Expand Your Fempire Podcast #154 Transcript

The Power of Connecting with Women Entrepreneurs
with Carol Dockum

Welcome to Expand your Fempire with Caterina Rando, the podcast for women in business on a mission. Sharing ideas to support you to grow and thrive. Now here’s your host, Caterina Rando.

[00:00:00] Caterina Rando: Welcome back to another episode of the Expand Your Fempire Podcast. I’m your host, Caterina Rando, and I am blissing to be with you today.

Caterina Rando: We are with one of my favorite people, Carol Dockum. Carol Dockum is the founder of Beautiful Faces Going Places. This is an amazing women’s community, both live and in person and virtual. Carol, thank you so much for being with us.

Carol Dockum: Thank you so much, Caterina, for having me here today. It is such an honor. [00:01:00]

Caterina Rando: I am so happy to be with you. And Carol, you know, you and I have known each other, I guess we’re going on a couple of years now, and you have an amazing women’s community.

I want to talk about all that. The thing is, though, how did you get to the place where you decided that you wanted to found this amazing group, Beautiful Faces Going Places?

Carol Dockum: Well, you know I am a former chamber of commerce, executive director president of a chamber of commerce. And that was several years ago and really, you know, creating programming, right, and membership value and supporting entrepreneurs, small business owners in my local community. And I had this crazy idea of creating an online chamber of commerce to support women in business. Having lived internationally London, Moscow, Rome, I truly missed traveling. I missed hanging with women and and I just really felt that there was a need.

There was a niche or a niche to serve women in business and women entrepreneurs.

Caterina Rando: Well, I love that, you know, and I want to get into all this. I do want to say I was on the board of my chamber of commerce in San Francisco for six years. I won a couple of the membership drives. I won a trip where we went to Italy. I love, I loved, I loved winning the sales contests.

Not everybody has an amazing chamber in their city. I do think everyone should check out the chamber in their city because Many chambers are fabulous in many places. And I also feel like I learned a lot about business and I gained a lot of business acumen from being involved in my chamber.

Of course, that was before I got involved in women’s groups, which are also extremely valuable.

But my friend, the other thing, which I did not know about you, Is that you lived in Rome. I used to live in Rome. I lived in Rome for [00:03:00] a year. We’re going to have to blah, blah, blah. A little bit about that.

 What were you doing there and how did you end up there?

Carol Dockum: Well, my husband at the time worked for Ford Motor Company, so Okay. You know, it, I was a, a trailing spouse, an expat supporting a corporate husband at the time. And and that’s what took us to Italy.

Caterina Rando: Oh my gosh, we’re going to have to blah blah blah about that a lot, because I love, Rome is my favorite city in the world, and I definitely have a big place in my heart for Rome. Fabulous. Okay, but we have to save that for another day, because we want to dive in and give our listeners Some super tips on you have this amazing women community.

Now everybody knows I’m very pro community. I’m very pro women’s community. I know you started before, but one of the beautiful things coming out of the pandemic is it seems to be a surge in virtual women’s communities, which is great. I want to ask you. What do you feel [00:04:00] are one, two, three of the things that you feel are really smart strategies you’re using to have a thriving women business community?

Carol Dockum: You know, I think the main thing, my main focus has always been creating this platform. And my vision around eight years ago when I was running a very successful chamber of commerce was to leverage technology and create this online virtual community to connect women entrepreneurs and then bring in the women entrepreneurs that are speakers, trainers, coaches, and experts that have that expertise to empower really to, you know, help women entrepreneurs, right?

I always like to think Of success as a puzzle, you know, there are all these different pieces of that success puzzle that we have to snap into place and come [00:05:00] together.

And, and many a times we are small business owners. We’re women entrepreneurs, many solopreneurs. We don’t have all the answers. So my concept and vision was to create this online chamber of commerce to support women in business, bringing in the experts to talk about subjects such as marketing or social media. Now the hot topic is AI, right? Financing and business strategy and all of those different pieces of the success puzzle so that so that we all can be successful, right?

Caterina Rando: You know, I want to say that one of the things Carol that I feel about you is that as a leader, my perception of you as a community leader is you’re very warm, you’re very personable, you’re very approachable, you’re very accessible.

One of the things that I’m a big advocate for is having a [00:06:00] Community culture and not a celebrity culture, meaning that there’s this one person who’s like the head and it’s all about them. I feel you’ve done a great job of creating a community culture where you have so many businesswomen that are shining and being showcased and featured.

