The Athena Network - Reading and Henley

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The Athena Network - Reading and Henley

The Athena Network is THE # 1 referral network for business women. They will have access to a network of high calibre connections.

If you are a business lady and would like to grow personally & professionally - visit one of our monthly meetings - make quality connections/build relationships KNOW LIKE TRUST! The Athena Network Reading and Henley has six thriving and energetic groups across the region. The meetings are held on the:

East - 1st Wednesday of the month
Virtual - 2nd Tuesday
North - 2nd Wednesday
Central - 2nd Thur

sday
Henley - 3rd Tuesday
South - 4th Thursday
Cappuccino Connections - 4th Tuesday

We are currently networking online and all of our monthly formal meetings start at 12noon and finish at 2pm. The Cappuccino Connections meeting is our informal/drop in meeting and that starts at 10.30am until 12noon. The professions that we are inviting visitors to attend and experience an Athena Network meeting within the Reading and Henley region are:

Corporate business ladies who may have a connection to a Women's Leadership group within their organisation. The opportunity to up-skill and enhance your employee and customer experience through valuable training, collaboration and connections. We are a women-only network and the benefits of membership go far beyond our meetings meaning everyone will gain something. Solicitors - family, private client, commercial, employment
Accountants and Bookkeepers
Travel Consultants
Marketing - PR and SEO consultants
Garden Designers
HR professionals
Estate Agents
Architects
Interior Designers
VA and Admin support
Business Process experts
Financial Advisors
IT specialists
Sales trainers
Learning and Development consultants
Health and Safety in the workplace executives
HR Advisors
Coaches - personal, business, branding
Website designers
Graphic designers
Food/cake producers
Holistic healers/practitioners
Dance/Yoga/Pilates
Photographers
Magazines/Newspapers
Domiciliary care/Care Homes
Florists
Retail shops
Hairdressers
Beauty - Make up professionals
Nutritionists
Fitness Experts

All meetings are subject to one profession and visitors are able to attend one formal meeting before deciding on joining The Athena Network - Reading and Henley region.

15/06/2026

A warm welcome to Rachel Maunder, who will be leading our Henley Athena Business Development Training: Laying the Foundations for Your Story.

Rachel will be sharing some of the key elements that make stories engaging, memorable and impactful.

As business owners, we often find it difficult to talk about ourselves and our journey, yet our stories are one of the most powerful tools we have for building trust and connecting with potential clients.

Storytelling doesn't have to be complicated. By understanding how to identify the important moments in your story and link them to your skills and expertise, you can communicate your value with greater confidence and authenticity.

Have you ever struggled to explain what makes you different? Or wondered how to make your networking conversations, presentations or marketing more engaging?

In this session, Rachel will help attendees uncover key parts of their own story, explore how these connect to their business, and gain valuable feedback from others.

An experienced speaker and coach with a real knack for finding the sweet spot in a story, Rachel works with business professionals to uncover their stories and craft them into compelling talks and presentations.

See you tomorrow.

10/06/2026

A warm welcome to Alex Benedict of Aspects of Yoga, who will be leading our Reading Central Business Development Training: From Sitting Healthy to Being Comfortably Compliant.

How often do you stop and think about your posture during the working day? Most of us spend hours sitting at desks, commuting or relaxing on the sofa, often without realising the impact these habits can have on our wellbeing.

Alex is passionate about helping people develop greater awareness of their body and posture. Through education, practical tools and simple techniques, she empowers individuals to understand the effects posture can have on their health, wellbeing and daily comfort.

In this engaging session, Alex will help you tune into the messages your body is sending you, whether you're sitting at your workstation, working from home, travelling, or simply standing in a queue. Understanding what your body is telling you is the first step towards preventing discomfort and living with greater ease.

Alex brings a wealth of expertise, combining her experience as a qualified HSE professional, Hatha Yoga teacher and Thai Yoga Massage practitioner, as well as studying Well Woman Yoga and Ayurveda lifestyle and nutrition.

We look forward to learning from Alex and discovering practical ways to improve our health, comfort and wellbeing throughout the working day.

See you tomorrow.

02/06/2026

A warm welcome to Henriette Danel, a Business & Client Attraction Coach, who will be leading our Reading East Business Development Training: Why You Should Collaborate & Not Compete.

Henriette will be teaching Athena members the 5 steps to creating successful collaborations.
Collaborations are becoming vastly popular amongst entrepreneurs and those who know how to collaborate with others in similar niches; they’ve got the upper hand.

Even the word ‘Competition’ can have a negative connotation, but it comes down to understanding the real benefits of collaborations vs competition.

So, have you thought of collaborating with other entrepreneurs and do you know how to create your own collaboration?

Henriette Danel is a Multi-Award Winning Business & Client Attraction Coach, working with Coaches, Freelancers & Consultants, to help them Attract More Clients Continuously.

She's also a TEDx & Public Speaker, Author and host of The Entrepreneurial Success Podcast.

