http://www.theathenanetwork.com/

The Athena Network South West Hertfordshire, Watford (2026)

11/12/2022

I received a pigeon for a pet!
.. what I really wanted was a dog.

Imagine this … an 11 year old, impressionable girl immersed in the Mallory Towers series by Enid Blyton. When my parents asked if I wanted to go to Boarding School it was a HUGE YES!

Parkin and ginger beer, pillow fights and campfires and at least one of us would have a dog. That one would be me because the school said that there was a Pet House and we could take our pets with us.

I was desperate for a dog, we had always had dogs in the family and the thought of being at school without one was not a consideration for me. My dad promised me a pet and on the day that we went to the school outfitters he made another promise that he would get one when we were finished.

I was so excited and could barely concentrate on the fitting. It was over soon enough and walking through the market town after there was a man (quite randomly) selling pigeons in the middle of the market. They cost two and six (half a crown) and my dad bought me one … for my pet! To add insult to injury when I asked him what I should call it he said ‘Expensive’ (hello money trauma).

So, I became the first girl to go to school with a pigeon as a pet all because I hadn’t been specific about what I truly wanted. I hadn’t told my parents I wanted a Corgi, I told them I wanted a pet! We will go into the pigeon story another time.

Something I recommend is that you breathe deep into your heart and imagine what would you truly love to bring to life? What you desire should be what you would love to have as an end result for its own sake. Not whether you believe your desires are possible or not, whether you know how to manifest them or whether you have never achieved manifesting what you wanted before. And definitely not because what you desire is the opposite of what you don’t want.

What is the HONEST, absolute truth about what you would like to create in your business?

Imagine stepping into your future, what does it look like, feel like, sound like? Who is there with you? Where are you living, Who are you loving? Who are you serving in your business? Look around you, what else is in your future. Dream big, be BODACIOUS with your desires.

Post in the comments and let me know what you would truly love to create and how you think networking might help you with that.

Big Love

Jacqueline

p.s. Remember to join us in the AMPLIFY group, a free Facebook group for women in business (search for AMPLIFY: 1 Million Business Women Amplifying Each Other on Facebook)

p.p.s Do you remember what your first pet was? Mine was a beautiful white dog called Snowy when I was 1.

10/12/2022

ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇɴ'ᴛ ɪɴᴛʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴇᴅ ᴍʏꜱᴇʟꜰ ɪɴ ᴀ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ...
.. that is rude of me

I don’t know how we connected (I’m simply happy that you have) but when you were likely scrolling through the Google, saying to yourself that "networking doesn't work and you don't know why you bother" or some such thing.

Then you saw a white-haired woman promising that if you connected with her you would receive the unique secrets to being, doing, and having what you want irrespective of age and circumstances, how to network etc .. that was me (just in case you had forgotten how we met).

Let’s start again (we can pretend that we have just been introduced).

My name is Jacqueline and my hair has been going white since I was 15, when I first started to dye it (bleach and then pink food colouring).

Seriously, it’s probably worth mentioning from the ‘get go’ because my hair is one of the first things people notice about me and why they remember we have met so I thought I’d mention it first. I’ve stopped dying it and fully embraced and embodied it now (and my natural waves).

I created The Athena Network (a networking organisation for women) and sold the first 6 franchises for the business within 11 months. 17 years later we are still growing. We navigated the financial recession in 2008, more recently Covid, and there have been many more blips in between and even now, with an impending recession we still rise.

I’m not surprised by that! It’s what I chose to happen and whilst it wasn’t always easy I have always stayed focused on the end result of supporting women in business.

I’m divorced; despite leaving their father when my youngest was 7 I brought up my two boys on my own from the day that they were born. There are lots of women who did the same, with minimal to no support with parenting. I’ll tell you about that another time.

I left Germany in 1993 when my boys were 7 and 9 and blagged my way into a mortgage (I still needed to have my ex-husband as a guarantor even though he didn’t pay a penny towards it … shocking when I remember and this was 1993!)

I didn’t have days off, worked my job for 5 days and at weekends took up merchandising work in Costco. My ex ‘baby-sat’ the children at weekends so that I could work to make up for the child maintenance that he wasn’t paying me (how screwed up is that?).

