About Us
How it started
In 2023, Maddy was in a local pub waxing lyrical about what she did with her local bestie Pip – another woman who ran her own business. They wondered, what if they created a regular meetup for women in business? As Maddy was a familiar face at pubs in SE20, jumped at the chance to create a casual, welcoming space where women entrepreneurs could connect, collaborate, and support each other.
(Pip is now leaving London to start a new chapter in Somerset with her family, but we couldn’t not mention her as part of our origin story!)
What we realised
Running a business can be isolating—especially when you’re working alone at home, trying to figure everything out. Networking events often feel forced, awkward, or just not the right vibe. We needed something different.
We wanted a cosy, inclusive space where women could meet local small biz pals, chat through challenges, share knowledge, and just feel supported.
Community is so often overlooked—especially for women and non-binary business owners—which is why we’re so excited you’re here!
About your host, Maddy
Hi, I’m Maddy Shine, small business mentor & visibility expert. Since 2012, I’ve guided thousands of women business owners on how to take up space on the internet (and I’ve spent even longer telling people what to do!).
From coding my own website as a teenage nerd in the 90s to over 20 years in digital marketing, I’ve developed a sassy but soft approach to helping brilliant business owners get more visibility and sales—through learning, connection, and community.
I’ve been described as “actual human sunshine”, and my GIFs have been seen over 800 million times worldwide (yes, really!).
I’m the one with the blue hair and loud laugh—come say hi!
Photography credit: Nadia Meli
Why this community matters
We believe community is vital to our wellbeing. In the last few years, many things have become obvious but one of the key points was that as women we have less access to an ‘other’ space. With juggling many responsibilities, we find that work and home are the same space and typically we do not prioritise ourselves and spending time with other women in the evenings.
This community changes that.
We focus on conversation and connection. We’re friends first, pitching second.