How To Build An Effective Lockdown Support Network

With Malaysia experiencing record high numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths, the country is entering an extended period of social and economic lockdowns aimed at curtailing and controlling the spread of the disease. As Malaysians embrace living, working and socialising from home once again, it seems like the ideal time to return to an interview we featured on The Citymaker podcast earlier this year. Mary Carty, a strategic consultant, and mentor is one of the founders of AwakenHub, a networking platform and resource centre for female entrepreneurs in Ireland and across the Irish diaspora. 

Over the past 12 months, those of us lucky to find ourselves in salaried, largely white-collar occupations have had the luxury of using digital tools and platforms to conduct our lives. To schedule meetings with colleagues and clients, to collaborate on project documents, to school our children and to order essential – and sometimes less than essential – supplies and services online. 

Tens of thousands of others; daily wage earners, the self-employed, those in non-essential services, have found themselves laid-off, furloughed or simply without work or income, watching the world through our – often barred – windows. Against this backdrop millions of people around the world suddenly became micro-entrepreneurs, using these same digital tools to build businesses that were often hyper-local in nature. 

From fresh food grown in urban gardens to kitchen-brewed cosmetics, many of these businesses are borne of necessity rather than master-planned to blitz-scale and disrupt established industries. Many of the burdens that the pandemic has created have fallen disproportionately on women, whose caregiving and emotional duties often conflict with their roles as income earners.

It was against this backdrop that AwakenHub was born. Gender disparities have been a feature of the start-up scene since its inception. The dearth of women working in funding and venture capital. Seed and early round funding disproportionately favouring male founders and their companies. Yet, Mary Carty and co-founders Mary McKenna, Clare McGee and Sinead Crowley realised that there was leverage in some of the restrictions that the pandemic brought. Leverage that could create new and more equal opportunities for women entrepreneurs to collaborate, network and co-create. 

We spoke to Mary not only about AwakenHub and female founders, but also about tools and strategies that any small and micro-business operator can use to promote and sustain their business. About how to surround themselves with a support network to help them solve problems, and how to say to someone: ‘Please help, I need a hand with this’. 

Hi Mary. How does someone become a strategist and mentor?

Mary Carty: Like a lot of people, I have a kind of squiggly career I think is a good way to describe it. So, I started out in arts and culture. I studied Fine Art in college and worked in arts and curatorship and things like that, and made my way to tech. So, for the last, I suppose, almost 15 years now, I’ve been working very much in tech, building companies, working with organizations, start-ups, scale-ups. All that type of stuff. It’s been a really interesting journey so far.

One of the many projects that you’re involved with is the start-up and founder platform AwakenHub. Can you tell us a little bit about its genesis. 

Mary Carty: I am really lucky that over the years, and probably because of the diverse interests that I have, that I’ve developed a really interesting network of people. A few of us got together at conferences over the years, and we talked about our network and how we could kind of combine forces for good. And this conversation had been going on quite some time and everyone’s busy. And then the first lockdown hit. We weren’t flying. We were at home. We were grounded like everybody else and we all redoubled our efforts, each of us, to help the people in our communities and in our lives who we knew were struggling.

Eventually, in July last year we launched AwakenHub. AwakenHub is our reason, our mission is to help women founders from both the North and the Republic of Ireland and her diaspora, to thrive and grow to access, funding, and supports, and to bridge that gap. There’s a gap in provision for women founders, and we’ve been incredibly successful so far and we’ve had huge engagement. So, it turns out maybe being grounded for a little while wasn’t such a bad idea, but let’s hope it won’t be for too much longer.

It’s really unfair to ask this as a single question, but can you tell me what some of the issues that women founders face that their male counterparts typically don’t have to deal with?

Mary Carty: It’s an absolute shame that we’re still having this conversation in 2021. Unfortunately, what you find is, first of all, women, in many cases, are not as well networked as men because often their careers take a hit at some point for caregiving or other duties.  Women find it difficult, in a lot of cases, to be taken seriously when they set up a company.

For example, the research shows, when trying to access funding, what will happen is, in a pitch situation, men are often asked the more expansive, positive questions, like: where do you see the company in five years’ time? What insight or knowledge do you have or what expertise do you have coming into this?

And women are often asked the more negative questions. For example, what do you see as barriers and where do you see the competition coming from? And what are the weaknesses of this particular effort? We still have a situation where the funding predominantly goes to men and male founders. Unfortunately, because of COVID, the actual percentage of funding going to women has declined even further. So, we talk about a pipeline problem, particularly in STEM, for women: we have a leaky pipeline. So, there’s an access problem, there’s a being taken seriously problem.

