New movement supports and educates Cork business women

LEARNING how to build your business brand and grow online is at the heart of an exciting event in Cork later this month.

The brand bootcamp is being hosted by a new movement called Up She Rises, which was set up by a group of women, to support and educate other women who want to grow in business.

Marketing powerhouse Virginia Foley is at the helm of the group, and Rise and Shine is the title of their event on January 26.

Virginia explains: “The event is geared towards women who may have a business idea they would like to develop but don’t know where to start; or for those that have already started and need a bit of direction.

“It will focus on giving women the steps and tools to build a brand from scratch and grow a business online. The biggest part is that the guest speakers have years of agency experience which often small businesses don’t have the budget to get access to.

“So it will be really interesting for the attendees to get those insights and learn how to apply them to their own business.”

Topics covered on the day will range from mind-set and motivation, how to start a brand, brand storytelling, Facebook and Instagram advertising and public relations.

Contributors include Sian Horn (Bebelle), Sandra Murphy (Sandra in the City), Maeve Dennehy (Love Cherish Boutique), Kim O’Mahony, This is Ethos, and Muriel Foley, digital director and lecturer.

Virginia insists the day will suit a range of people.

“It will provide a blueprint that can be applied to any business. But you don’t necessarily need to own a business. You may be unsatisfied in your current work situation and want to broaden your horizons or you might be a creator who makes their own products or provides a service but lack the marketing know-how to drive it on. Or often, I find people fall out of love with their own brand and want a refresh but don’t know where to start. So it will suit a range of people.

“The networking element is also key. It will be a good opportunity to put yourself out there and meet like-minded people that you may end up collaborating with.”

Virginia explains how Up She Rises began on Instagram but quickly evolved into “a community of learning for women in business”.

“Each One Teach One is the philosophy behind the movement and its aim is to motivate, support and educate women who want to grow in business.

“My background has always been in marketing and I am particularly passionate about women in business. I spent some time earlier in my career working on start-up programmes for female entrepreneurs in The Rubicon Centre CIT and I also mentor for the Start Up Lab in UCC.

“On a personal level, I have also experienced the career challenges posed by motherhood. You know the phrase ‘We are expected to work like we don’t have children, and expected to raise children like we don’t work’ — that really sums up my experience. It’s a flaw in the overall system to be honest.

“Many valuable women have no choice but to step out of the workforce to raise a family. Navigating the getting back in part is really tricky. This presented many challenges for me and I know many other women experience this. So I had to re-invent my working hours. I suppose here is where the story of Up She Rises started.”

Plans for the Up She Rises site include free resources for women in business and also a suite of online courses launching in the coming weeks. There will be contributions from and interviews with leading women in business to tap into how they overcame the challenges.

Rise and Shine taks place Cork International Hotel on January 26 from 2pm to 5pm. Prizes on the day include a business bundle featuring a range of supports to guide and mentor them into the new year as well as a branding package from Limelight Media (specialists in brand development and management).

Tickets are €49 and can be purchased on www.upsherises.ie or through Eventbrite.