A women’s collective provides an opportunity for like minded women to come together to share ideas and fears that are often related to their small businesses.
IE 157: What is the Importance of a Women’s Collective with Sarah Benken, Founder of Know Book & Tribe
Are you looking for other influencer entrepreneurs to connect with but having trouble finding them? If so, you’ll definitely want to tune in to this episode!
Sarah Benken is the founder of the KNOW Book + Tribe.
The KNOW book is a collection of some of the top-performing, high caliber, authentic women in the city you live in that you should know and do business with. (You can find a list of the available cities on their website). I found Sarah through the Charlotte, NC edition of the KNOW Book +Tribe.
The Tribe is the community that has been built around the members. The Book has become a display of the highly-vetted, high-caliber members of the community. If you want to become a part of the Book, you can do that by joining the Tribe.
They hold four public events every year for women in the community who are not ready for the Book or are just getting started with their business.
They also have their digital, education platform, The Societe, for women who are anywhere around the world, regardless of what city you live in. The Societe is for growing business owners interested in finding community and undergoing training with other authentic business owners.
Creating a Safe Place
There are so many women’s groups out there and there are so many things you can be involved in.
The Tribe creates a safe place amongst women in any place. Whether you connect with them through the Book, Tribe, Societe, or public events, their goal is to bring in the best and brightest. These are women who are paying it forward and who care about collaborating.
It’s a place where women can come and be themselves without worrying about competition, and find support as they grow in their businesses.
KNOW is not mainly a way to advertise yourself or your business; it’s about engaging and connecting first and foremost. Everything else comes from those connections.
I recently did an interview with Nesha Pai, who I met through KNOW Tribe here in Charlotte. We were able to create a connection that we otherwise might not have found, thanks to KNOW Tribe.
Metro’s Other Woman
Sarah’s background is in accounting and organizational infrastructure. She’s been working in small businesses in a variety of industries for many years.
She decided that it was time to do something on her own and started Metro’s Other Woman, a concierge company, in Raleigh, NC about 11 years ago.
Metro’s Other Woman was started to give women who had crazy busy lives a personal assistant who could help them get things done. These services could consist of the personal side, (laundry, cooking, errands, meal prep, etc…) and the business side, (filing, organization, etc…).
KNOW grew from that same passion for women and a desire to bring new faces to the table.
Letting Go of Control
Entrepreneurs are trying to do so much with their businesses and so much with their families.
Sarah understood that sometimes there are tasks that need to be handed off, which is why she started her concierge business.
KNOW helps you see the things that can be passed on to someone else.
The very first thing to change needs to be your mindset: you don’t have to control everything. Sarah started Metro’s Other Woman because she needed someone to do her laundry and cooking.
Any kind of help you can get around the house will be helpful, whether this is your kids, other family members, a friend, or a house cleaner.
In your business, outsource your administrative tasks if possible. Hire a bookkeeper so you don’t get stuck worrying about those things at the end of the year.
Whatever you can let go of, do it.
Focusing on What’s More Important
One of the things that Sarah would hear from prospective and current clients years ago when she started her concierge company was: “I’ve been saying for years that I need a wife.”
It’s hard to do it all. Don’t get wrapped up in the idea or thought that you have to be the one to do everything.
If you are trying to be good at everything, you won’t be a master at anything.
It may not be perfect when you end up letting go of something. They might not fold the towels exactly how you like them folded. But them doing that allows you to focus on what’s more important to you: your business, your sales, or your family.
You have to have a conversation with your significant other about what is important to you. Just because you used to do it all doesn’t mean you still have to. Be open and honest about what you’re trying to accomplish by outsourcing these tasks.
Sarah created KNOW because she wants women to stop walking into a room and not feeling good enough. Whether this is from personal expectations or outside expectations, we have to let go of the idea that we have to be doing it all at all times.
For more information on KNOW, whether it be the Book, Tribe, Societe, public events, or bringing KNOW to your city, visit their website or visit them on social media.
Action Steps:
- If you liked this episode of Influencer Entrepreneurs, please subscribe and leave a fabulous review!
- Join the conversation on Instagram by tagging Jenny when you’re listening to the podcast. She’ll send you a personal message whenever you tag her.
