Dear subscriber

When Helen Lindop drew this cartoon at the end of the first lockdown we were all congratulating ourselves on getting through it. 

We had no idea that one year on some people would be having their second lock down birthday, we'd all have missed family celebrations, births, marriages, holidays, and in some cases experienced bereavements without the most basic of human comfort and connections. 
 
In that year we've had 124 open drop in meetings, 30 subtle networking events, 40 workshops and an astonishing 5,600+ conversations in our LinkedIn Group. On top of that our Premium members have given each other even more support in our Slack Group on every topic that has concerned them. To know that there is always someone there to answer a question or just listen has been the most powerful gift they have given each other. 

I'd like to thank everyone who has turned up to support each other: smiling, listening, sometimes just being present, and keeping that human connection that we've all come to realise is the most precious thing of all. 

In between all that, business got done, great connections got made, people developed, progressed, achieved goals and a lot of the time surprised themselves at how adaptable they could be. 

We've all had enough, we're tired, frustrated, fed up and yet still hopeful. Can you see the light at the end of the tunnel?  

What have goats got to do with it? 

Back in March 2020 when we were all in a flat spin, not knowing quite what to expect, goats got an almost daily mention in our calls. 

It started with Cronkshaw Fold Farm trying to save their animals (and eventually making £50,000) by renting out their goats for Zoom meetings and progressed into daily sightings of wildlife as cities fell silent and traffic pollution decreased. At one meeting we semi-hysterically discussed how to tell if a hedgehog was fat. The problem was solved beautifully by Anne-Marie Miller.  
At a time when there really wasn't much to smile about we seem to have had more than our fair share of laughter, most of it from unexpected conversations and flights of fancy. 

Who's doing what? 

Drive members continue to thrive and produce amazing ideas, solutions and results for happy clients. They also share their expertise and experience to help each other - see our Business Brainstorming events. 
Many of them also have great newsletters and blog posts that they share to inspire others. Here's just a few: 

• Anne Archer is organising "Conversations for Coaches" events. 
• Karen Arnott's newsletter is a delightful mix of her own design work and designs that have inspired her - a delight for the eyes!
• Charlie Ashley-Roberts is a prolific producer of blog posts and podcasts with advice for people developing their careers.
• Andy Bargery is planning events exploring diversity in marketing.
• Andy Boothman uses the Dress Code Shirts blog to explore the impact of technology on fashion and the trailblazers in both fields. 
• Adam Brooks helps RPG makers make money from their creations.
• David Brown's blog posts, videos and workshops help people create a mind, body and spiritual connection that enriches their lives. 
• Jo Bryant's work with interactive puppetry helps people of all ages communicate more easily when they struggle to connect. 
• Prue Butterworth helps start ups with a lean budget get to market. 
• Paul Chiy is supporting care homes and many other organisations with legal advice.

There'll be more highlights in the next newsletter!
To connect with any of our members see the membership list 

Zoom Meetings 

Sometimes you have questions, sometimes you have answers.

“How do I …?”
“What the best way to …?”
“What do you recommend for …?”
“Who do you know who is good at …?”

One of the biggest problems about running your own business is that there is so much to know and sometimes, you just don’t know what you need to know or which answers to trust.

Drive the Network members not only have a huge range of expertise and experience, they are one of the few groups that can be trusted not to try to sell anybody a solution, so their answers are invariably reliable.

Bring a question to these new monthly events and join in to help design creative answers.
Everybody learns, everybody wins! 

And finally ... if anxiety about the pandemic is causing you to panic or quietly unravel, you're not alone. Please get in touch and we'll help you find people who can help, from workshops on anxiety free parenting to confidential 1:1 support. We've gathered a lot of helpful resources in one place here. Exceptional Support ​

Ann Hawkins
MD and Founder 
www.drivethenetwork.com

We challenge bigotry and discrimination wherever we see it. We actively enable collaboration over competition and openly share expertise and knowledge. If you believe these things are important and you'd like to join us, you'll be very welcome.