These are some of the things that I feel have made you a successful leader. What would you identify, something that I haven’t mentioned that you feel is one of the reasons why you are a successful women community leader.

Carol Dockum: You know, I love, I love that, Caterina. Thank you so much for your kind words and for recognizing that.

I have never really thought about it or articulated what you just, how you described me as a leader. And you’re absolutely right. I am heart centered, right? And I think one of the things that really kind of sets the organization apart or our community apart is is I like to [00:07:00] refer to us as “more than just a once a month lunch club.”

And, and when I was running a chamber of commerce, you know, you had you know, your, your monthly lunch and learn or your monthly, you know, and then you kind of waited 30 days for the next opportunity. And you collect a bunch of business cards. And then you wait another 30 days for the next, you know, lunch and so I love to refer to us as more than just a once a month a lunch club.

There are so many different ways to plug in virtually and in person through events and programming. And I also like to refer to us as high vibers. Professional women entrepreneurs that are high vibers. I mean, we are vibing on a very high empowering level. I mean, I can feel it right now. Like I got goosebumps.

And and, and what the crazy thing is, is now we are attracting women entrepreneurs that are also high vibing, that are so positive and, and approachable. So I love that [00:08:00] positivity.

Caterina Rando: Well, I definitely, having been to some of your events, having had the privilege to speak at your events, I definitely would say that you are heart centered and that you do vibe at a high level and positivity is really an important part, I think, of being a leader.

One of the things that I seek to do, this is one of my guiding principles, Carol, for leadership, is my desire is every time somebody is in a Zoom room with me having an event, that everybody leaves more uplifted than when they showed up.

And especially for those gals that you know are working from home, many of them also living alone at home and, you know, we’re working our business. We’re not necessarily out and about every day and that our time together in a Zoom room is really the time [00:09:00] for us to be together, have community, and support each other.

And then when everybody leaves more uplifted than when they showed up, they’re going to keep showing up. Which is very important.

And as you know, you run a great meeting, Carol. Also, and let’s hang out there a little bit because, you know, when I’m in a zoom room, I take a screenshot and hopefully everybody’s doing that. They’re taking a screenshot so that I can connect with any of the gals I want to connect with.

And so a lot of times they stay on my desktop for a lot longer than they really should. But my point is, I don’t even want to count how many Zoom rooms I’ve been in. And some of the Zoom rooms, you’re blissing to go and be in that Zoom room.

You’re like, “yeah, I’m going to go be with Carol. I know we’re going to have a great time.” And then there’s some places where, you know, oh my God, I want to go in that Zoom room. Those meetings are so boring, right? Because the leader, maybe however they’re doing it, [00:10:00] it’s not necessarily uplifting.

What do you do to make sure that people are excited to come to your virtual and I know you have live and in person too, but they’re excited to come to your virtual events so that they keep coming back and they get massive value?

Carol Dockum: You know, I think the biggest thing is to smile, you know, you can smile with your eyes, you can smile with your mouth right.

 And just show your, your excitement and that excitement and energy really just exudes through the camera lens.

And I think people can feel that in person and online. And I know Caterina, you are an expert of, of coaching women entrepreneurs and how to exude that confidence, that excitement, that passion that they have, so that, you know, they’re engaging everyone, and everyone wants more, right?

Right.

So I feel like that is, that is the key. If you’re excited, and you’re happy, and [00:11:00] people feel that presence, they, they feel that energy, that presence, it just shines through the camera. Not only in in person events, but online as well.

And then I always like to make sure that everyone in the room, whether it’s an in person or in a zoom room has an opportunity to express themselves or value. They not only be seen, be heard, be found, but they want to feel like they they’re contributing and not just being talked to.

Caterina Rando: Right. And that’s a very good point. And let’s underscore that. Even when I did mostly all live and in person events because you know, been at this for quite a while. One of my intentions always was as soon as the gals get in the room, even if it’s, it’s a 60 gals or 75 gals want to make sure everybody gets their voice in the room right away.

And when you have a large event, you can’t have everybody necessarily stand up and introduce themselves, but you can have them talk to the people at their table [00:12:00] or talk to a partner or something like that. And, and that intention of getting everybody’s voice in the room right away is very, very important.

