04/08/2026
Finally, we made networking purposeful at This Mother Means Business | Community | Podcast | Events
Because if I’m being honest, most networking doesn’t feel that way.
You go to an event, have a few nice conversations, maybe exchange a couple of Instagram handles, and leave thinking “okay… but did that actually help me?”
When Laura Sinclair - Business Mentor and I first started talking about this event, we both immediately said the same thing: people aren’t really connecting at these things. Not in a way that actually moves anything forward.
And for mothers, founders, and professionals, that’s a problem. Because we don’t have time to “just see what happens.” If we’re showing up, it needs to be worth it.
So we asked a better question: What would purposeful networking actually look like?
What if you could walk into a room and find the exact person you need? Someone who knows the thing you’re trying to figure out. Someone who can make the connection you’ve been looking for. Someone who can actually help you move forward.
That’s where the Networking Wall came in.
You arrive, we take a Polaroid (and yes, everyone looks amazing in them), you write your name and company, and then you place yourself under a category where you can support someone else.
Not what you need. What you can give. That’s where everything shifted.
Instead of wandering around making small talk, people were going straight to the wall, spotting who they needed to meet, and actually making intentional connections.
You could hear people calling each other out in the room, recognizing photos, introducing themselves with purpose instead of guessing their way through conversations.
When we shared the concept with CIBC Business Banking , they immediately got it. They’re focused on connecting women with the right mentors and support, and this created a simple, tangible way to do exactly that.
The biggest shift for me was this: We’re allowed to be a little selfish with our time.
If we’re going to show up to something, it should give something real back and for a room full of women balancing businesses, careers, and families - that matters.
Safe to say, purposeful networking is here to stay.
Photography- Wedding Photography 📍Toronto
