Sometimes we question why we need to keep building connections. After all, we have our friends, family, work colleagues. Who has time to keep expanding our circles? Well here’s a great illustration of why it’s necessary.

Bill McDermott became CEO of ServiceNow in 2019. He was considered a surprise pick to run the company but he got the job after establishing a relationship with ServiceNow's former CEO John Donahoe, while playing golf. When Donahoe announced his departure to run Nike, McDermott was on his radar and able to step in.

The moral of the story is that no one’s handing you these opportunities on a plate. If you’re not in the room you’re not in the conversation. Men are finding career opportunities on the golf course. Where are you finding yours? As your career evolves, so should your relationships.

I honestly didn’t set out to build a business with The WIE Suite. I was responding to a personal need - women were being left out of vital opportunities to advance and lead or just needed better support systems. I became the conduit who found, connected and ultimately helped elevate these exceptional women leaders so they could scale their collective influence. And a thriving community was born.

I learned a lot from our members this year. They feel true ownership over the community. They tell me what they love. What’s hurting. What they want more of. And we listen and apply accordingly.

This year we not only delivered over 54 incredible talks and masterclasses, we really evolved into a fully fledged media company delivering tactical learnings in our newsletter and journal from the lights of Dara Treseder, Judy Smith, Janice Bryant Howroyd, Elizabeth Cutler, Kyle Leahy, Babba Rivera, Cassandra Thurswell, Jotaka Eaddy, and Sally Susman.

We hosted valuable in-person experiences around the world including Los Angeles, Austin, New York, Connecticut, Miami, DC, Cannes and London.

And there were all the intangibles as our members made magic together collaborating, referring, doing deals, hiring, amplifying and investing together.

2025 brings with it a mix of both promise and uncertainty. If there was ever a time women needed strong, viable networks, it’s now. Don’t go it alone.