And now when we do virtual meetings, the same thing. Again, if you have 75 gals in a virtual room, you can’t necessarily take an intro from everybody, but you can put them in breakout rooms. And as a result, They’re connecting, they’re sharing, they’re getting their voice in the room. And that is a lot of value.

And you know, it’s important for us to point out that value is not just get some super tips from the speaker. Value is the connecting, value is, as you say, feeling seen, heard, welcomed, and you have a big heart and you definitely do that. And that is very, very important that everyone feels welcomed and included.

Carol Dockum: You nailed it. It is all about inclusiveness, right? Everyone wants to feel like they’re, they’re included. And, and they’re welcomed and [00:13:00] they feel like they’re part of something special, right, an experience.

Caterina Rando: Yes. Yes. Now, Carol, I wanna make sure we talk about.

You recently did your, I think it was your first retreat. Was it your first retreat or? Yes. Yeah. So you recently did your first retreat. I want to chat a little bit about that because you know, of course, you know me, I’m Ms. Retreat. I love doing retreats. I have a program on how to thrive with retreats. I love also cruise retreats.

You know that? Yes. What I want to ask you, what did you learn in doing your own retreat that you want to share with our listeners?

Carol Dockum: Well, the first thing I want to say, if anyone out there is listening and you’re interested in hosting your own retreat, don’t wait, you know don’t wait for everything to be perfect.

 It’s progress over perfection. It doesn’t have to be perfect, right?

I think that’s what holds many of us back. We’re waiting for everything to be just perfect. [00:14:00] And I think that’s my biggest takeaway. You know, I, I just said date, time, place. Great. Date, time, place. Right? Come up with your, your, your alluring heading or what, what does it capture your ideal clients?

Right. And attention to make them want to sign up. You know, and then you just create the agenda and what all is included and always keep in mind, what experience can you provide your attendees who raised their hand?

I think one of the biggest things that I learned from hosting our first retreat was women just want to come together.

Yes. They just want to be in the presence with other empowering, amazing women. They want that connectivity through community and, and that special experience and time together, whether it’s a three day, five day retreat. And I think that was my biggest takeaway.

Caterina Rando: I love that, Carol. I want to underscore this a little bit because you said exactly what I [00:15:00] tell the ladies.

All you need to do is pick a date, pick a time, pick a price, pick a topic, or as you said, your alluring theme, and start talking to gals, and then gals will sign up. That we don’t need to figure every little thing out. What are we going to do every minute before we start enrolling the people to come.

And I used to feel when I had events live and in person a lot more, I felt like, you know what? All I got to do is greet the ladies at the door. And then when it’s time to go open the doors and greet them on the way or say, thank you on the way out. And they going to tell me what a great time they had because the real reason Is and big part of the value, as we’ve said, is the connection with other amazing women just like them.

I love that you said, don’t wait, get started, because a lot of women are getting ready to get ready, and they’re pushing off their retreats, and they’re [00:16:00] not doing them year after year. And I want to, first of all, commend you for doing it. I saw all the pictures. I saw your video. I saw what a great time you and all the women had.

And the first, and the first one, our job is just to do it, right? Right. And prove to ourself that, oh my gosh, this is really wonderful. I love that, Carol. I love that.

And what did you take away from your first one that you’re going to do something different with your next one?

Carol Dockum: Well, I think the main thing I’m going to do differently is get a bigger venue. I think what I have noticed is like you said, you just have to get started, create your first one and stop self doubting yourself and questioning, questioning yourself. And I think what I’ve learned from that is now, you know, once you do something, it’s almost like riding a bike.

You’re confident, you’re comfortable. Okay, I can do this. Now it’s rinse and repeat. And then you learn from, you know, there might be a few things that you can tweak. And, and now we’ve got a [00:17:00] waiting list for other ladies that are ready to go to the next one because they saw the pictures, right.

And, and say pictures are worth a thousand words. And I think we were able to capture the energy and the excitement and the wonderful time that we all spent together. I know I had a lady reach out to me and she just said, you know, I wish I had signed up and please put me down for the next one.

And she goes, you know what, you guys are going to form a special bond. Yes, lifetime friendships. And I think that is one of the things that, that I learned and gained from this experience of my first retreat was the, the friendships, the, the bond that forms through that experience, you know, at that special time together.

