In the intricate and delicate world of stained glass, the path to success is often illuminated not just by the beauty of the craft, but by the relationships an artist builds along the way. For Zoe Angle of Angle Glass, those relationships became all the more important in 2009, when she founded her own stained glass studio.
Over the course of 15 years, Zoe has built up her talent into a thriving business, thanks in part to the magic of networking. As one of our most established members, we wanted to ask Zoe just how much of a role networking has played in transforming her passion for glass art into sustainable growth.
The First Foray Into Networking
For Zoe, her introduction into the world of networking was quick, and a little bit unexpected! You see, Fabulous Networking founder Glenda actually helped her start her business. So of course, networking was part of the plan from the beginning.
‘I knew nothing of networking before then, but Glenda encouraged me to attend a Conference and she made me stand up and talk about my business for a minute in front of lots of people – and I’d only just started! Then she invited me to the networking group she was a part of, and that was that. I got into it that quickly, and it was perfect.
As my son was very young when I started my business, I used the time that I had. I started by going to evening networking events, since that would fit with when my partner came home, and I could just build up the business as much as I could when I could.
So I was out there telling people about what I was doing really quickly, even if I wasn’t doing it full time at that stage, so it became very important to my business very early on.’
After being somewhat dragged into the world of networking, Zoe found herself immersed in her local networking scene.
‘I went to a few networking groups to start off with, just to find out what would suit and fit me. I found it really helpful talking to other businesses, because it’s very easy to network with different artists but I found it very useful to be aware of other businesses and how they do things.’
The Difference With Fabulous Networking
After some time (but not long), Zoe joined Fabulous Networking as a member.
‘I joined Fabulous Networking before it became Fabulous Networking, back when it was Fabulous Women. Right from the start. I think it’s great to see other types of businesses and relate it to your own, and get ideas about how to develop your business or how to do things.
And the support is amazing, because we can all have good times and bad times, and it’s lovely to have people there to get you through the lumps and bumps of business. That’s a big part of what I look for in networking.’
Support is definitely a theme we’ve seen while talking to Zoe about her networking journey. Fabulous Networking is all about moving away from the traditional networking model (which is all about selling), and moving towards a much more supportive, encouraging and productive environment.
‘I love that it’s not just about selling either. Over the years I’ve had loads of commissions yes, but I’ve also made some really good contacts who have helped me out in my life as well as my business. I’ve met people who supported me with care for my family, someone who made a video for my website and so much more.
There’s also a ‘Get it Done Day’, which I find particularly useful, because there are always tasks that you put off, and I just group them together and do them on this Get It Done Day. It’s often a writing task for me! So, they’re really helpful, and they’ve taught me how to use my time better.
You can go to meetings in person or online. There are the Get It Done days. There’s also Biz Chat, which is a short networking session online, where we brainstorm on different topics.
There are even sessions about writing books, (which has never been my thing), and a book club. That’s what I like about it, there are different things, so you can pick and choose what you find useful.’
Why Do You Go?
The big question most people have when looking at networking groups is ‘Why choose this one?’ Which is a very valid question! But rather than have us answer it, we thought we would ask Zoe what kept her going back to Fabulous Networking meetings, even after all these years.
‘I think it’s the range of what they can offer you, and you can choose what you need from it. A lot of people hear ‘networking’ and think of a group of people standing in a room together, having a coffee and talking about their businesses. But that’s just a small percentage of what you get from Fabulous Networking.
You really create strong relationships with people, and deep connections with people you get to know over a long time. Glenda has created such a warm, inclusive, friendly atmosphere while keeping the focus on business. I think that’s why people keep coming back, and definitely why I do.’
There you have it, straight from the horse’s mouth!
You can learn more about Zoe and her amazing stained glass work by visiting her website.
Or if you want to meet her, why not come along to one of our meetings?
We run multiple online and in-person events a month, with options to suit everyone.
We look forward to meeting you!
