My theme this year as Network West Network West Cork President: Make it Happen is my theme for the year

THERE are so many dynamic, creative and influential women in business in our region with so much to offer as solopreneurs, employees and employers.

That’s according to the new president of Network West Cork, Sandra Maybury, whose focus for the year ahead is to support these women through regular, relevant communication and by hosting events that cover a broad range of subjects including professional development, business supports, marketing and finance.

“And while networking is a very powerful tool for business growth, it is also very powerful in providing support to those working alone and/or working from home,” said Sandra.

“Since Covid, we’ve seen a huge shift in employees remote working and this can be very isolating. It’s good to get out and meet fellow women in business,” she said.

Sandra is speaking from experience. Growing up in Dunmanway, her parents ran the very well-known Parkway Hotel, which is still in the family, and she has been self-employed since 2005, running her business, Maybury Marketing.

My offerings have changed and evolved over those 18 years, but today, the majority of the work I do for clients involves marketing consultancy, mentoring with the Local Enterprise Office and SFA and project management.

“I’ve learned a few tricks over that time and I hope I can use this experience in my presidency,” said Sandra, who also wrote a book earlier this year entitled Spins which tells the story of her parents, Sonny and Mary Maybury’s entrepreneurial journey from the 1960s to present day.

Sandra has been a member of Network Ireland West Cork from the very start.

“On March 5, 2018, I attended the launch of a West Cork women in business group, held in Ludgate, Skibbereen,” she recalled.

“I remember the room was packed and I only knew about three people. I was totally awkward; I didn’t know where to put myself.

“Then Helen Wycherley took to the stage, she was vice president at national level and had very recently had a baby. Straight away I felt this was a group for career-driven women, who not only lead demanding professional lives but also balance busy home lives with family and other responsibilities, and whatever else life throws at us. I knew instantly this was the group for me,” she said.

Having said that, Sandra admits for the first two years of joining, she was still “hugely uncomfortable with networking”.

But as I attended more events, I met and connected with more and more people and networking became more comfortable for me.

And with that came confidence which, along with her customary ‘get stuck in’ approach, saw her join the committee as PRO.

“For me, that was when I really engaged with Network Ireland and I’ve pretty much been on the committee ever since.”

Sandra knows full well that for many career-driven women, their first responsibility can be to the home, children or elderly parents.

“Women, more often than not, are the main caregivers and it can be stressful and overwhelming trying to juggle this responsibility with work demands,” she acknowledged.

“Networking offers that support, to help you know you are not alone in your challenges,” said Sandra.

Married to dairy farmer Derry O’Donovan, they are parents to three girls, Alice (17), Grace (13) and Ella (9), which makes it a busy household, as well as running her own business.

Putting herself forward for the presidency must have been a big consideration?

Everything happens for a reason and there is a right time for everything. I’d relate this to the old saying, ‘what is for you won’t pass you’ and 2024 was the right time for me to put myself forward for the president’s role.

“But I am just one of a team, there are 14 members on the committee who have all pledged their support for Network Ireland West Cork,” said Sandra.

She said she’s honoured to step into the role and is very much looking forward to the year ahead.

“My theme this year is #makeithappen. I can’t say there is a powerful reason behind choosing this hashtag. I saw these diaries with ‘Make it Happen’ written on the cover and it was like someone was sending me a message and I just thought, that’s it, that’s my hashtag for the year ahead!”

Her message to anyone thinking of joining the group is to ‘try it’.

“All Network Ireland West Cork events are open to members and non-members. So if there is someone who’s been thinking about joining, I would say, come to an event first. Meet the other women there, get a feel for the group. Maybe it’s not for everyone but I would be fairly confident that it is. But come with the right mindset. People often assume that networking is about converting sales. While networking can help business growth, it is also very powerful in providing support.”

Sandra said Network Ireland has widened her network not just locally but nationally: “Crucially, I have made lifelong friends and colleagues, and we support each other wholeheartedly.”