Why did I first attend an Essex Winning Women meeting? Curiosity and a need-to-know. I felt a bit of a fraud because I did not see myself as an enterprising woman needing support to start/ promote a business. Or do you count private tutoring as a business? I do offer one-to-one tuition in Maths or English up to GCSE level and rely on referrals. Anyway, I really enjoyed the buzz at those evening meetings at Leigh Community Centre. I particularly enjoyed Sarah Arrow’s talk on “Blogging”. As a result of her generous offer that evening, Kevin Arrow sorted out my website and I signed up for the 30-day Blogging Challenge. Click here for Day 19 and here for the 30 day Blogging Challenge.

Then Rosemary booked the Park Inn Palace for the “Essex Business Women’s Experience.” Of course I went – and of course I ended up signing up for more things. So many Winning Women! Sam Wilkinson at “The Massage Base” offered me a free Pilates ‘taster’ session followed by a free ‘taster’ Massage. Click here for a free taster session – numbers are limited! I so nearly did not take up the offer. First I was ill. Then my friend announced a surprise visit the same afternoon as my appointment, but I arranged to meet her afterwards. I was so convinced that I couldn’t do it – to such an extent that my mind often blocked what my body was trying to do. Sam has improved my confidence in exercising 100%. You would NOT believe what I am able to do. I so often surprise myself. According to the Mayo Clinic, Pilates is a method of exercise that consists of low-impact flexibility and muscular strength and endurance movements. Pilates emphasizes proper postural alignment, core strength and muscle balance . . . It certainly helps me to keep moving and my body is much stronger than my mind tries to tell me.

Claire Mathews at “House of Colour” signed me up to have my colours done. Click here. Claire not only advised me on my colours, she gave me a make-up lesson and a further session discussing my style – I am a ‘romantic classic’. When I explained to Claire how much I regretted my thinning eyebrows she recommended her niece, Amy Philips. So now I try not to leave the house without a “pop of colour” on my lips and a little pencil on my eyebrows.

Then there was Jacqueline Trew from “Utility Warehouse” another of the Winning Women – one who could save me money on utilities bills. I took longer to follow up Jacqueline’s offer of help and I hummed and hah-ed for quite a while. Click here. Then I bumped into her again at a Quiz Night and we got chatting. As a result, I signed up for the Utility Warehouse this week and will be reducing my bills for Broadband, mobile phone, gas and electricity.

Today on the Winning Women Facebook page I spotted something else to sign up for: vocal coaching. Yes! A chance for me to improve my singing and stop all those complaints about my attempts.

So all-in-all I am most definitely a winning woman! All thanks to Rosemary. Click here.

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