I’ve always been curious about what I couldn’t see. More than most children I would consider if there was really a God. When I was at boarding school I took turns to visit all the churches on a Sunday. I loved the pomp of the Catholic Church, the community and singing in the Methodist and in my own Church of England I sang in the choir for special events.

I’ve so many tools and resources to share that would support you creating what you would love. I’m not an expert in them all, I am a curator of knowledge and strategies and I’ve implemented everything I have learnt.

From as way back as I can remember I have been curious about esoteric studies. I went to boarding school in Whalley, Lancashire and the Pendle Witches were fascinating to me

I love ALL the Woo Woo AND I know how important it is to take action. I tried the pray and spray approach for a while but didn’t take action … not even when my intuition was screaming at me. I didn’t get the best results and there have been times over the years where I’ve been frustrated with personal development and thought it was a load of hoo ha. I wasn’t consistent, and in hindsight I don’t think I dreamed big enough. What I did was create goals I thought were possible.

Now I’m a sensitive listener to my own intuition and I’m willing to be more BODACIOUS with my desires. I’m 64, I feel like my life is just beginning. All the years of being a ‘good girl’ and complying are done with I’m here for all of us to create what we would love.

Not everyone is comfortable with my beliefs. That’s OK, none of us is for everyone. I have come across so many charlatans over the years, paid money to coaches who were great at marketing themselves and really poor at coaching. Made foolish decisions that cost me financially and emotionally (I’ll share them all, I’m an open book). I’ve trusted people because I didn’t like the alternative and I’ve been stung there also.

What my heart craved was for someone to make it easy for me. My ADHD brain finds it difficult to study, I’ve got ‘ants in my pants’ and frequently forget why I’m on page a bazillion and one in my browser because I get so easily distracted. So, I craved simplicity and not more complexity.

What I have done is curate and distil all of training over the years so that I can coach my franchisees and coaching clients even more powerfully. AND I believe that every single one of us should do what works for us.

I don’t have a strict manual, but I do have a simple process. I’m also a ‘work in progress’ and my heart is supporting women to embrace life and business in a way that they thought was not possible.

I’ve set up a FREE Facebook group for exactly that. To share with you the wins and pitfalls in life and business that I have either gone through or I am going through so that you don’t have to.

I hope you get a chance to check it out. It’s perfect if you’re a women in business and especially if you’re interested in getting great results from networking and building relationships. Search for AMPLIFY: 1 Million Business Women Amplifying Each Other on Facebook to join me

Big Love

Jacqueline

p.s. Why was any of the information above important in the context of networking? Let me know what you think the answer is to that.

09/12/2022

𝙸 𝙽𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚢 𝙱𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝙰 𝙵𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚜𝚎!
... and I wasn't even looking for one

I love attending trade shows and the Franchise Exhibition is one of my favourites.

The last time I went I was a credit card swipe away from buying a franchise. It was an evergreen grass business model; very simply keeping everyones grass lusciously green using organic products.

One of the reasons I was attracted to it was the simplicity of it. I'd have someone else do the actual "green grass stuff" for me (I am not at all green-fingered) and be the owner/operator. I also loved that the products that they used were organic.

The other thing I loved was that it was a start-up and the investment was low enough for me to put it on a credit card.

Fortunately my son was with me and asked me a few questions that made me appreciate that it would be a vanity project and that the timing definitely was not right. I pour all my love and creative juice into Athena.

But ... even as a franchisor I could see how being a franchisee would benefit me enormously, all I would have to do was follow the model (their operations manual). Patrick was right though, it was all about timing.

If you think that the time is right for you to explore the franchise opportunity with Athena then please message me to book your Franchise Discovery Call. I'd be delighted to answer all of your questions so that you can make an informed decision.

08/12/2022

ＦｉｖｅＲｅａｓｏｎｓＦｅｍａｌｅＥｎｔｒｅｐｒｅｎｅｕｒｓＣｏｎｓｉｄｅｒＰｕｒｃｈａｓｉｎｇＡＦｒａｎｃｈｉｓｅ
.. even when they already have another business

In our experience women are looking for even more than economic success which is why buying a franchise can be a particularly appealing start-up option for women.

