RaH female owners met for their first Women in Business event

Franchise Owners practiced Wim Hof breathing techniques when they met at the network's first event tailored for females.

Inspired by a number of successful women's networking events that are firm favourites in the franchising industry calendar, the team at National Office put together an agenda based around some of the challenges that are particularly relevant to female business leaders.

This included discussions around the mental load - a term for the responsibility for overseeing tasks involved in managing a household and family, which often falls on women's shoulders - and the associated impact on time management and work/life balance.

Pip Wilkins, CEO of the British Franchise Association, led an inspiring session on Making Your 'Impossible' Possible, which set everyone focusing on overcoming something they once accepted they 'couldn't do' - and returned later in the day to lead a Vision Board session.

And Kay Lou Haskins, a cold water therapist and breath coach, taught the group practical techniques for managing their mood, mindset and heart rate through simple breathing exercises, which saw people move from heightened energy levels into a state of deep relaxation.   

There was, of course, time dedicated to networking and building relationships, with a 'cocktail party' conversational exercise helping to break the ice at the start of the day.

The idea for the event came from Franchise Owners, who noted the high percentage of male owners attending Right at Home's charity golf day and the traditional football game that has accompanied the Annual Conference in recent years.  

They put in a request for an event devised with females attendees in mind and after the first event, a commitment was made to continue meeting at least once a year, with alternative events arranged at Annual Conference.

Event organiser Kate Dilworth said: "A big theme for us in Right at Home at the moment is our Safe to be You initiative, through which we support inclusivity and safe spaces to be open and honest with peers. And while as a society we are making great strides in addressing gender-related inequality, we also acknowledge the continuing value of protected spaces such as this and we're delighted that everyone fed back having really enjoyed the day."    

Amy Patel-Popat, owner of Right at Home Solent and Southampton, said: "We are the first generation of business-owning women who have been told that it is possible to 'have it all' - and I think collectively we're all incredibly proud of our achievements, but can also acknowledge that it can be incredibly tough to achieve balance in our lives.

"Talking about this with other women in the network is very cathartic - you realise that you're not alone in sometimes feeling guilty, that you can't always keep every plate spinning, and you can at times be at the mercy of other people's support. We also laughed a lot - which is always good for you!"        

Right at Home CEO Lucy Campbell said: "I found it incredibly inspiring to spend a day with some of our incredible Franchise Owners, sharing our stories and experiences and recognising that there are many collective challenges that are felt by women in business. Discussing how we each respond to these was both interesting and empowering - I felt motivated and incredibly proud of how much our owners have achieved in their time at Right at Home, both professionally and personally."