Testimonials
The following Members have agreed to have their Testimonials publicized so others see what impact becoming an OWIN membership can have.
If you are a member of OWIN and wish to submit a testimonial, please contact communications@owin.ca
Going to OWIN lunches and meetings has helped me in several ways, from getting me out of my head and out of the house to feeling welcome and supported within the group. It's helped me with my confidence, which often lagged at those times when business was slow and I was discouraged and questioning myself. Heck, my confidence can dip even when things are going well. Being around all of you makes me remember there are people who care. Your compliments and encouragement of my work have made a big difference to me. It helped me keep going.
They say when the going gets tough, the tough get going. This isn't often true for me. However, you can get stronger with other hands to help or to hold you up.
Lately, I have been busy with other work besides the translations I do for my main client, and I am quite grateful for this. I feel that a big part of my getting through some rough spots has been possible thanks to OWIN.
I only hope I can do as much for the other members as they have for me.
Keep well, and keep going!
I've only just joined OWIN in the past few months, and it's been quite a ride. I'm new to the area but I feel warmly welcomed. Oxford Women in Networking has been a big part of that. As communications director, I've had the chance to interact with some very dynamic and capable women. I've also gotten to meet our members through lunches, Awesome Women's Happy Hours and dinner events. Even though it's only been a short time, I feel connected to my newfound friends. OWIN gives me a place to meet and talk to other women in both a business and social context, to listen, to compare stories, to use my wits and imagination, and to exchange tips and ideas. It's also made me challenge myself, because even though networking is always a smart thing to do, it doesn't always feel easy or natural to me to reach out and talk to people I've never met. OWIN made it easier, because the strangers haven't acted like strangers at all.
They call Woodstock the Friendly City. I admit that as someone living in Toronto for over 30 years, my first reflex initially was to be a little skeptical of all these nice people everywhere. However, I've come to believe that over here, what you see is what you get. As women, we may face some unique challenges in both business and everyday life – challenges we discover we have in common when we get together. As someone originally from outside Woodstock, I felt a bit isolated and vulnerable venturing out to meet new people at times. Being around OWIN has helped my confidence and made me feel accepted, included, and secure. So: thank you for the warm welcome, and I hope to pay it forward many times over.
I joined OWIN hoping to meet some new women and find some new clients for the insurance brokerage I worked for. The change in my life since I joined has been amazing. My life has changed. I changed careers, I'm exploring new opportunities and I've met some of the most wonderful women I could imagine. What started out as a business venture has been a life altering experience. My wish for our organization is that we can help more and more women find their direction in life and support the choices they make.
I joined OWIN wanting to become a network marketer, not knowing anything or very little about that kind of business. The OWIN ladies helped guide me in the right direction to get started in my own business, and they gave me a helping hand if I needed it. Well this group of women known as Oxford Women in Networking tucked me under their wing and helped me every step of the way to where I am today. They are still guiding me if I have questions they help me get the answers. Along this journey, I have met an array of fine women that I can call my friends. Joining them at lunch time for a social time is wonderful, meeting all the new ladies that come on board or the ones that just stop to have lunch and a visit. Hopefully I will always be an OWIN member.
I joined OWIN in hopes of meeting some great women that I could learn some valuable life and business lessons from. And this is why I have remained a member…………..because this is exactly what happened! Thanks
I moved to Woodstock as a full time resident in 2010 and was happy to find Oxford Women in Networking (OWIN) where I could join a community of women – make new friends and learn about the city. The women of OWIN have become my friends, colleagues and clients. As a member of the Executive/Board, I have had the pleasure of introducing new ideas, processes and methods to the organization and seeing our membership embrace these changes. It is my hope that all members of OWIN will find the organization both welcoming and supportive, encouraging and challenging as we all learn and grow together!
I joined OWIN for networking opportunities with my position at the Woodstock & Area Small Business Enterprise Centre. This would allow me to assist other women with their businesses. I found more than expected! I continue to be a member and am now a Board member as well. I still continue to help other women, which I love doing, but they have helped me on a personal level. The new friendships I have gained are more than I had hoped for. Thank you ladies, you rock!!
My purpose for joining OWIN was to meet other business women so I could learn from them, and connect with them, hoping to help promote my business. I stay a member because I get much more from my association with the OWIN members. I am now more outgoing, and have learned that my life skills are valuable. Networking is not just a type of marketing; it is a lifestyle that helps make a difference to all types of people, in ways not necessarily connected to business. I think it is important that OWIN has opened their membership to include any woman. Networking works...for everyone, if they make the effort to open themselves to possibilities.
I have been a member of OWIN for the past 13 years. For years I would attend and enjoy the 4 main meetings. I would meet a few women at my dinner table. I wasn't very outgoing; therefore I didn't get to know anyone really well or get any business out of it. For the past 5 years I have been on the OWIN board in one regard or another. I have gotten to know lots of great women. Women who I’ve met as a board member as well as women I’ve met at the lunch meetings. Lots of us have become close friends. We support each other through fun and laughter as well as recommend each other to our network of friends and families.