"Stiletto Network" author Pamela Ryckman shares how to start your own networking group with the members of Connect: Professional Women's Network. To continue the conversation or join the LinkedIn group for free, visit www.linkedin.com/womenconnect.

1. Stiletto Network author Pamela Ryckman offers advice
on how to start your own networking group.
Beyond-the-Surface Networking
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2. Meet Pamela Ryckman!
Pamela recently answered questions from the
members of Connect: Professional Women’s Network.
Here is some of her most popular advice!
Pamela is a freelance journalist and the author
of STILETTO NETWORK: Inside the Women's
Power Circles That Are Changing the Face of
Business. Pamela’s work has also been
featured in publications such as Chicago
Tribune, U.S. News & World Report, Forbes,
Bloomberg, Huffington Post, More and Allure.
Before becoming a journalist, Pamela
performed internal strategy work for Merrill
Lynch’s Global Markets and Investment
Banking Group.

3. So What is a Stiletto Network?
A Stiletto Network is a group of women who get together
regularly to network, exchange ideas, brainstorm solutions and
generally support each other in their professional endeavors.
These networks typically start with a few friends, each of
whom invites another friend to join. Pamela has found these
groups among women in all industries and age groups, from
CEOs to aspiring Millennials to moms launching businesses in
their basements.
Some groups hold regular dinners, some golf together, some walk
the beach. The activity and setting aren’t important—what matters
is that the women are there to help each other become the
best they can be, in spite of whatever obstacles they may face.
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4. CONNECT: PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S NETWORK
Get going! Starting your own Stiletto Network is deceptively easy.
Most groups begin organically, with two or three smart, motivated friends
who want to expand their horizons and increase their spheres of
influence. They organize a dinner and each one invites someone the
others don’t know, preferably a woman from another industry.

5. CONNECT: PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S NETWORK
Strive for diversity. “The most effective groups draw women with
diverse skills. By creating ties with and learning from women in other
fields, we are able to bring lessons and new ideas to our own
companies. Cross-industry groups provide a strategic advantage for
women in the workforce today.”

6. CONNECT: PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S NETWORK
Don’t let imaginary obstacles get in the way. “Some of the
most inspiring are among local small business owners and women trying to reinvent
themselves. These women feel rejuvenated and help move their businesses a mile
forward—together. You don’t need to start with any major connections. Have a
dream and willingness to help others, and assemble your tribe.”

7. CONNECT: PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S NETWORK
You’re never too young to start making connections.
“When you start young, you’re able to assemble your “board of
advisors” early, and you can compare notes coach each other
through all stages at work. You can help each other script difficult
conversations around compensation and promotions.”

8. CONNECT: PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S NETWORK
Transcend the old boys’ club. “These groups are especially
crucial—a life boat!—for women in stalwart industries such as finance and law.
They help each other script difficult conversations around compensation and
promotion, but they also direct business each other’s way. They’re generating a
huge money trail, and male counterparts are taking notice.”

9. CONNECT: PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S NETWORK
Make meaningful connections. “This type of marketing isn’t
about going to large events, so many people find it more accessible—
if not a relief! Because each woman brings someone the others don’t
know, immediately there’s a sense of trust, because each person at
the table has the backing of someone else there.”

10. CONNECT: PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S NETWORK
You don’t need an agenda. “Most groups just started out talking
about their hopes and dreams, and in the course of these conversations,
they realized they could help each other. If you’re trying to find a new job or
enter a new industry, 10 heads are so much more powerful than one. These
women are true advocates for each other.”

11. CONNECT: PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S NETWORK
Freelancers, unite! “Stiletto Networks are freelancers and
entrepreneurs. They recreate the social interaction we had in
previous corporate jobs, and also assure we pick up our heads and
become attuned to developments in other fields.”

12. CONNECT: PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S NETWORK
Share duties among the group. “One way to distribute the responsibility
and ensure each woman stays engaged is to appoint someone new each time
to host, decide on a topic and lead a discussion.”

13. CONNECT: PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S NETWORK
Find your group’s sweet spot. “Networking can take place
anywhere, but it should definitely be fun. I’ve found groups of women
who enjoy walking, dining, drinking, golfing, lying on the beach—you
name it. The key is to assemble women with diverse skills and
perspectives who want to help others achieve their dream.”

14. CONNECT: PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S NETWORK
Oh, the places you’ll go. “A few of the impressive things women
have done as a result of Stiletto Networks: created the most downloaded
app in the history of Warner Bros.; overseen the largest high-yield bond
offering of 2010; joined the founding team of one of the fastest-growing
start-ups in history and steered it toward a $1B IPO; and launched the most
successful fundraising campaign pilot in the history of the Red Cross.”

15. CONNECT: PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S NETWORK©2013 LinkedIn Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 15
Join the conversation!
Connect: Professional Women’s Network, Powered by Citi, is an online
community on LinkedIn that helps women achieve the careers they want and
discuss the issues relevant to their success.
For more great insights from Connect members, check out
the discussions here, here, and here. Visit linkedin.com/womenconnect
for more information and to join the group for free!
To learn more about Stiletto Networks, check out Pamela’s book,
Stiletto Network: Inside the Women’s Power Circles that are
Changing the Face of Business.
PHOTO CREDITS:
Slide 1: Dell’s Official Flickr Page
Slide 4: TED Conference/Flickr
Slide 5: m. uptegrove/Shutterstock
Slide 6: U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv/Flickr
Slide 7: Eric Peacock/Flickr
Slide 8: Guillaume/Flickr
Slide 9: Dave Cynkin/Flickr
Slide 10: Maryland Gov Pics/Flickr
Slide 11: Andrei Zarubaika/Shutterstock
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Slide 13: TED Conference/Flickr
Slide 14: Sam Hawley/Flickr

16. CONNECT: PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S NETWORK©2013 LinkedIn Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 16