NETWORK WATERFORD: BOOSTING BUSINESS AND AWARDING EXCELLENCE
Wednesday 24th June was an exciting night for Waterford businesses as Network Waterford hosted a business boosting event at the Tower Hotel. This well-attended event was an action-packed, upbeat session consisting of a performance enhancing seminar, the announcement of Waterford’s businesswomen of the year and the launch of Network Waterford’s website.
The evening opened with an intensive seminar with Walter Bradley of the world-renowned Dale Carnegie Institute. Walter challenged and inspired attendees with practical advice on how to enhance business performance and harness latent potential. Walter shared proven tips and techniques for driving growth, managing business and reducing stress. Walter’s personable and interactive approach ensured everyone got involved and stayed interested, all the while nodding knowingly at his accurate observations of business life!
Claire Phelan, Network Waterford president, presented awards to two top businesswomen, who will go on to represent Waterford at a national level in October. Danette Connolly of Nursing and Allied Services was awarded Businesswoman of the Year-Self Employed. “Danette is a role model for all aspiring businesswomen, having made considerable strides with her ever-growing business interests since she first arrived in Waterford 11 years ago,” said Claire. Having created the region’s first nursing recruitment service, Danette went on to buy International Nurses Abroad and then developed the state of the art NAS Training Centre in Cleaboy Business Park. Most recently, Danette founded the award-winning Home Instead Senior Care which provides non-medical homecare to seniors in their own homes. Accepting her award, Danette praised the work of Network Waterford in supporting women in business and expressed her excitement at the opportunity to fly the flag for Waterford.
Rita Lacey of RWL Consultants was awarded Businesswoman of the Year-New Business. Rita, the first lay woman in Ireland to receive a BA in Theology from the Vatican, runs a social enterprise providing a service of life and business coaching, training and personal development aimed primarily at those on the margins or those whose lives have been disaffected by recent economic change. An engaging speaker, Rita expressed her delight at being recognised and spoke from the heart about her journey to success and her motivation for providing the much needed services that she has put in place. Referring to Network Waterford, Rita stated that “it is wonderful to have a place and a space to meet like-minded women”.
Speaking after the event, Claire Phelan congratulated the winners and stated that; “this will be the first time that Waterford is represented at national level and we are delighted to put forward such innovative and successful candidates. We’d love to hear from anyone who wishes to support Danette and Rita when they travel to Westport in October. In the meantime we’d encourage any women in business, the professions and the arts to check out our new website www.networkwaterford.ie for more information on membership and upcoming events”.