Caterina Rando: Yes. And Carol, I want to underscore that I did my bliss retreat last year. January and over a year [00:18:00] later, the ladies are talking still every single day in the Facebook chat. We meet once a month on zoom. This is not part of the program. They came up with it on their own. They’re traveling together. They’re going to see each other in the different cities. They have in fact done, as you’ve said, and created these lifelong friendships. And that’s what happens when you go away with amazing women. And I do want to encourage everyone who’s listening. If you are not being a participant in retreats, you absolutely want to include that as part of your not just business strategy, but self care.

I am going on two retreats that my clients are hosting as a participant. I can’t wait. I’m speaking on somebody else’s retreat. Also, I’m hosting my own retreats.

And I got to say something, you know, Carol, they will in fact create lifelong friendships, but [00:19:00] also there is so much brain power and experience among your participants that they will lift up each other.

This is a great thing to be aware of that we don’t have to have it all figured out. We just got to get the ladies together.

Carol Dockum: That’s right, caterina, I absolutely love that. I mean, it’s just amazing what happens when you, you know, fill a room with brilliance.

I always say, surround yourself with brilliance. Yes, I do. And I know you do as well, Caterina, and it’s just so magical. And I want to say it’s priceless.

Caterina Rando: It is. It really is priceless. Carol, so many things for us to talk about. My friend, you’re gonna have to come hang out with me at one of my retreats and you put me on that list for your next retreat too, okay?

And when you have the dates, you let me know because I would love to come. And the other thing is I’m going to tell you, you know, it’s, it’s a good business strategy to go to retreats because you will create [00:20:00] relationships with people.

I’ve had many gals say to me, Caterina, I did more business this week at this retreat than if I was home at my office. Very important for women to recognize. The power for business of retreats. We got a lifetime supply of stuff to talk about. We could blah, blah, blah all day.

Let me have you share with our listeners. What is one thing we haven’t touched on that you would say is one of your keys to success that you want to share with our listeners?

Carol Dockum: Yeah I always love to say spark conversations, make new connections and create opportunities for yourself and for others. And how do you do that? Through networking. And I know some people may cringe at the word network or networking right?

But, you know, if you look at it in a different light and you spin it, it truly creates opportunities for yourself, you know. So for me, I think it’s [00:21:00] a build out your network. And participate in your local chamber of commerce or in professional women’s organizations such as the one that you, you have yourself right?

And, you just never know who you’re going to meet and consider it part of your, your marketing strategy. You know, I always say you can’t, you’re not going to build a business sitting at home, eating bonbons, watching TV or Netflix, right? You need to get up, dress up, show up and, and contribute, participate.

And through the power of your presence and your excitement of what you do and what you have to offer and the problems you solve. You know, you forge these friendships, that know, like and trust factor. Somebody needs what you have to offer, you know, you, you come first to mind.

So I feel like that is under valued and under emphasized and it doesn’t have to be so “network-y.” Do you know what I mean? It’s, it’s just a way of being.

Caterina Rando: Well, I love it. And, you know, I just think it’s making [00:22:00] friends really. And, and, and, you know, you and Carol, you and I are, are over 50. And I think that a lot of women over 50 have this belief that, okay, well, we can’t make friends anymore because they, you know, I haven’t known him for 20 years.

And I want to say that it’s never too late to make new friends and networking really does allow us to meet new people all the time. And of course, you know, I want everybody to be the speaker, not just at the event. I want them to be the speaker too, because that builds Insta influence. And to pick those networks, like your community, where you vibe with the members.

But I’m going to also say, Carol, I joined your network because I vibe with you. And the leadership or the founder of any community really does infuse that community with their values, with their leadership style. And that’s [00:23:00] part of the reason why your group is so successful because of your values and your Warmth and who you are.

Okay, everybody you have been with us today on the expand your fempire podcast. Carol Dockum of Beautiful Faces Going Places has been our guest. You’re going to want to look in the show notes. You’ll see, you can connect with Carol. You can go to one of her events, virtual or on the ground to check out her amazing community.

 I hope you’ve enjoyed our time together with Carol today. Don’t just say, “Hey, that was good super tips and insights.” Pick something that you’re going to take action on so you can bliss more in your business and expand your fempire.

This is Caterina Rando. Be with you again next time. Go be yourself, do your thing, serve your people, and of course, massively monetize your mastery. [00:24:00]

We hope you enjoyed this episode of Expand Your Fempire with Caterina Rando.