Hi Everyone! It’s Ginny Robertson. Thank you for stopping by the On Purpose Woman Global Community website.
You may be wondering how the On Purpose Woman Global Community came to be, here’s the story.
Our Story
In the spring of 1999, I threw a party. I knew so many fabulous women and wanted to give them the opportunity to know each other. I called my event a Girlfriend Party and invited my women friends to invite their women friends and show up at my home for a Saturday afternoon of mingling and food. Forty-five women attended that first gathering and I held three more during the year.
During those four events, I experienced two very eye-opening things. One is that women were connecting in a way that was new to me. My idea of networking was to show up at an event, armed with business cards, give them out to anyone breathing and take their card in return. I found this challenging, tiresome, scary and not a great use of my time. It was counter-intuitive to the way I naturally related, especially to other women.
A New Way to Network
However, the women in my family room were doing it differently. They were talking about things that mattered. They were connecting on a deeper, more authentic level than I had witnessed at other events. They were creating relationships that would help them, not just in business but in life And, the most amazing thing is it flowed gracefully and easily. I started to understand that this was networking…Woman Style…and it was exciting!
Women Were Playing Small
The second thing I observed was not as exciting. During the gathering, everyone would stand and introduce themselves. Many of the women had difficulty standing up and doing that introduction. They didn’t know what to say or, if they did know what to say, were uncomfortable saying it. They were doing remarkable things, but they didn’t seem to realize it. They had been taught to play small and not toot their own horn. And, just as the connections that were being made excited me, this behavior by some of the women saddened me.
The Inspiration for the On Purpose Woman Global Community
I was inspired to create an organization that would incorporate all of the wonderful things happening in my home…women connecting on a deep level and supporting one another through generosity and acceptance. This organization would also give women the opportunity to practice those things that might be uncomfortable: introducing themselves and knowing what to say in that introduction, being proud of who they are and what they do, being seen and heard and projecting an attitude of confidence.
And, the most important thing of all, is that they could come to these meetings and just be themselves.
The result is the On Purpose Woman Global Community (OPW). Founded in March 2000, the purpose of the community remains the same…To Connect Women Around the World to Their Gifts, Their Purpose and Each Other.
Thousands of women have been impacted by showing up and being seen at the in-person and online gatherings, workshops, retreats and conferences and gaining visibility through the On Purpose Woman Magazine.
Today…
Today, the On Purpose Woman Global Community hosts monthly in-person Connections Over Coffee gatherings in Maryland and Virginia. These meetings have moved online during Covid. There are also 2 Connections Thru Conversation online gatherings, that will remain online after Covid.
The Big Vision
The big vision is to have groups across the country and the world. Because when women come together…magic happens and we can change the world.
If you want to chat about bringing the On Purpose Woman Global Community to your area, contact Ginny Robertson.
Be sure to check out our in-person and online gatherings, the online magazine, and the different levels of membership in the community.