Creating a Community of Support

The biggest mistake women make is thinking that you have to do it all on your own. Too many women believe they have to be able to handle it all themselves, the responsibilities they have at work, meeting their monthly/quarterly targets, sorting out child care, taking care of the groceries, meal planning and cooking, etc. And asking for any help, whether it’s physical, mental or emotional support would be a sign of weakness.

It's ok, we’ve been told for a long time not to show any weaknesses as women, especially when in business environments and as leaders because it would cause you to be seen as less capable and likely hurt your chances of promotion.

Except if that were true than anyone who asked for help would be seen as incapable and would not be successful in their careers or business. And we all know that’s not the case. In fact, if you keep holding onto this belief you could actually be causing yourself to feel even more isolated and with the possibility of experiencing burn out.

But do you know how you can actually achieve success in your career or business, it’s by building a strong community and network for you to thrive in.

Often times we say it takes a village to raise a child, the same is true for you to achieve success as a leader. Most men network easily and call in their favors or assistance when they deem it is needed. Men often don’t hesitate to ask to be connected to someone that can help them move along in their career, overcome a professional challenge. Men build networks and communities around different interests and professionally this also leads to better job opportunities, higher salaries and jobs with more authority.

Women in contrast often focus on a tight night group of women forming their inner circle but often avoid more networking opportunities because they fear it can come across as insincere or that they have nothing of value to contribute. And then added to the difficulty for asking for help or support, is it any wonder that you feel more isolated?

Rather than seeing networking as a staged or insincere way of getting to know people who you could ask for support in the future, begin seeing it as a community that you are building and focus on building out relationships. And continuously expand your network, allowing you to bring in new ideas and perspective. Growing your network also increases the chance that new career opportunities come your way as well as increasing your own influence and impact.

1.

Go out for lunch once a week with someone in your network. This can be someone you already know or with someone you have just met. And this works well both for your professional network as well as your personal network. Don’t expect to get anything out of lunch other than getting to know the other person better, and the beginning of your investment in the relationship.

2.

Reach out to someone who is in a role that you would love to move into either as a next step or within the next 3-5 years. Ask them if they are open to having a coffee with you and tell you more about their role and responsibilities. There is often little resistance to this because people love talking about themselves, and you get a chance to get an inside look into the position and the company that the person is working in. And always ask if this person could recommend someone else you should speak to. Most people are willing to help and support you if you just ask.

3.

Networking drinks & events. This one is almost always the most difficult as not many like the idea of walking into a room full of strangers. You may need to go to several different types of networking drinks and events in your area before you find one that suits your style and has the type of people you enjoy getting to know. Focus on quality and not quantity as you meet people, and if there is one or two individuals that you enjoyed connecting with, think about asking if they want to go for lunch or coffee at a later time.

Building your own community of support can seem daunting as you begin and if you do it consistently you will begin to see a snowball effect, as your network grows over time and meeting new people and/or the right people becomes easier.

And remember, asking for help or support is not a weakness, it is a sign of strength showing that you have the self awareness that you can’t do it all on your own but that you do know the right people to ask to get the job done. Asking for help allows you to access new ideas, it allows others to step up and provide their expertise, especially if you are managing team member this gives them an opportunity to develop their own skills and experience.

That is having an impact! That is being influential! That is what will help drive your success!

BY REANNA KHAN

My love for photography began in Trinidad. Initially drawn to landscape photography, I actually fell in love with Brand photography. I still had that same passion to be a small part of a business journey but through photography I watched business owners go from behind the scenes to front and center. It was spectacular to watch people celebrate their journey and see how much passion went into every aspect of their business. To say I’m hooked to the high of translating the essence of a business to something physical and visual is an understatement.

As a creative, entrepreneur, professional or business owner there will always be a new speaking opportunity, new service/product launch or content needed for your social media channels and website. Instead of scrambling to book a last-minute shoot, I offer comprehensive packages that will have images ready at your fingertips every time.

As a brand photographer my job is to help you and your business build a vault of imagery that is tailored to your unique business needs. My goal is to not only help you bring your vision to life, it’s to build your digital assets that will support you in every aspect of your business.

As a creative, entrepreneur, professional or business owner there will always be a new speaking opportunity, new service/product launch or content needed for your social media channels and website. Instead of scrambling to book a last minute shoot, I offer comprehensive packages that will have images ready at your fingertips every time.

