The Benefits of Community-Led Networking

Why meaningful relationships help mums in business flourish with Faye Dicker

I still remember that very first Freelance Mum netwalk- nearly 12 years ago now. I had a baby strapped to me, a bunch of balloons tied to my pushchair (so I was instantly recognisable), an icebreaker planned to get conversation started, and I was trying desperately to welcome attendees while breastfeeding.

Somehow, despite the unconventional setting- it worked.

Because, well- us mums in business just make things work. We learn to roll with things.

I was a woman on a mission- to connect fellow women juggling motherhood around business. As a new mum and freelance voiceover artist, I felt completely isolated. I knew how to freelance. I was muddling through motherhood. But I had absolutely no idea how the two worlds would work together.

There were no work buddies. No one to share those bleary-eyed, water-cooler moments with.

I didn’t have the answers- but I was certain I wasn’t alone in how I felt. I remember that fire in my belly, the belief that there had to be collective strength in a network. And if it didn’t exist, I’d have to create it.

So I stepped out and called it Freelance Mum. (I was sleep deprived and didn’t overthink it.)

freelance mum group image, with child running

What I didn’t know then was what I was building- or that nearly 12 years on, those early foundations would grow from ‘networking’ into a community with roots that run deep.

Today, I often think of Freelance Mum as a network in the truest sense of the word- much like trees and their ecosystem. Beneath the forest floor, trees support one another; stronger trees pass nutrients to younger or weaker ones, signals are sent when one is under threat, and ‘mother trees’ play a vital role in nurturing and sustaining the whole forest.

The result? A forest that is more resilient, adaptable and long-lasting than any tree standing alone.

This is why community-led networking works. It creates an environment where relationships are built and cherished, roots can run deep, and people are free to grow at their own pace- supported, not rushed.

And this isn’t just a metaphor. Our recent Freelance Mum Impact Report shows that members grow not only in business, but in confidence and connection too. The Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship also highlights that one of the biggest barriers for women starting and growing businesses is a lack of relatable role models.

That word, relatable, matters deeply to me.

We need more women building businesses around motherhood who keep showing up. Not in a brash way. Not in a ‘we can have it all’ way. But in a ‘we can make it work, if we support each other’ way. This is a community rooted in kindness- where someone checks in on a tough day and celebrates your success just as loudly as their own.

Networking may be the starting point, but community keeps you going.

Nearly 12 years on, that baby I had strapped to me is now at secondary school. And just like my children, my business has grown up with me. What began as one woman on a mission has become a network of hubs across the country, each led by dedicated Hub Hosts, each with its own look and feel- yet all grounded in the same Freelance Mum values.

So as I leave the primary school years behind and step into the next chapter of motherhood and business, it feels especially exciting to be launching new hubs in Exeter and Plymouth, led by Fran Minifie, Alicia Ireland and Sue Richards.

To know this supportive, community-led network is coming even closer to home for more women in Devon, feels like a full-circle moment and one I’m incredibly proud of.