See you tomorrow.

27/05/2026

A warm welcome to Emily Delahaye an Acupuncturist & Chinese Medicine Practitioner, who will be leading our Business Development Training: The Wisdom of Chinese Medicine for Everyday Life.

Emily will be showing Athena members how aligning with the five seasons of Chinese Medicine can boost your energy, balance your hormones and help you work smarter throughout the year

Emily is a traditional acupuncturist, practicing in Reading. Her treatments help to balance hormones, ease chronic pain and chronic health conditions, and help you feel less overwhelmed or stressed.

See you tomorrow.

19/05/2026

A warm welcome to Anna Rowe from AA Morgan Accounting and Bookkeeping Ltd, who will be leading our Business Development Training: KPIs - What are they and do I need them?.

Anne will be showing Athena members how monitoring KPIs can lead to a greater understanding of their business and help them make informed business decisions. She will be discussing KPIs, what they are, how to set them, and why everyone should have them.

Anna has been helping small businesses to stay on top of their accounts since 2007, after escaping from corporate land. She is passionate about ensuring that business owners understand their business finances so that they can make informed business decisions.

13/05/2026

A warm welcome to Jayne Johnson, a Recruitment Specialist for Entrepreneurs, who will be leading our Business Development Training: Talent Dynamics Work in Flow and Get More Done.

Jayne will be showing Athena members how to achieve more, be more creative, more self-aware and how to work more productively with others by knowing their Talent Dynamics Profile and what puts them in Flow.

With almost 35 years of recruitment experience, and for the last 19 years for entrepreneurs and growth-based businesses, Jayne knows what support business owners need to get great people into their business. Jayne helps with every aspect of recruitment - always sourcing great people as well as pre-hire planning through to post-hire probation management and retention. She is also an accredited Talent Dynamics Talent Profiling Flow Consultant and leads a training course - The Recruitment Blueprint that shows business owners and founders how to recruit with certainty so that people stay.

See you tomorrow.

05/05/2026

Gail Pearson, HR Jedi, is sharing ‘𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲?’ at Reading East tomorrow.

In her Business Development Training, you will be unpicking what kind of employment terms are out there and how to actually identify the right worker terms for the right work needing to be done.

She will also share how to categorise the many types of employment and stay safe, knowing you have rightly identified your employees and other workers.

Gail fell in love with HR after doing an Employment Law course. She did over 30 years in corporate at HR Director level, but always helped friends with their small businesses and individuals with their unscrupulous employers. The HR jedi started in 2017 and Gail now focuses on being the virtual HR department for a diverse range of clients, anything from hairdressers, tree surgeons, accountants and charities. She is a commercial HR practitioner with a talent for tailoring clients' needs.

See you tomorrow!

22/04/2026

I'm delighted to welcome Lana Morris, That Woman Tech, who will be joining us at Reading South tomorrow to share her training:

The Simplest Online Course You Can Create (Without Overwhelm)

Discover how to turn what you already do into a simple, sellable online course—without the stress. You’ll learn a clear step-by-step framework, easy tech setup, and walk away with your first actionable course idea.

Lana supports spiritually aware women by helping them overcome tech overwhelm, align their business systems with their energy, and grow sustainably through intuitive tech strategy, automation, and holistic energy practices.

See you tomorrow!

20/04/2026

Jayne Johnson, Recruitment Specialist, is joining us at Henley for her Business Development Training:

𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗗𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀: 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗲

She will be showing Athena members how to achieve more, be more creative, more self-aware, and work more productively with others by knowing their Talent Dynamics.

You will learn how to get more done and to spend more time in Flow.

Jayne has almost 35 years of experience recruiting for businesses of all types, and for the last 19 years, for entrepreneurs and growth-based businesses, which means that she knows what support business owners need to get great people into their business. She helps with every aspect of recruitment - always sourcing great people as well as pre-hire planning, post-hire probation management, and retention. Jayne is an accredited Talent Dynamics Talent Profiling Flow Consultant, and her training course - ‘The Recruitment Blueprint’- shows business owners and founders how to recruit with certainty so that people stay.

See you tomorrow!�

08/04/2026

A very warm welcome to Crissie Field, Independent Financial Planner, who is sharing her Business Development Training in her home group of Reading Central tomorrow.

Chrissie will be sharing '𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀'.

In Crissie's words, "I am no expert, but I wanted to share with you what I have learned over time as a Financial adviser - Sometimes it is more than just the words that are needed in conversation. I am going to share how I get the most out of interactions in the ever-changing communication landscapes we have."

You will also learn some hints and tips regardless of what side of the conversations you are on!

Crissie has been in Financial planning for over 25 years now, with a focus on her own clients for the last 10 years. It's about more than just the money!! :). I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.

Address

Reading And Henley Region
Reading

Telephone

+447834861827

Website

http://www.theathenanetwork.co.uk/debbieatkins, http://www.theathenanetwork.com/debbieatkins

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