Circles of Support

The African proverb "It takes a village to raise a child" could easily be modified to reflect our lives: "It takes many warm hands to hold an entrepreneurial woman together."

This is especially true when starting a business after the age of retirement. There is never a shortage of naysayers. Those who hold us together fall into three categories: networks, posses and best buds. The first two categories are fluid. The third is in a class by itself.

Networks are the result of both concerted effort and serendipity. We attend chamber of commerce meetings, luncheons and seminars to learn and connect; yet sometimes it's a friend's suggestion that makes the difference. Rella Levinstein of Brain Aerobics offers a perfect example:

"I was looking for a new business opportunity to serve the well-worried 55-plus community, Dr. Susanna Goldstein was looking for a businessperson to run a new venture of brain fitness, and a mutual friend introduced us," Levinstein recalls. "We met in New York over lunch, and the result is Brain Aerobics," a program designed to enhance memory and concentration in people over age 50.Levinstein finds that networking after 55 is easier. "Finally I can talk to males or females and get their full attention, respect and support just because I'm older and more experienced." When she was younger, Levinstein was one of only a few women building a business. When she tried to network with male entrepreneurs, she couldn't penetrate the old boys' network. The networks we build broaden our horizons.

Posses are a much smaller group. Remember high school, when we moved in packs? Posses are the grown-up version of packs. These are friends and colleagues we turn to for counsel, inspiration and perspective. If we have a close working relationship, they can serve as a valuable sounding board. Perhaps they're longtime friends who remind us that we've solved similar problems in the past. These women can be network members who have stood the test of time, members of organizations we belong to or colleagues we've worked with in the past. Our posses add depth and dimension to our lives.

Our best buds are our inner circle of trusted friends. Noted speaker and author Jan Northrup of Management Training Systems describes her four best buds as women who share her values and her life. She says these are the women with whom she not only feels comfortable sharing personal and business problems, but also her successes, knowing they'll share her pride in a great presentation or accolade.

Our best buds are the "energy givers," as Northrup says, who help us reach our heights but also are there to share a glass of "whine" and buck us up when the going gets tough. To have a few very close friends who will love us, hold us together and celebrate with us is one of life's greatest gifts.

Each circle of support is vital to our strength and accomplishment as entrepreneurs. We share the special "knowing" that women have, our contacts, our experience and the laughter that makes it all so much more fun.