Networking it out
For more than two decades, mortgage broker Laura Moritz has found enjoyment and exhaustion in her profession. It”™s one that can often feel like a roller coaster ”“ twists and turns that can take your breath away ”“ especially in today”™s rock ”™n”™ roll marketplace.
Marketing your business may follow a similar route: twists, turns, ups, downs and an occasional hang-on-to-your-seat ride. For Moritz and all business people, no matter what profession, networking events are must-go and must-do to varying degrees. Moritz has done “my fair share of networking and many are well put together and have some good ideas.” But to borrow a line from Austin Powers, nothing really seemed to “schnizzle her nizzle.”
“I”™ve been to plenty of networking forums in my career ”“ some great, some just OK. For the most part, it”™s a lot of business card exchanging, small talk, an occasional conversation or polite nods.
You may get a good lead, you may go home wondering why you went. I”™m not knocking the importance of networking or the many networking groups around. It is essential to get out there and mingle. But for me personally, something was always missing.”
Moritz and friend Tara Diefenbach set out to find the missing link. Mixing all the positives they found in the vast array of networking groups they”™d both attended over the years, they put their own recipe on paper with what they considered the missing ingredient.
Creating a mission statement for the kind of networking forum Moritz sought but never found, they crossed their fingers and sent out invitations to a dinner for their newly formed group, Professional Women”™s Network. Thirty women showed up at Bocci”™s Restaurant in Monroe on a cold evening in December, 2006 for the first meeting.
Maureen McKeon, executive director of Safe Homes in Orange County, was invited to speak to the women. “One of the goals we planned was picking a special nonprofit to ”˜adopt”™ ”“ we chose Safe Homes because of its work with battered women and children … and the fact that you don”™t have to be poor and destitute to turn to them for help,” said Moritz.
Women came laden with bundles of new toys, clothing for both women and children, toiletries, cash and gift certificates for the organization. Each guest gave a 60-second introduction: the perfunctory name, rank and serial number presentation. Then McKeon spoke, and “Something happened … women opened up,” said Moritz. “Three or four got up and started sharing personal experiences. Either they had been helped by Safe Homes or a like-minded organization at some point in their own lives. One woman said she started her own business to become financially independent after escaping a battered marriage. It was more than just networking ”“ it was women connecting with each other in a way I never experienced but was always looking for.”
Moritz had hoped for a bigger turnout, but was pleasantly surprised by the overall results. “Initially, I had hoped more women would show up. But I realized that it was not just the speaker but the size of the group that made it easier to mingle and talk.” Like Goldilocks, Moritz found the group”™s smaller size seemed to fit “just right ”“ creating a professional atmosphere but at the same time, small enough for women to connect and form relationships.”
Professional Women”™s Network”™s creators also decided not to limit membership to just one person in a particular field. “The idea was to create intimacy and a support system, not just get a group of people together who can refer each other,” said Moritz. “So what if there are two or three Realtors or Mary Kay salespeople in your group. The goal is to connect women with other women and become more than just a business card, and it works.”
During the next year, the group had monthly meetings and Diefenbach was ready to take a step back, “so we agreed that I would purchase her 50 percent of the group,” said Moritz. Now on her own, Moritz decided to take the networking group and expand its horizons. By January 2007, she announced the formation of the National Women”™s In Network. At last count, there were 15 chapters in the metropolitan area, including New Jersey and Connecticut.
“Each chapter is based on the mission and goals Tara and I set when we first started out. The groups are small, they must ”˜adopt”™ a non-profit and we don”™t limit membership to one person from one specific business. Basically, if there are two or three Realtors, or two or three accountants, that works out fine,” said Moritz. “The idea is to create that intimacy, where you feel like it is more than just ”˜networking for business”™ ”“ it is developing relationships that last and may even turn into friendships or business partnerships. I wanted to create a connection that was genuine and real, and that is what I hope Women”™s In Network will do for our members.”
Moritz says people like to do business with “people with similar values thy feel they know and trust. A bigger forum makes that chemistry difficult to nurture.”
The 15 chapters around the tri-state region are linked together by a database and more importantly, says Moritz, by a common denominator: making connections that work. The Web site via which the women communicate is www.nationalwomensinnetwork.com.
Moritz has written a book about her venture, “The Winning Connection,” which she co-authored with Sheila Pearl. Pearl is the group”™s national education director.
While Moritz works with a passion in her chosen field ”“ she”™s a Hudson Valley home-based broker for Classic Mortgages in New Jersey ”“ her commitment to taking WIN to a national level and reaching a goal of 50 chapters by the end of 2008 is just as intense. Don”™t be surprised if a new National Women”™s In Network chapter will be opening soon in a neighborhood near you.