I made a shock announcement on Tuesday – I said goodbye to the network I had been running for the past 3 years and 2 months.

If you don’t know what First Tuesday is I’ll give you a little run down, and after I’ll explain why in business it is sometimes important to let one door close, knowing that another will open.

FT started out as the network for social enterprise, but over time has become the business network in Nottingham for businesses with a heart, or to put it bluntly people who give a f***!

I’ve loved running First Tuesday; giving people the opportunity to talk about things they are passionate about, the businesses that they run and to build a network that at times has had over 70 attendees all brought together based on the values they have as businesses and as people.

When I mapped out the value of FT a few years ago people told me:

The relaxed atmosphere makes a refreshing change to some of the other events I attend.

It has enabled connections to likeminded businesses, creating useful business ideas, been a friendly network and helped to remind me why I am in business.  

and

I think Debbie is amazing and she picks fantastic speakers!

I’ve had so many amazing experiences and met so many fabulous people, so why would I choose to let all that go?

When I took over running First Tuesday my business was aimed at social enterprises and charities, after all, that was where my previous experience was and I’d been part of a team setting up 2 new social enterprises in London & Nottingham. So, it made perfect sense for me to be the figure head of the network championing their causes.

But as my business grew I slowly moved out of the charity sector into one I felt more at home with. Creative women doing amazing things and setting up their own businesses.

And so debbiedooodah developed alongside the other network I co-founded; Blue Stockings.

My core business started slowly (like a ship) to move in another direction entirely.

I’m so passionate about supporting women to be in control of their own destinies, their finances.

Women are spearheading a new way of working, a new way of being. We are shunning the old value system of the means of production. No longer are we having to bow down to the kings of capitalism and ask for money to live by. We are creating jobs, businesses and an income based entirely upon our talent in a way that suits us.

And it is women who are changing the face of working. We are pushing the entrepreneurial envelope so to speak.

And how exciting to be part of this change! In Nottingham we have more women starting businesses than anywhere else in the UK (apart from London) and I want to be part of that change, supporting women to have the clarity & confidence to promote themselves online and go for it, shake things up and not settle for second best.

So now I’ve said all that, I’m sure you can see that First Tuesday just wasn’t quite the right fit anymore.

Although I love everyone in the network, something had to give, to enable me to have space to fully become debbiedooodah and let that side of me develop and grow.

And so if you feel that something in your business just isn’t serving you anymore, or you are so busy, you’re not able to focus on the things you love doing, perhaps it’s time for a re-evaluation.

Holding onto what is comfortable and known is understandable, but to allow new experiences in we sometime need to let go of things to create space and time.

And new doors are already opening. I’m so excited to be creating a fantastic fortnightly podcast with Amy Phipps of Women who Create UK. We’ll be interviewing fabulous women and sharing our own nuggets of joy along the way.

I hope you’re excited to be on this journey with me too.

Watch this space for the latest developments!

And reset assured that I have left First Tuesday in the wonderful and capable hands of Jeanne Booth and Emma Torrance who run the fantastic THiNK café in the centre of Nottingham, off Pelham Street in Cobden Chambers.

We’ll be having a hello goodbye party on Tuesday Sept 5th, so if you have ever been to a First Tuesday event, please pop your head in and say goodbye & hello! Grab your ticket here. I would love to see you!

And if you’re interested in finding out about how I can support you to grow your amazing business online, check out my Clarity & Confidence programme.

Interested in reading other blog post in my Smart Working series?

What is work? http://debbiedooodah.co.uk/blog/2017/6/13/what-is-work

I am – 2 powerful little words http://debbiedooodah.co.uk/blog/2017/6/7/i-am-2-powerful-little-words

The problem with taking on too much http://debbiedooodah.co.uk/blog/2017/5/31/the-problem-with-taking-on-too-much

Believe in Yourself http://debbiedooodah.co.uk/blog/2016/8/30/believe-in-yourself

Why networks are important to you and me http://debbiedooodah.co.uk/blog/2017/4/10/why-networks-are-important-to-you-and-me

How to reconnect with your business: http://debbiedooodah.co.uk/blog/2017/6/28/how-to-reconnect-with-your-business