Create A Business That Thrives Without You

Who is Jacqueline?

From the burnt-out corporate employee who did not know the colour of her own front door because I left so early in the morning and got home so late, to the creator, founder and franchisor of The Athena Network, THE LEADING INTERNATIONAL NETWORKING, TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS CLUB FOR FEMALE EXECUTIVES AND ENTREPRENEURS

My desire was to create my own business and reading the book "The eMyth Revisited" by Michael E Gerber in 2003 lit a spark in the embers of my desire.  I just KNEW that creating my business as if I was going to franchise it was the right thing for me to do.  I know what it feels like to work all the hours, to be taken for granted, believe that I was the only person capable of doing the work and getting no thanks. This time around I was creating a business that I loved, that THRIVED without me AND provided a service to the franchisees who purchased their territory as well as our members. It really has been a win:win:win  

In October 2005 I launched The Athena Network and 11 months later we were a national franchise in the UK.  We have continued to thrive and every year I fall even more deeply in love with what I have created.

Like you, I'm an entrepreneur with a creative spirit, I've loved building businesses (for fun) that have enabled me to replicate the model that I used for The Athena Network, all in different industries and some for products and not services.  At the heart of EVERYTHING I have created I've considered "how could I make this more simple, more profitable?" and the answer, no matter what business I created, was to create as if I was going to franchise (or sell).

I LOVE supporting businesswomen to do exactly the same and recognise the profit potential in their business and how they can set themselves free from the day to day management whilst the business THRIVES.