I offer a few different services, which include a quarterly subscription package that gives you access to create fresh content every quarter to match product/service launches, new campaigns and overall, whatever your branding needs are. I also offer one time brand sessions if your content just needs a little spicing up.

I also offer content days, which are essentially mini sessions. They are 30-minute sessions at a beautiful studio or outdoor location. These sessions are great for creatives or entrepreneurs that need a few images to add to their portfolio but don’t necessarily need a full brand session.

Last but not least, I recently launched the Luxury Edition. A quarterly event for creatives, professionals and entrepreneurs to celebrate their business and capture some much-needed content. During this event, I source a beautiful elevated location, book makeup and hair, and wine and dine you with some sips and eats while you prepare for your 45 minute brand session. This event is really to celebrate you and your business, and encourages you to take a moment to reward yourself for all the long days and late,

When you book a two-hour brand session with me, it’s all about connection and I take you on a journey to prepare for that initial brand session. Once you book, I send you a little homework to get to know your business a little bit more, then we meet and design your photoshoot, really tailor it to your needs and then at the brand shoot we execute a well put together plan that ensures it meets all your needs while having so much fun.

When you book your service with me, you are making an investment in your business. I am the photographer that is going to put the work in to ensure our session goes off without a hitch. Let’s work together to execute your vision.

“I believe in photography as an investment in your business, and that investment should continue to be accessed as your business needs it..” Reanna Khan

The Oxford dictionary states: “Hygge is quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment that promotes emotional well-being”. Hygge is being mindfully aware of the fullness of your life. This awareness brings gratitude and only expands as you begin to savour special moments each day. You begin to feel a true state of just ‘being’ … another way to say it … feeling happy!

As sisters, our hygge journey started long before we had ever learned of it. We first embarked on a hygge-inspired life as young girls while spending quality time as a family with our parents and brother. For example, we have fond memories of our winter road trips to various ski hills and relishing in the cozy nights drinking hot chocolate in front of a wood-burning fireplace while reminiscing about the day or rolling around in the freezing snow before plunging into a hot tub. Not only did we come to look forward to these times, but we are also grateful for the rituals and traditions created at home from sitting together for cozy family dinners, making pickles with our parents and grandparents, playing games, to having TV dinners while watching Little House on the Prairie. While we didn’t know the word, we were lucky to be living a hygge filled life.

As we grew up, we continued to enjoy these types of moments with our own families, whether it was during a bonfire, a long hike in the woods, or snuggling under the blankets for movie night. But, as life does, everything changed with the blink of an eye. With the loss of my second daughter everything came sudden to a halt, and through the grief, I was forced to re-evaluate everything. Working my way through that grief was not easy, but I was lucky enough to find some solace in a variety of mindful adventures from gardening, fermenting, camping, hiking and most important of all, being with those who made me feel safe. It was these intentional moments that helped me work through the grief I was feeling.

Unknowingly, while embracing this as a path to healing, I had been working towards a stronger hygge-centred life by becoming more grounded and appreciating the wholeness and simplicity of it. Being able to define these moments through hygge and becoming more mindful of what matters, has made me a more positive and lighter person. With that in mind, in 2019, along with my sister Lisa, we created Hygge in a Box to deliver some seriously needed coziness for those who could benefit from the health aspects of taking care of yourself, slowing down, and carving out a few moments to say ‘ah’… it’s hygge time.

Based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Hygge in a Box is a seasonal subscription box and corporate gifting business. We love searching high and low for products that are purposeful and that can help others take a moment to themselves. All boxes are carefully curated to ensure that they contain unique non-mass-produced items, and it is important that we support as many Canadian businesses as we can and give back to the great country, we live in. We also ensure that our products are as natural as possible, made with sustainability in mind, organic when available, from ethical/Fair-trade sources, and made with love by the makers. Through this, we have partnered with hundreds of small makers (mostly female owned) and have been able to help them get their incredible products into the hands of others across the globe.

Hygge in a Box is also proud to be the winner of the A Year of Boxes best New Box in 2019 and Best Spiritual/Wellness Box in 2022.

If everyone had a dog for a friend – not because they thought they should get a dog, or to do dog sports, or to guard the house, or because families have dogs – if people got a dog for a friend, and then learned to treat that dog as a friend, the world would be a very different place. A kinder, warmer and better place.