And then there’s actually real and documented problems of access in terms of funding and being taken seriously as a founder. If you happen to have a product that involves emotion or women’s issues, that’s taken even less seriously because somehow that’s a little bit funny or odd. The crazy, crazy thing is that all of these products and services help all of us. So, by gendering particular products or services…we all actually suffer because problems that all of us solve will help the full population. 

We have this idea of start-ups being very tech focused, that everyone’s looking to scale, but many entrepreneurs, male and female, especially in Malaysia, are micro entrepreneurs. Their businesses are born in and benefit low-income communities. How can SME and micro-entrepreneurs adapt and use the ideas and the methodologies of the tech giants to benefit their own businesses?

Mary Carty: I’m a big believer that you make change where you are at. And that you run the very best company that you can, no matter what it is, no matter what size it is, no matter what your ambition is to scale; if it’s there or not. And there are many companies run by men too, that the focus isn’t on scaling and becoming a world dominant company. And that’s okay. I think we have to understand that every business at every level brings its own benefit to society. 

Now, what can those businesses learn from other businesses? First of all, anything to do around management and leadership skills, anything to do with partnerships, building relationships, networking. Speaking to other people who do the same type of work as you. Learning from each other, learning from the good practice, learning from all the mistakes, because there’s going to be lots of them. And there’s some really lovely things that you can do. 

For example, I know of a social enterprise here in Ireland that just had a huge partnership deal with a very large brand. And that marriage of the two was incredibly beneficial because the bigger brand brought awareness to this issue that this social enterprise was trying to do, that they could never have the same scale and reach. And this social enterprise gave access to this bigger brand to an issue that they really should have been aware of.

There was benefit there on both sides, and both of those parties brought something incredibly interesting and special to that project. So, I think partnerships are a really good way to go. They don’t have to last forever. They can be a short-term project or a partnership, or maybe longer-term. And the other way smaller businesses can maybe learn from the bigger ones is: don’t be afraid to ask questions, get some pro bono hours out of people, you know, legal advice or maybe accounting or whatever else. Because there’s a lot of people want to help. And they want to be able to give back particularly into their own communities and see people succeed.

Sticking with tools, it’s hard for businesses to survive today without some kind of social media presence. But social media is a job and a skill in and of itself. Which can be intimidating for new business owners, particularly small business owners. So, where should they start and how should they select the platforms that are right for them and right for their business?

Mary Carty: I get asked this question a lot. And I think if we are all honest, all of us, we’ve all had to navigate that question: who are we, where do we belong? Where is our audience? Where do they hang out? And how can I chat with them in a way that is beneficial to both of us, where I’m not just sitting there on Twitter all day and all my to-do lists are just going out the window on a weekly basis? And that can happen.

So, what do you do? You test it. I understand that it’s not easy: what do I mean by testing? Have a look at your competitors. Look at the folks who are doing a similar type of work to you. Then have a deep dive and look in and see what your audience, your ideal customer looks like. Who are they and what do they look like? And do not stereotype: stay as far away from that as possible. Make it real. If you are edging into stereotype, have a coffee, walk away, start again.

Then plot two or three platforms that you think are the ones that look most like where you should be. Start with one: look at the content that you’re sharing. Look for keywords and look for the questions that people are looking for. What are the things people in that audience look for, or talk about, or are exercised about the most or care about the most?

And then you sit down and draw yourself a little map, a little strategy, and you give that channel a good goal. And then you have a report. Even a simple Excel sheet and you stick that on your computer and you actually look at it on a weekly basis. You plot it and look specifically at percentage change. Was it a blog post that you wrote on LinkedIn that you cross-promoted that gave that channel the jump? Was it a particular article? What was it that you think gave it a jump that week? 

And then the other thing is also look at the people who are following you, because what’s really interesting is sometimes you have someone who follows you who – and I love these people, they do my job for me because they retweet my work or they say something nice or they share something that I’ve written. And I had this immense sense of gratitude for those people because they have just helped me do my work. So, thank you to everybody who’s ever retweeted me or helped out [laughs].

If you can get those folks to engage as well somehow and be grateful and thankful for them and let them know. That’s useful. If that channel falls on its face and it’s not for you, say goodbye, gracefully, walk away and try the next one. If you’re a small business, I wouldn’t do any more than one at a time, because that’s enough. If you find two works great, cross-promote, do what you need to do. Figure out when’s the best time to post, depending on where you are in the world. 

There’s a point where you have to kind of not take yourself so seriously, but at the same time, give yourself a kick now and then go, okay, hang on: let me have a look at this. What I would say is, if you write a piece of content or make a piece of content, don’t forget about it, maximize the utility of that as much as you can. So, for example, this [interview] could be an article on LinkedIn, or a blog post. There are a million things you can do with one piece of content. So, use it as wisely as you can.

