In 2016, someone asked me why I thought women-only circles were a good idea. I don’t remember my exact words but I think I said the usual things about women supporting women, and going fast alone but going farther together.
I had no idea how true those words would turn out to be.
In the last two years, I’ve had many ups and downs. Dealing with a newborn when I had toddler, parenting two under two, parenting alone because my husband’s job requires frequent travel, poor performance rankings, starting a new job. Add in the sleepless nights, the childcare worries & the lowered immunity. Top it all with societal expectations (and pressures). I don’t think I’ll ever again experience something so difficult.
But I survived it all; a feat I owe to the wonderful support I got from the women in my circle. They were the voice of reason when I was going crazy. True story: I considered returning to work only part-time after my second child. My friend, I., pointed out that I’d probably end up doing all the work for 80% of the pay, the way my job was set up. It didn’t make sense to elect for part-time hours. I’m glad I listened to her. And I learned a valuable lesson: don’t decide to change your hours before you return to work. Give it time. Try out your old hours for a bit and then see if you still want to change.
And it’s lessons like this I’m looking to share (and learn) in the Circles. Because, yes, we could just share it all on social media. But it’s so difficult to find the insights we need from Instagram/Facebook. It’s not the same when we build intimate, one-to-one connections. And so, this is me rebelling a bit. Social media is king. But there’s also space to step away from it and actually learn / teach.
From the LeanIn website, (the inspiration for this idea) comes this definition:
A Circle is a small group of women who meet once a month to support each other and learn new skills. It’s a place where we can be unapologetically ambitious and help each other achieve our dreams – whatever they might be. And we’re in good company, too: there are already more than 37,000 Circles around the world, and the vast majority of members (85%!) credit their Circle with a positive change in their life.
The truth is that you can Google just about anything. You can google “Money management tips”, for instance, and be inundated with all the information the internet has to offer. Or you could do the smart thing and discuss it with women who are in the same situation as you. Young, early/mid-career women who appreciate the Nigerian context. You choose.
I’m hoping you choose to join the Circles. The membership cycle is for one year and every quarter we’ll discuss the latest research on career development, lifestyle (money, health, beauty), relationships and parenting/self-care. We’ll share our unique insights as Nigerian women and we’ll have face-to-face brunches! I really hope you find it exciting and just what you need to fulfil your 2019 goals.
Ready to go? Sign up via this link.
If you have any questions, please reach out to me via @blazersandbaby on all social media channels. Or you could send me an email: hello at blazersandbaby dot com.