𝟭. 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸-𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲

Flexible working is slowly becoming more acceptable in the contemporary work place, but we’re not there yet. According to research in from specialist jobs website Workingmums.co.uk, in 2015 one in five working mums were forced to leave their jobs after their request to work flexibly was rejected.

Buying into a franchise can give you more scope to design your working life around other commitments.

It may be that you want to spend more time with your family or that you’re nearing retirement and want to cut down your hours, to allow you to concentrate on other interests.

If you do the research and choose the right franchise (there are currently over 900+ franchises available in the UK), you can be the master of your working week.

𝟮. 𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗢𝘄𝗻 𝗕𝗼𝘀𝘀

Have you always dreamed of owning your own business, but not had the courage to take the plunge? Buying into a franchise can be the perfect halfway house. With franchising you have the opportunity to own a proven, ready made business.

So if all you’re missing is that initial jolt of confidence, becoming a franchisee can offer you exactly that, giving you the opportunity to create the business you’ve always wanted along with the satisfaction that goes with it.

𝟯. 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸

Owning your own franchise will allow you to call the shots and to create your own internal culture for employees and customers alike, but importantly, you’ll still have the on-going support from your franchisor (in Athena that would be me!).

Equally, you will be able to share your experience and advice with new franchisees, meaning that you have the benefit of being part of a wider community, something which women often seek out.

𝟰. 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸-𝗔𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲?

It has been documented that women can be more risk adverse than their male counterparts. In 2009, Leeds University Business School reported that having at least one female director on a company board actually cuts a company’s chances of going bust by about 20% – perhaps being risk-averse helps…? Statistically therefore, a female-owned franchise could well succeed where others fail.

Couple this with the fact that 90% or more of UK franchises have reported profitability, in all but one year since the start of the global recession in 2007/2008, and you should feel confident that your new business, if operated under a franchise, is statistically far more resilient than other propositions.

𝟱. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗢𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹

As a franchisee, and owner of your own business, it is you who decides how many hours to put in. If you choose to burn the midnight oil, or work over the weekends, you are the one who will reap the rewards.

The number of franchises available in the UK are gradually increasing, which means you’ll have choice enough to buy into a business that you are passionate about. A combination of hard work and inspiration should result in you be able to maximise your earning potential.

There’s no doubt, franchising can certainly lead to a more rewarding, more profitable and more satisfying working life.

If you are ready to embark on your franchising adventure I'd love the opportunity to answer any questions you might still have about The Athena Network Franchise. You can message me privately to book your Franchise Discovery Call ...

07/12/2022

ＴｈｅｙｌａｕｇｈｅｄｗｈｅｎＩｓａｉｄＩｗａｓｌａｕｎｃｈｉｎｇａｎｅｔｗｏｒｋｆｏｒｗｏｍｅｎｏｎｌｙ！

They told me it would not work.

That was 17 years ago

In 2005 I told my business advisor that I would be launching a professional network for women, he laughed. Not just a chuckle but a 𝗛𝗨𝗚𝗘 belly laugh.

We are now in our 17th year of trading and continuing to grow and flourish so I KNOW that it was absolutely the right business to launch and that we have the right formula for success.

Our Regional Directors (franchisees) and our members all continually benefit and one of the reasons we have maintained our market share is that we are continually listening and evolving with the times.

ＦＲＡＮＣＨＩＳＩＮＧＦＡＣＴＳ

Did you know that many successful franchise owners didn't set out to invest in running their own franchise! When they were online or reading through trade magazines what they were most likely looking for was;

👉 The opportunity to work for themselves

👉 Take personal responsibility of their success and their families future

👉 To achieve a rewarding change in direction

👉 Have more flexibility of their time and their money

👉 Personally reap the benefits of their hard work and earn a great income

👉 Enjoy a more rewarding career

👉 An improved quality of life for themselves and their family

👉 Avoid being made redundant again!

Many of them weren't even sure about what a franchise involved; when you go onto ‘The Google’ and look for new business opportunities I’m pretty confident that most people don’t think to search for ‘franchising’ so I am always delighted when someone manages to find our business opportunity with an online search!

To take that 𝗡𝗘𝗫𝗧 step to financial freedom and to engage with us, join me on a 𝗙𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟 that you can schedule at your convenience and I will provide you with more information about The Athena Network Franchise Opportunity. You will have the chance to ask any questions you may have and to learn a lot more about us.