How do we take those relationships a stage further, to move from broadcasting our content to building networks and support systems of like-minded entrepreneurs?

Mary Carty: Networking is something that everyone has to figure out for themselves. I’m not an extrovert. I’m not completely introverted; I sit somewhere in the middle. And I think a lot of people will be amazed by that. They probably think I’m really extroverted. I’m not. Certain traditional networking things I still find very difficult. It’s challenging. So, I have to work myself up to do in particular things. And I’ll be nervous about going into this huge, big room with 500 people even now. And I’m quite happy to say it.

For me, it’s all about building really strong relationships over a long period of time. When I was younger, I didn’t realize that I was good at this. Probably because [laughs] I’m chatty and I’ll strike up a conversation with anyone and I’ll keep that conversation going because I’m curious and I care about people, and I want to know that you’re doing. And I didn’t think for one second, that that was networking. 

I know I’m a bit slow…. For me, that’s what networking is about. No matter where you meet the person, how you come across them, how you’re introduced to this person, that’s a relationship that you should cultivate and grow. Somebody you sent an email to or helped out maybe five years ago rings you up out of the blue and says would you like to be on our board? Or, actually you should meet this person. I met them the other day and I remembered that conversation we had four years ago and you two really need to talk. That’s networking.

So, how do you open those doors? How do you get in? First, have a look at the network that you have already developed. Go and get a piece of paper, grab a cup of coffee, look at the different areas in life that you work in. We don’t just have our work life. We have our family life, and we have our hobbies and interests, and they’re just as important. Plot them. There’s lots of connections that you’ll find inbetween all those people. Ask people: [say], ‘I need an introduction to a particular person’, or ‘I’m working on this project, I need three people to help me out to do this thing. Would you know anyone?’

If you can ask that question nicely, most people will absolutely help you. The number one golden rule here is to say, thank you. It’s so simple. To actually follow up with folks who introduce you to somebody else and tell them how you got on, even if it’s a one-line email: ‘Hey, thank you for the introduction. We had a great conversation’. And if something great happens because of that, let them know because that’s really nice. We all want a bit of good news, particularly now. So please share that good news. 

And then how do you make that next step: to use those networks to reach out to potential customers?

Mary Carty: When you’ve done all those things, you then can use those networks as a warm introduction into new markets, new opportunities, new clients, new audience, because you already know something about them. Cold introductions are just that: they’re cold. It’s nicer if it’s warmed up by an introduction with somebody. 

Insight is everything. Any kind of insight that you can get into a problem, a product, a person, a country a new market, a new geography, any type of insight is so important because that will save you time. And then you connect all those dots together by staying in contact and by passing it forward. Ask people about them, be curious about them. And that’s a really lovely way to strike up a conversation that’s genuine because you’ll remember, then it’s like, Oh gosh, I talked to Amy last week and I just realized that she works in a certain place. And then you speak to somebody else and it’s like, click. You’ve made the connection and you’re able to introduce people. That’s really great. 

The biggest turnoff in networking for a lot of people is that super hard sale. That does not work for most of us. We will just walk away because it’s just too intense and there’s no connection. You need to forge some sort of a connection with the person before the next step can happen. So don’t skip a step. It’s very easy to think you can; you can’t. One of my friends will say things like, introverts make the best networkers. And it sounds so counter-intuitive, but it’s true because the more, maybe, shy you are, in some cases, you kind of have to think this out, work it out for yourself. 

And if anything, to give everybody a bit of hope here, is the fact that it’s so much easier and over lockdown to meet people, talk to people and get connected to people that you’d never have had the chance beforehand. And you can do in your own style: have a chat on Twitter and ask for a call. And what do you know, now [you’re] having a conversation. 

Looking through Awaken Hub’s website, one of the takeaways I found interesting from one of the sessions was that I think that COVID has made networking easier for women founders and entrepreneurs. Can you expand on the reasons behind those findings?

Mary Carty: In talking to founders across the board, we have found that getting introductions and speaking to people, even folks who may be executives or in the C-suite, is easier, has been easier over COVID, partially because we’re all at home and partially because people aren’t travelling as much. 

I also think there has been a whole lot of goodwill. We need to think about the positives of this time as well. I know from my network and from the work that I do that so many people I know have taken extra time to help others to open doors, to have conversations and maybe reach beyond their normal network or whatever else: that’s been hugely positive. So, we can definitely see that. 

There’s a second thing here that’s important to understand and maybe take with us as we move into a world post-COVID. Access. For an awful lot of people male, female, whatever else, there are so many events, conferences, industry events that they could never access or ever go to because you need to get on a plane and pay a fee. For so many people, [that’s] not a reality.

