Redefining Networking Through Meaningful Connections and Comprehensive Support
Oct 17, 2024 11:21AM ● By Randee Brown
There is one theme shared by a large majority of people following the COVID-19 pandemic — the need for connection.
According to Hive Ambition Founder Ashley Sterken, scheduling networking sessions is an important factor in the ability of women to meet potential colleagues and collaborators, and for working on their businesses. However, the need for connection goes deeper than that.
Hive Ambition is a new platform for women that not only facilitates business education, resources, training, and a member directory, but also a variety of in-person events focused on simple connection. These events include activities like member dinners, group hikes, and retreats.
“These types of events are focused less on ‘networking’ and more on actually deepening the connection and trust between the women in the community,” Sterken said. “This, in the long run, is actually where the magic lies.”
Sterken’s own experience was the catalyst for the creation of the Hive community. After working from home for eight years, having a baby, going through postpartum then directly into COVID, she experienced an extended sequence of events in which she felt lonely. After searching for a place to find genuine connections with like-minded women who also support personal growth in the Asheville area, she decided to create it herself.
With original thoughts of creating a networking or meetup group, ideas for her vision continued emerging. Through brainstorming sessions with a friend in early 2024, ideas for support, events, activities, resources, and more continued to add up, quickly resulting in an app-based community of more than 90 members by July.
“Some feedback I’ve received has been that it doesn’t feel like a regular networking group,” Sterken said. “For members, it feels like something bigger and more inclusive, which is the best feedback ever because that’s exactly what I’m trying to build.”
Focusing on the whole-woman perspective of business support, Hive also encourages women to take care of themselves while taking care of their businesses. Recognizing how to set and maintain boundaries helps women have the capacity to fulfill all of their roles. Recognizing that everyone needs self care is important, and by learning how to nurture the whole self, the women’s businesses are also nurtured.
“We are not just our businesses,” Sterken said. “We have businesses, and we are also whole people. Helping each other excel and have success in all areas of our lives feels really important to all of us.”
Something unique to Western North Carolina is that many of the area’s residents have chosen to live here. People seem to seek a high quality of life because of the area’s beauty, and want to spend time outdoors enjoying that beauty, according to Sterken. That collective mentality and less of a hustle-culture mindset lead people to be kind, flexible, and collaborative.
“It’s not all about work here; it’s more of a holistic experience,” Sterken said. “There’s more collaboration, and there’s more seeking out a really good quality of life. For example, in larger cities, there may be a higher level of expectations for working during the weekend. Here, there’s a higher level of understanding and almost an expectation for people to do things like go camping with their family.”
While the Hive Ambition community offers many opportunities for connections for entrepreneurs, women who are in leadership positions or seeking to rise in their careers have also found the group a good fit to support those journeys. Building relationships, supporting personal growth, and honing different skills can be supportive of the goals of any woman on an ambitious career path.
For Sterken, the Hive community is also reflective of women’s goals of supporting the next generation of women in business. Equipping women with the skills to deal with challenges less often experienced by men in business, such as imposter syndrome and communication struggles, can result in these skills being passed down to younger generations.
“The bigger mission of Hive is to bring the information and knowledge of women business leaders to a younger generation, inspiring them to start their own businesses or excel in their careers,” Sterken said. “Through asking for help and helping others, we can build collaboration and community over competition. Through connections, we’re changing the narrative for our generation and the generation of our daughters.”