The Last Two Years...

Two weeks today before the celebratory event of Women in Blockchain Talks 2nd Anniversary at our first physical event in 18 months!! I cannot wait!

(The event will be streamlined online as well! No worries there!!)

It would be an understatement to say that the last two years have flown by.?The pandemic obviously underpinned this, the focused and restricted time, however, was good for the business.?It gave it time to build momentum without unnecessary distractions.

Over the years, as an entrepreneur, I had developed a number of digital and online skills to help pivot the monthly events (meetups) online at the time. As such, it was done with relative ease. Finding the right platform was key and I found it with Airmeet!

That platform changed everything! In pivoting online it allowed us to open up my audience from a local arena to a global one. For this, I am grateful. Getting there was without its challenges from investing time testing out different platforms, losing money whilst doing it, to dealing with ongoing (embarrassing) tech issues. We all know them, right?! lol!

Takeaway lesson(s): Don't be afraid of change! Be willing to adapt! And roll with the punches! As well as look for the blessing in all of it! Sometimes it is about the lessons and not the journey per se..?

Pivoting online also came with "burnout"! I had to cancel an event - just one in two years, not bad! And take some time out. I realised I needed help not only to manage the event process but in order to grow.?

Takeaway lesson(s): Taking time out does not make you a failure! Asking for help does not make you a failure! It simply makes you human. Sometimes our worst enemy is ourselves! The truth of the matter is nothing that is for you will go past you! So keep doing the "do", whatever that is, and trust the overall journey!?

Realising and acknowledging the above, I started looking for a virtual assistant (VA). I found the super-duper, business savvy, get it done, bright and bubbly Kelly, CEO of The List Whisper. In the year that we have worked together, she has changed me! She proved to me that I could let go and give someone just as capable, if not more so, the reins to key aspects of WiBT.

She has added soooooo much value to WiBT in regards to asset and system creation, the look and feel of the brand. She has been and still is, my right-hand person. She cares and in her “caring” about me and the mission of WiBT I know she has my back and that I am not alone. The entrepreneurial path is and can be very lonely, so knowing she is there truly matters and helps with both the mind and soul!

Takeaway lesson(s): Appreciate good people around you! This includes not only Kelly but my two advisors Genevieve Leveille and Linda Goetze; all the interns who have worked with WiBT over the last year; as well as all the community members and individuals, such as blockchain leaders, who have reshared a post, written a supportive comment, asked how they can help and got involved! It truly makes a difference! Again, I am truly grateful for that, and for them!

It is important to add, again, being willing to let go, and trust, is the only way to truly receive the gift of abundance and grow. In doing so, your business will grow.?It also shows you whom you can trust and whom you need to remove from your circles. Pruning is a part of growth!

Since working with Kelly, in addition to the monthly events and WiBT Telegram group that I was struggling to manage, we created a bi-monthly newsletter, a blog, a website (currently being updated), a blogger programme, a Membership programme, a Corporate Membership programme, a Podcast, a D&I Job Board to promote female talent and blockchain jobs, an online community, a Discord channel and something I am most proud of - a global diversity and inclusivity campaign - 50k Women into Blockchain by 2023.?

(Links to all of the above, and more, can be found here - Links.WomenInBlockchainTalks.com)

She also helped me close a sponsorship deal with April 6 - A global award-winning industry specialist in Mobility, Technology, and Science making moments that matter for brands shaping the future. They have been so supportive and nurturing of me and WiBT, and for this, I will be forever grateful to them!

Takeaway lesson(s): Be willing to try new things, create new things - some things will work great, some won't. You learn from each success and failure but either way, you simply keep on moving!!! Oh! And have fun with it! It is a privilege to do work you feel passionate about, in an exciting industry such as Blockchain, and create something that you feel aligns with one of your life's missions. For me, they are - equality, fairness, financial equity, female empowerment, amongst other personal life missions that I have, such as helping to find a cure to dementia! My mum has it and it is a very painful situation for me and my family.

To continue, the truth is, not many are brave enough to follow their passion, it is hard to be that convinced!!!!! That convicted to a vision! Or for some, they are not even allowed to be brave to do so, as seen in certain parts of the world such as Afghanistan. It is why, even with all the challenges and sacrifices, and there are many, I keep on pushing and flowing!

So what now? So, what of the future?!

Well, I am so very excited about the future and the pivots we are making to accommodate the continued growth of Women in Blockchain Talks. We are here for the long term!

Our 2nd-anniversary event is coming up on 22nd September and it will be our first physical event since February 2020!!!!!!

Thanks to Gillian Lamela, it is going to be in collaboration with Women in Technology, Barclays and will be held at Rise London, created by Barclays, which is in Shoreditch aka The Silicon Roundabout, London, UK.

Our two guest speakers are Kristina Lucrezia Corner, Editor in Chief at CoinTelegraph and Priya Gulian, UK President of the Government Blockchain Association (GBA).? It is also going to be held online via Airmeet and will be an exceptional event of community spirit, inspiration, fun and probably some tears! lol! #StrongerTogether

We have a number of exciting, game-changing announcements to make on the day, so you are not going to want to miss it! So, register your place for this hybrid event by clicking here!

One thing I will reveal is that we are going more global, as illustrated by my recent announcement of WiBT’s Middle East Ambassador, Randa Al Rifai. And that NFTs are going to play a big part in our future as well! That was two things! lol!

In the meantime, if anyone reading this hasn’t already done so, and wishes to join the FREE WiBT community then you can do so, by clicking here!

See you on 22nd September online and/or at Rise London, created by Barclays, in Shoreditch, London. The start time online is 6pm BST! At Rise it will be at 5:30pm BST, to include some overdue face to face networking with drinks and pizza!

The event kicks of at 6:30pm BST on the dot!

Get your ticket by clicking here!!! And see you then! Yeah!!!