Meet. Connect. Promote.
That’s the philosophy behind the fast-growing Women’s Business League (WBL), which, thanks to efforts of Marblehead realtor Sylvia Sarkisyan, is launching its newest chapter Oct. 8.
Sarkisyan says the Marblehead Chapter is an initiative to help local businesswomen promote their businesses in a high-level and more meaningful way.
“Now more than ever we need to stay connected, continue to network and continue to meet new people,” said Sarkisyan, the owner of Ebb & Flow Realty Co. LLC on Atlantic Avenue. “I care about my clients and want to serve their needs and had tried to start a conventional networking group, but it just didn’t get to the core, the deepest and most productive relationship-building. They just didn’t feel right or genuine. And, who has time for that type of networking anyway?”
Sarkisyan said she stepped back, and it was only when a couple of friends told her about the WBL that she got back in action.
“They told me that it was a really good fit for me, so I attended a meeting,” Sarkisyan said. “I was amazed that everyone who joins WBL wants to be there because you could see that they all cared deeply about their clients, so you know that you can trust each other and make referrals with confidence. They ask deep questions about everything, including the major obstacles you may face. It’s way more relevant than just giving out business cards.”
The chapter launch will be conducted via Zoom and begins at 10 a.m. The chapter will conduct bi-weekly meetings starting at the end of the month, with one seat per meeting being allocated to each profession. Member applications can be found on the company website below. So far, Sarkisyan said about a dozen local businesses have signed on as members. Members from other area communities are welcome as well.
“We’ll take them all, Salem, Swampscott, any place, really,” Sarkisyan said. “The added benefit is that by joining any local chapter, you get to tap into the resources of other chapters.”
WBL is a membership-based networking group for women, founded by Melissa Gilbo and Amy Pocsik two years ago.
“We understand the power of networking to expand referral networks and widen community connections to attain growth. WBL is the perfect place to promote your personal brand,” Gilbo said. “Networking is so important because people are not meeting people right now. We don’t know how people are managing, so we have to change the way we operate online and our members are so thankful for that.”
The addition of the Marblehead chapter brings the total number of chapters to about 24. In addition to Massachusetts, WBL has chapters in New Hampshire, Florida, New Jersey and South Carolina. Local chapters include Peabody, Lynnfield and Danvers.
“Marblehead is very exciting for us,” said Gilbo. “Amy and I just fell in love with Sylvia and thought this community could really use this to send the shop-local message. Their launch will be virtually for safety reasons. It will bring MBL’s message to the community and will help so many businesses get greater support. “Meet, connect, promote” is the tagline we bring. The most important piece is building relationships so the promoting component happens organically.”
Sarkisyan is a 2008 graduate of the Questrom School of Business at Boston University, where she earned a BSBA in management information systems. A resident of Nahant, she worked in IT four eight years before becoming a realtor in 2016. She branched out on her own in July, 2019, founding Ebb & Flow, a boutique firm serving the Greater Boston and North Shore areas. Her real estate experience has shown her that to be successful in any business, one must first be successful in building relationships.
“Over 80 percent of my business comes from repeat clients and referrals, Sarkisyan said. “It’s about achieving success through meaningful relationships.”
For more information about the Marblehead chapter’s virtual launch or to become a member, contact Sarkisyan at [email protected]. For more information about WBL, visit www.WomensBusinessLeague.com.
