Finding Community as a Woman in Business attending Her Event After Hours
For the last few years, a lot of my life has revolved around building Social Sync Au
And when you're really focused on building something, it can become surprisingly easy to isolate yourself.
You work. You go home. You think about work. You wake up and do it again. (And for me I put a futon bed in my studio room so I can get to work as soon as I wake up)
Before you realise it, a few years have passed and you've spent so much time trying to reach your goals that you've forgotten how important it is to actually get out there, meet people and be part of a community.
Recently, I decided I wanted to change that.
Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone
I've been making more of an effort to get myself out of my office and studio, not necessarily with the intention of finding clients, but simply to meet people, have conversations and put myself in rooms I wouldn't normally be in.
One of those opportunities came through Her Seat.
I initially reached out to Her Seat founders Amy and Serena to introduce myself and see whether they ever needed photography or videography support for their Melbourne events.
That introduction eventually connected me with Mika Ng, Head of Melbourne for Her Seat, who recently invited me along to photograph and film one of their events.
Another little shoutout to Mika because she did such a beautiful job bringing the whole event together. Hosted at Hannah St Hotel, she curated the space to have this moody, intimate feel, with beautiful floral centrepieces by Unique Event & Hire adding the perfect finishing touch.
I always love seeing how the little details can completely transform a space and set the mood for an event before it even begins.
And I'm really glad I reached out.
A Different Kind of Networking
I think the word networking can sometimes make an event sound very transactional.
You walk into a room, introduce yourself, explain what you do, swap details and move on to the next person.
This didn't feel like that.
It was relaxed. There was no judgement. I didn't feel like I needed to prove myself or sell what I do. Everyone was genuinely lovely, and I could just talk to people.
That's actually something Her Seat was created around: bringing women in business together through genuine connection rather than surface-level networking or competition.
And after spending so much time inside my own little business bubble, I realised how much I'd missed that.
This is what i look like working 80% of the time
An on sets I look like I just woke up :))
When Business Becomes Isolating
I isolated myself quite heavily for probably two or three years while building my business.
In some ways, I think I needed that period.
There was a lot of character building happening behind the scenes. I had insecurities I needed to work through, mindsets that were holding me back and things I had to learn about myself if I wanted to keep moving forward.
Running a business has forced me to become more comfortable with rejection, uncertainty, putting myself out there and not always knowing whether something is going to work.
But I also don't think building a business means you need to do everything alone.
Especially as a woman in business, it can be really easy to become hyper-focused on reaching that first goal, then the next one, and the next one.
Sometimes you need to get out of your own head and talk to other people who understand it.
Collaboration Over Competition
One of my favourite things about the event was hearing from other women about their own businesses.
Not just their successes.
Their struggles too.
Everyone's journey looked different, and it was interesting hearing about the challenges people had faced, what they were good at, what they had learned and how they'd gotten to where they are now.
Business can sometimes feel like everyone is competing for the same opportunities, clients or space.
So being around women who were willing to share, listen and learn from each other was refreshing.
There was something comforting about realising that even people who seem incredibly established are still figuring things out along the way.
And It Didn't End When the Event Did
Something I really appreciated was that the connection didn’t just end once the event was over.
Jen Karly, who helped Mika Ng with the after-hours event, actually gave me a call afterwards simply because we didn’t get the chance to properly chat on the day.
It was such a small gesture, but I thought it was really lovely.
We ended up having the conversation we didn’t get to have at the event, and since then, a lot of us have stayed connected through Instagram too.
I think that was one of the things that stood out to me most about the whole experience. It wasn’t just a room full of people exchanging Instagram handles or business details and never speaking again. The connection continued afterwards.
And for someone who has spent the last few years pretty hyper-focused on building her own business, it was a nice reminder that putting yourself out there isn’t always about what opportunity might come from it.
Sometimes you just meet good people.
And honestly, I think I needed a little more of that.
Sometimes You Just Need to Put Yourself in the Room
I'm learning that building a business isn't only about what happens behind my laptop, inside the studio or on a shoot.
Sometimes growth looks like sending the message.
Introducing yourself.
Going to the event where you don't know anyone.
Starting a conversation.
Or simply putting yourself in a room with people who might teach you something.
Reaching out to Amy and Serena was a small thing. It eventually led me to Mika, to photographing and filming a Her Seat event, and to meeting a room full of women I probably wouldn't have met otherwise.
I'm grateful that I got to contribute creatively to the event, but I'm equally grateful that I got to experience it.
It reminded me that while there are seasons where you need to put your head down and build, there are also seasons where you need to look up and connect with the people around you.
And I think I'm entering more of that season now.
About Her Seat
Her Seat is an Australian community created for women founders and business owners, focused on genuine connection, growth and conversations around the realities of building a business and a life alongside it. Their experiences range from relaxed social gatherings to workshops, intimate discussions and curated events.
Learn more through the Her Seat website.
I love finding events around Melbourne that bring people together, start meaningful conversations and introduce me to people I probably wouldn't have crossed paths with otherwise.
If you're hosting a women's event, creative event, networking night, community gathering
or something with a story worth sharing, I'd love to hear about it.
Whether I'm there to photograph it, create content or simply experience it and share it through
Stories From Her or Found in Melbourne , feel free to reach out.
