Today we’d like to introduce you to April Hiatt.
Hi April, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
After spending 10 years owning and running a website design and branding business, I wanted to feel more connected to other women entrepreneurs. I had spent most of my business behind a screen, and I was craving real connection, specifically connection with other women who understood what it was like to run and own a business.
As I was looking for this connection, I also wanted something more than just networking… I wanted to be able to really talk to other women, brainstorm with them, share ideas, and learn from each other–what was working, what wasn’t, etc. When I couldn’t find what I was looking for, I created it.
I put all my ideas down on paper, who the group was for, how it looked, what you could learn, all the things, added in the dates and times we would meet, and put it out there for women to sign up. And they did!
I learned really fast that what I was craving, genuine business friendships with other heart-centered women willing to support you, share knowledge, and cheer others on, was exactly what others wanted too.
WISE WOMEN Masterminds was born. (Women Inspiring Success & Excellence)
Now, a couple years later, we are a national community for women entrepreneurs offering both in-person groups in HTX as well as online groups for women from all over the US. We host have 2 conferences a year (one in Houston, where the women from all over can meet each other in person and feel the energy that brings.
This community is about collaboration over competition, and the idea that we all have something to give… and receive. We CAN help each other, and EVERYONE wins!
When women come together, magic happens!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Business is never a totally smooth road. We all feel imposter syndrome at times, we all question if we are making the right decisions, and we all have struggles. Some of the hardest parts about growing a community is making sure the culture and values are upheld. It’s also about believing in yourself as a business owner and CEO, and pushing through the negative thoughts that show up–usually right before something big happens.
I have had people question me, tell me it won’t work and wonder what I am doing. However, every time I have followed my own intuition, things have always worked out and flourished. I learned early to trust myself and my ideas, and run with them… and the right women will show up at exactly the right time.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
WISE WOMEN is a national mastermind community for ambitious women entrepreneurs. WISE stands for: Women Inspiring Success & Excellence. We brings together women from all over the US who are ready to grow their business by supporting others in a true peer-to-peer mastermind setting. It’s about creating collaborations, referral partners, supporting others, and the key… learning from each other and sharing knowledge. It’s place women can ask questions, get ideas, brainstorm, and verbally process.
We specialize specifically in peer-to-peer masterminds for women business owners. In these facilitated masterminds (both in-person and online groups available) there in not ONE expert… instead everyone is an expert in her field and every woman’s voice is heard. We want your ideas and opinions and advice. We want various perspectives so those asking a question can make her own decisions for her business, and feel good about it.
What sets WISE WOMEN apart from other groups is that we truly teach each other. This is not a coaching program. Instead it’s a place for women to support other women in their area of expertise.
And it’s so much more than “networking”. Yes, you meet other women. But this goes deeper. You truly get to know her and her business, and you help her with ways to grow and expand as others help you too. It is a true mastermind experience.
WISE WOMEN is the only mastermind group of it’s kind nationwide. It’s truly a special community of women business owners who want to make a difference, do what they love, and make money at the same time.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Integrity and keen sense of helping others feel like they belong. I know what it’s like to be dismissed, to be taken advantage of because I’m “nice”, and to feel invisible. I want women to feel seen and heard, and know that what they offer is important and valued!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wisewomenmasterminds.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisewomenmasterminds/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wisewomenmastermind
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-hiatt/
Image Credits
Heather Waegner, David Tong
