{"id":40937,"date":"2023-10-20T15:10:50","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:10:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/startupsmart.test\/2023\/10\/20\/its-bloody-hard-why-females-in-food-is-working-to-boost-the-profile-of-female-entrepreneurs-in-the-hospitality-industry-startupsmart\/"},"modified":"2023-10-20T15:10:50","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:10:50","slug":"its-bloody-hard-why-females-in-food-is-working-to-boost-the-profile-of-female-entrepreneurs-in-the-hospitality-industry-startupsmart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/uncategorized\/its-bloody-hard-why-females-in-food-is-working-to-boost-the-profile-of-female-entrepreneurs-in-the-hospitality-industry-startupsmart\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cIt\u2019s bloody hard\u201d: Why Females in Food is working to boost the profile of female entrepreneurs in the hospitality industry – StartupSmart"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The founder of a new global professional network for women in the food industry says the response to Females in Food\u2019s launch shows exactly why there needs to be more platforms to raise up female entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n

After a \u201cpre-launch\u201d on social media in July, the Females in Food network officially opened this week as a membership service connecting women in all parts of the food and beverage industry to share knowledge and build stronger networks.<\/p>\n

Chelsea Ford decided to start the network after 25 years in the food industry working for big players like Nestle. While she has had many mentors over the years, all have been male.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis time around I really looked for a female mentor \u2013 I wanted something with business savvy and creative savvy,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think women in the industry are very good at saying yes and being seen.\u201d Between all the other responsibilities that take up time, \u201cit\u2019s really bloody hard\u201d to work your way up, says Ford.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s really just not a lot of role models.\u201d<\/p>\n

The aim of the collective is to connect entrepreneurs across different parts of the hospitality industry and help answer questions that would otherwise be the domain of expensive business advisors.<\/p>\n

Ford is spending her time connecting women in different spaces to further both their interests \u2013 like a Perth-based curry paste producer and a professional in the airline industry.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe airline person was looking for boutique food stuff, the curry paste person was looking for expansion, and they wouldn\u2019t normally meet,\u201d Ford says.<\/p>\n

The idea of networking and mentoring that leads to concrete business growth is taking hold in parts of the Australian business community, with organisations like Business Chicks featuring big, in-person conferences and networking events for up and coming business owners.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s research on the power of weak ties \u2013 that is, acquaintances and associates on the outer edges of your social circle \u2013 for finding new opportunities in the first place. Those not in direct contact with you everyday might be able to provide brand new projects and work in new locations.<\/p>\n

Some of the biggest advocates for increasing visibility of women in corporate life have highlighted that even when women ask for assistance at work, they can face backlash. Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg wrote in The Wall Street Journal this week that women who ask for what they deserve in business still face the label of \u201caggressive\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe people who have helped me over the years have been really approachable and have taken risks,\u201d says Ford.<\/p>\n

For small business owners looking for their own connections, there\u2019s only one thing to really do, she believes \u2013 ask.<\/p>\n

\u201cFind out who\u2019s actually been there and done it and has more experience than you \u2013 who has really done it \u2013 and approach them,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd referrals \u2013 I\u2019m not afraid when I see somebody knows somebody to ask for an introduction.\u201d<\/p>\n

The payoff could be gaining the experience of somebody with a big picture view of a business.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a vision and I have the passion, and [my mentors] just make me focused on the long term,\u201d says Ford.<\/p>\n

Females in Food is shooting for a membership of 20,000 hospitality professionals over the next five years. Demand has so far been strong, and from all corners of the globe, says Ford.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo far I\u2019ve had enquiries from the US, from Far North Queensland, from Perth and my home of Sydney. I\u2019m so pleased we\u2019ve hit on a need \u2013 it\u2019s really beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n

This article was first published on SmartCompany.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Follow StartupSmart on<\/em>\u00a0Facebook<\/a>,<\/em>\u00a0Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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