From stuck to supported: my Co-Women shift

When I first attended a Co-Women event, I wasn’t sure that I fully belonged. Having read about the group, I knew that I’d fit in when it came to personality but, having only just started my business (and part-time around a more full-time unrelated job at that), I didn’t think I was ready on the basis of not really being self-employed.

I’m also based at a bit of a distance from most of the other members of the group. Whilst I am in Sussex, the majority of members at the time were based in Brighton and Hove, and I’m further north in Horsham.

My reservations proved unfounded, and despite my inexperience and more distant location, I was welcomed with open arms. I threw myself into the community, attending various social and networking events, making an effort to get to know other members. I had, after all, gone looking for a group in order to make self-employed friends. I knew that what I was doing was difficult, and would take a village to support me (over two years later, I can confirm that “city” is more accurate), so my agenda when joining Co-Women wasn’t winning business, but building relationships.

Having joined early in 2023, my efforts quickly paid off: the business I was building is personal training and, that summer, the media narrative about “cozzy livs” kicked off for the first time. When that happened, I quickly lost most of the precious clients I had, and spiralled into a panic. The majority of personal trainers don’t last a year, and I was worried that I was going to find myself among that number.

Had it not been for my Co-Women friends, I probably would have. The group welcomes success, but also doesn’t shy away from those facing difficulties and, the beauty of some of the more experienced members is that they’ve seen it all before. Many of them have ridden out tough times in business, and they have the confidence to know that seasons will change again. They shared this wisdom with me, and encouraged me to stick with it.

Things didn’t get better overnight. The loss of those clients gave me pause for thought, and I reassessed one of the other key elements of my business – where I was located. I recognised that I wasn’t happy at the gym I’d based myself at, and searched for an alternative. Having not won any new clients over following the departure of several, moving all at once felt scary and as though I had very little to lose.

Co-Women held my hand as I shared with my remaining clients that I’d be moving towns, and helped me to also give notice at the gym I was based at. Both of those things went smoothly, and my confidence rose a little. I got my wish of attending the group’s Christmas party – tickets are already on sale and I highly recommend that you get this one in your diary, it’s truly unmissable – to celebrate a year survived with my new friends.

Having committed to the group, I’m now firmly established among the members as a voice of encouragement. Because, slowly but surely, my fortunes changed. I persevered. I backed myself, and I continued to seek support from others. The group has grown around me – I’m now far from the only one based outside of the BN postcodes, and it’s lovely to have members who are both more local to me, and spread further across the county to go and visit.

We are all at different stages within our businesses, and that’s absolutely ok in Co-Women world. Whether you’re looking to build from scratch, maintain momentum, or change paths slightly, the support is available for you, with plenty of good humour thrown in. Co-Women was key to me getting un-stuck, and it can help you too.

iambeckyhughes.com