If you are curious and ticked off any of the points above send me a private message to book your Franchise Discovery Call ...

06/12/2022

The Athena Network Franchise Prospectus is an extensive document, deliberately so. It's just what I would have wanted personally if I was to explore the Athena opportunity.

What I encourage our prospects to go is grab their favourite brew, set aside some time with a notepad, take notes and be ready to ask me questions

My intention is that everyone who enquires will be able to make an informed choice about whether they would like to actively pursue the interest in becoming a member of our team.

I'd love a "discovery call" but it makes more sense for anyone interested to curl up on the sofa and become informed whilst they are relaxed. A call can come later.

When I created The Athena Network Franchise Model my primary aims were to create a model that was;

👍 Simple to follow
💷 Profitable
🏘️ An asset that the franchisee could sell at a substantial profit in the future

17 years later and it is 𝗔𝗟𝗟 of that and more and I'm very much looking forward to supporting women in making a decision (either way ... we are not for everyone).

If you are even a smidgeon curious about how you can become a franchisee with us then do send me a private message.

05/12/2022

𝔽𝔸𝔹𝕌𝕃𝕆𝕌𝕊 𝔽𝔼𝕊𝕋𝕀𝕍𝔼 𝕊ℙ𝕀ℝ𝕀𝕋

What a brilliant start to the festive season. A wonderful relaxing weekend reconnecting with family and all the doglets and then starting this week with 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖒𝖆𝖘 𝕮𝖆𝖕𝖕𝖚𝖈𝖈𝖎𝖓𝖔 𝕮𝖔𝖓𝖓𝖊𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘.

This year we chose to have the event for members only and it was truly special. All the familiar faces and some gorgeous new ones.

Thank you all for the;

🎄 treesons to be cheerful
🎅 the hohoho
☃️ heart melting stories
❄️ the joy and festive fun
🔔 the connections
🎤 uplifting music

And ... we cannot forget the 'Athena Networking Bingo' Brilliant fun and oddly competitive 😜

So much to be grateful for right now and right at the top of the list is the

Special thanks to Lindsay, Karen, Anna, Georgina, Debbie who took the time to pull together a special agenda for our members.

The next one is planned for 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟰𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 10 - 12pm (if you are a member pop it in your diary now)

Photo Credit: Georgina Little

27/11/2022

Agnes Agocs is an Interior Designer in The Athena Network Beaconsfield group.

You can find out more about her on her social media channels

https://linkin.bio/agnesagocs-interiors
LinkedIn: Agnes Agocs Interiors

27/07/2022

𝗜𝗦 𝗕𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗡𝗘𝗧𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗕𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗧𝗛 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗚𝗬?

is a bit like a well-known vegetable spread (Marmite in case you wondered). Some people love the idea of networking, some people hate the idea.

At The Athena Network, we're willing to bet we can show you networking you'll love after just one visit. Many of our visitors join immediately. They love the training in every meeting, the absolute solidarity and support that is evident between our members (and which comes across as a warm welcome to them) and the exciting buzz emanating from every meeting. Why not give it a try? It's a business strategy that can't fail.

20/07/2022

Ask yourself “will this action/activity/connection move me towards my end result?”

18/07/2022

Are you tracking your networking activities? Measuring the data means that you can see what's happening and adjust.

What examples do you have for us?

16/07/2022

𝗖𝗛𝗔 𝗖𝗛𝗔 𝗖𝗛𝗔 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗦

Tell us what has changed in your world since you launched your business

𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗡𝗔 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗜𝗗𝗦

What has happened since we launched

When The Athena Network launched in 2005, smoking was still legal in enclosed workspaces

When The Athena Network was launched, the iPhone wouldn’t be released for two more years!

In 2005, Jacqueline Rogers was told 'The Athena Network will never work'

Can you believe that when The Athena Network was founded the Social Media Expert profession didn’t exist!

The Athena Network launched the same year as YouTube

The Athena Network owes its success to its fabulous members over the last 17 years

In 2005 when The Athena Network was launched, you used to have to ‘Ask Jeeves’ to find info on the net "The Google" was a twinkle in everyone's eyes.

The Athena Network South West Hertfordshire

11/12/2022

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