfield Studio in Guelph.
Based on the values of connection, conversations, collaboration and community, the event is designed to shine a spotlight on local service providers and build in-person connections while also helping to develop specialized skill sets to solve current business problems or challenges.
"It's a networkshop because it's a culmination of both networking and workshopping," Joworski said.
The event will highlight confidence on camera, networking opportunities, and will also include a live podcast recording.
Featured guest expert, Meg Dunning, a content filmmaker from Cambridge, will be on hand to share her experiences and expertise.
"Meg will take us through confidence on camera. This includes walking through strategies to create video, how to do it in a way that feels good, and there will be hands-on video creation as well at the event," Joworski said.
"And then we will have a live recording of a podcast with Meg and I that will dive into the questions that the audience might have. It's really to talk about visibility and their journeys, and it's an opportunity to provide some deeper insights as well."
From visibility fears to fulfillment and freedom, Joworski says that learning how she could become more visible, was life-changing.
"Video is a powerful way to showcase your unique voice, value, and solutions while transforming engaged followers into loyal customers," Joworski said.
"Yet for many entrepreneurs, the camera means feeling shy about your appearance, worrying about making mistakes, fearing what others will say, or struggling to be visible and still feel authentic. This can impact your confidence, self-esteem, growth and income."
Joworski is no stranger when it comes to being on camera.
"I’ve been supporting and providing platforms to highlight female entrepreneurs since 2019 when I created, produced and hosted The C-Suite on Rogers TV – Waterloo Region. For three seasons, I led conversations that connected career and business challenges to the solutions and services provided by female business owners," she said.
"This networkshop is the first in a series that brings the focus back on supporting and connecting businesses in our community."
Joworski says she is dedicated to creating platforms that will help other entrepreneurs be visible by supporting them, and letting them know that she has their backs.
"I created this because I didn't want other business owners to feel that they weren't good enough or that they weren't ready or perfect enough to put themselves out there. At the end of the day, to put yourself out there, you have to be seen and heard in order to be found and hired," Joworski said.
Joworski says the networkshop event is about inspiring and encouraging one another.
"It's about highlighting other local entrepreneurs and helping each other to co-create something where women can grow their businesses," she said.
"This is for female entrepreneurs who are ready. They know they want to do something bigger. They are ready to confront their fears and they are going to walk away with tangible strategies, insights, hands on practice, and they will also walk away with a new network."
For more information and to register for the networkshop event, visit here.
