Community News

'EVERY SINGLE WOMEN HAS SOMETHING TO CONTRIBUTE'

AILEEN ZANGOUEI azangouei@yrmg.com

When Shari Goss attended her first SWAN (Successful Women

Always Networking) meeting nine years ago in Bradford, her severe anxiety disorder put up massive walls around her.

"I shook. I didn't want to talk to anybody. They split me up from my group of friends, so I thought, what am I doing here?" Goss told Simcoe.com.

Joining SWAN — a not-forprofit networking group exclusive to women in business — made sense for Goss as she

works with a direct sales company, Norwex.

Despite her severe anxiety disorder, Goss said at her first meeting members of SWAN supported her to the point where she could open up and get involved.

Today, Goss is the president of SWAN, leading the members through community connections, helping to support new businesses and participating in a variety of community-based events.

With the celebration of International Women's Day earlier this month Goss reflected on her own growth and gratitude for SWAN.

"I love all of them. We've had some leave and some come, but we fostered an idea that you have to support each other and that's why we're here," Goss said, adding that when a group of women like this lift each other high, anything is possible.

The mother of three said her advice to other women would be to keep going, no matter what. "On days when you feel like you need to hide (or take some time), do that.

But the key is to find people that support you and listen to the voices of people who can say 'yes, that sucks' but then help you move forward." And for Goss, those people are her fellow SWAN ladies, and together they make lasting connections while supporting women in business.

Goss said when she feels like hiding, it's between the pages of books and "burrowed down in blankets."

Growing up, Goss would write stories, and when asked one day by her son why she doesn't write anymore, and being encouraged by family and friends, she decided to write her own books.

One day in 2019, when she was having a panic attack, she sat down and wrote 10 chapters, finishing her first novel amid the pandemic. Since then, she has published four books, some of which are sweet romance novels.

Goss said she is committed to using her two-year term as SWAN president toward building stronger connections with one another.

"Over the pandemic, we kind of weren't seeing (each other) in person and a lot of us went through rough stuff, so I want to build up those connections ... that's who I am, I am about connection and supporting each other.

"I want everyone to know that if you are part of this group, you can call on us and we got you," Goss said.

Jessica Crossan, a member of SWAN since 2015, said she met Goss at her first meeting and the pair hit it off.

Crossan had just started an entrepreneurial role at Epicure, and not knowing much about how to operate a business, thought she could learn a lot with SWAN.

"These are women running businesses successfully and raising families, all at the same time, and know what to do and how to do it," Crossan said.

"I would not have been able to build my Epicure business to what it is without them," Crossan said.

She is also a realtor with the Louise Batista team in town.

And as the mother of four girls, Crossan said SWAN is also helping her raise the "next generation of strong, independent successful women."

"A celebration of women and everything we contribute to our community" is what SWAN means to her. It's comparable to how Crossan described the importance of International Women's Day, a discussion she often has with her daughters.

"We get to celebrate ourselves for something about us that hasn't always been celebrated. For just being who we are and what we contribute to the world.

"We recognize that every single women has something to contribute and to be part of something bigger," Crossan said.

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: International Women's Day was on March 8, and in honour of women, Reporter Aileen Zangouei spoke with members of Successful Women Always Networking, a women's networking group in Bradford West Gwillimbury.

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2023-03-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

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