According to Peterborough entrepreneur Adeilah Dahlke, you can never have too many friends. That’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the benefits that female professionals will find when they sign up to be a member of the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough (WBN).
“I’ve made some really incredible friends through the WBN, and I know a lot of people have had that experience,” Dahlke says. “You’re building professional connections, but you’re also building those friendships too, and that’s why a lot of people keep coming back.”
Dahlke, who is the founder of Jigsaw Organizing Solutions, will be returning as the president of the inclusive networking group for the second year in a row when the 2025-26 season kicks off at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 3 at Elmhirst’s Resort in Keene — the first of 10 in-person meetings during the season.
Called “Spark & Switch,” the kick-off meeting will feature a speed networking event that aims to connect members with as many others as possible, highlighting the season’s theme of “Sparking Community and Connections.”
“I really wanted to continue with Collaboration over Competition,” says Dahlke, referring to the theme of the 2024-25 season. “Whether it’s a community of people in the same industry, or whether it’s just multiple people coming together to create something, we want people to feel like they’re part of a community, and connected and close with each other.”
“Through the programming we have this year, you’ll get to know people quite quickly and hear their stories, hear their struggles, and really connect with one another,” she adds.
The strong personal and business connections that women form at WBN is one of the main reasons Dahlke wanted to become a member of the organization when she joined in 2022. At the time, she had just moved her family and her business from Waterloo to Peterborough.
“I immediately found connections at WBN,” she recalls. “Everybody was really friendly and inviting and it was a really interesting mix of different businesses. It was really beneficial to get immersed in that and see what was available in Peterborough. I loved it immediately. I loved the group of women and found those connections really early on.”
As a Trained Professional Organizer, Dahlke says forming these connections was essential for growing her business and her clientele, given how personal the business of decluttering someone’s home can be.
“Social media is great, but it is so hard for people to get to know you enough and trust you enough to refer people to you,” she says. “When you’re meeting in person, you’re genuinely actually getting to know them on an intimate level. You’re having dinner with them and you’re seeing how they interact with other people. It’s a cool way of getting to know them.”
Even beyond building her client list, being a part of WBN was essential for Dahlke to build a support system with fellow professionals where she could talk about business challenges and solutions — especially since she works alone.
“If you’re a solopreneur you spend so much time by yourself, so it’s really great to be able to connect with people and just chat about work and personal stuff,” she says. “It can be hard to make new friends as an adult, so when you throw yourself into a situation where you’re surrounded by 70-plus like-minded women you have so many options to choose from.”
WBN also ensures new members feel welcome by offering to pair them up with a senior member who will act as a mentor throughout the season. What’s more, the dinner tables during the monthly meetings are limited to four to six people with assigned seating that changes monthly, making it easy for members to connect one-on-one with others.
“Everyone there is awesome, so you want to meet them,” Dahlke says. “People really connect when they’re eating food, and it creates a sense of comfort that is different and more relaxed than having to walk around and chat with people.”
To help members promote their businesses, WBN provides the opportunity at each monthly meeting for members to purchase an affordable vendor table, where they can then spend time before the event talking and connecting with other WBN members and their guests. With WBN’s passport program, members are encouraged to visit as many vendor tables as they can for the chance to win a prize.
“You’re guaranteed to get eyes on your business,” Dahlke says.
There are also many other opportunities for members to promote their businesses at WBN. They can sponsor a meeting to get a spot in the WBN newsletter and have their business showcased throughout the event. They can donate a door prize to speak at an event, or pay $2 to enter a draw for the chance to speak about their business or acknowledge another member’s business during a meeting. They can also add their events to WBN’s public events calendar.
New this year, instead of hosting in-person spotlight events, WBN is offering members the option to purchase a virtual spotlight for each member meeting, with ad space within the WBN newsletter.
“Maybe you have a sale going or maybe you just want to display your logo, but it gets sent out to all members so you have a lot of eyes looking at it every month,” Dahlke says. “There are lots of different options to get your face and business name out there.”
While WBN continues to support YWCA Peterborough Haliburton’s programs and services for women affected by gender-based violence through its annual fundraising holiday gala, this season WBN is expanding its support of local charitable organizations. Each month, the WBN board will choose a local charity and collect donations at the monthly member meeting.
“Members had mentioned previously that they would love to see more opportunities to volunteer and help out,” Dahlke says. “It’s going to be a really fun way to learn about different nonprofits and charities, but also just to help out the community in a way that’s super easy. It’s a way that we can each contribute and make a pretty big impact.”
In addition to annual WBN events such as the holiday gala and Galantine’s Day event, there will be new initiatives during the 2025-26 season at all-new venues throughout the year, including an inaugural International Women’s Day event in March. The WBN board is also looking at ways to expand the Member of the Year Award program to acknowledge even more members.
“It’ll be a way for all members to get recognized and appreciated for their contributions and their efforts throughout the year,” says Dahlke.
Those who want to experience a WBN meeting before committing to membership can sign up as a guest. WBN members are also encouraged to bring guests to meetings — the more guests a member brings to meetings throughout the season, the more entries they will get in a draw to win a gift prize at the end of the year.
With so much to gain from both the business and personal connections, Dahlke says there’s no reason not to join the WBN.
“You’re building connections, networking, and you’re working on your business during that time, but you get to do it in a casual way where you get to have some good food and drink some wine,” she says. “It’s a nice balance and doesn’t always feel like work.”
“And if you want to get your name out there, build your business, and have brand recognition, it’s an amazing opportunity.”
For more information on the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough or to join, visit wbnptbo.ca. You can also connect with WBN on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
This branded editorial was created in partnership with the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