What’s happened over COVID is [that] Zoom and all the rest of it has been a great leveller and it’s given people access. I think that has been one of the massive benefits of this. People have got access, they’ve got knowledge, they’ve created networks, they’ve learned things they’ve participated with co-creating.

And they’ve had a say. Maybe for the first time we’ve had a whole host of people use their voice [to] champion or speak. And that’s massive. So, my hope would be that anyone who runs an event from here on out, in-person events, please leave the door open for the virtual side of things, so [that] all of these people who finally got access, won’t have the door shut on them next year.

Please consider hybrid events because I think the richness that we will receive for all of us will be massively beneficial.

One of the strengths of Awaken Hub is that it’s local. Is there a benefit to building locally focussed communities rather than joining something that is more international or global in flavour and membership?

[00:23:02]Mary Carty: Absolutely. In Irish, we have a concept called meitheal. Meitheal was where you’d have a community and people would get together, largely in farming communities. And back then, as you can imagine, the heavy lifting on farms was huge. You needed lots of people, lots of bodies to get things done. Say you need to harvest something: the call would go out and all your neighbours would come together as a meitheal and they would help you get your harvest in and then you would do the same for your neighbours. And all together, by the time the end of the harvest came, everybody would have their harvest.

I really love that notion. I think that notion drives me and it’s something I am very passionate about. So, I think anytime that you can get together in community and learn from each other, support each other, figure out what [are the] best practices. Also challenge each other. Challenge each other’s biases: what do you mean you can’t do that? Why? Give me three reasons why you can’t [and] now give me three reasons why you can. That is so powerful. It’s also really nice to talk to people who comes from your geography, your area who are trying to solve the same type of problems. 

And then it’s incredibly important to look outside that, to the wider world in a bigger picture and be informed of the wider world. So, for me joining a local network is incredibly important and also being involved in a global network and having a conversation at global scale, because everything we do is interlinked and intertwined and we are all one because we’re the human community. What happens in Malaysia affects me in Ireland and vice versa.

I think it’s really important to be involved in as many different networks as we can. So, I would never rule out, you know, getting stuck into any network that you think will bring benefit to you. Figure out how much time it might take. See on your timetable, on your to-do list, where you can fit that time and figure out what you can contribute and what the benefit will be for you.

And if it’s not working out, that’s fine. Find another one. See where you can add value and see what you can learn.

Looking into the future, what do you expect the landscape for female founders to look like in five years’ time? 

Mary Carty: Well, we know that COVID has had a massively disproportionate effect on women across the globe. So many women hold their communities and their families together financially, in every other way. So, the ripple effect that this is going to be massive. In five years’ time what I do not want to see is that ripple effect continuing and, you know, women and communities and their families suffering because of the financial holes that people find themselves in now. 

What I would like to see is some really dedicated work across the globe to helping women return to employment, return to education and retraining if necessary. I would hope that we would have better supports globally for women. That we would use this as a real wake up call to reconsider how we support women and really challenge these barriers to entry.

And we have an actual, honest conversation about what caring looks like in society. Any type of caring roles. I think COVID has helped us look at all the people in our societies who keep our societies going, whose jobs and roles in life we completely took for granted. [To] realize that, hang on a second, we need to really rethink this because it’s not working. 

What would I hope to see in five years’ time would be more dedicated funds for women, for start-ups and for scale-ups and definitely a concerted effort to put more money in at the pre-seed and seed stages, because that’s where we’re seeing has taken the biggest hit now. Later on, those investments seem to be standing up fairly well, but [when] money has been taken out of the system earlier on, that’s an even bigger mountain to climb. We need to fix that. And that needs to be fixed in five years. 

Following on from that, anything around financial literacy is one of the biggest challenges. Because women, even though they earn less than men, generally, they decide where the finances go in their families and in their communities. Even though [they] might not have the financial wherewithal, the financial planning falls very much on women’s shoulders. Of course, that will go towards feeding, clothing, education predominantly.

For women who can, who are more fortunate and more privileged, that maybe they look at their situations and think about investing and think about joining angel networks and think about where they can put their money. Financial literacy around what they can do with their money, first and foremost…to create the world that we all want to live in. And I think maybe all of us need to have a conversation with ourselves like that because we have power in our pockets. And we have choices when we take out our wallets. 

Maybe we all should have a conversation with ourselves about that. Particularly now, as we hopefully move into a post-COVID world. So more funds, more access to funds and earlier on in the pipeline, will be amazing. Anything that helps women transition from not working either into payroll or helping them to start with businesses, micro businesses. That’s what I’d like.

Follow AwakenHub at https://www.awakenhub.com