If you have ever sat in a networking room feeling like everyone else has it figured out, comparing yourself to the woman across the table with the polished pitch and the confident handshake, I want to tell you something.
That feeling? It is the room's fault. Not yours.
Too many networking events are built around performance. Who can sound the most impressive? Who can collect the most business cards? Who has the biggest turnover or the boldest goals? And if you do not fit that mould, you leave feeling smaller than when you walked in.
It does not have to be that way. And in Yorkshire, it is not if you know where to go.
I have been running networking events for women in business for years. In that time, I have watched something extraordinary happen again and again: the right room does not just grow your network. It grows your confidence, your opportunities, and your business in ways you genuinely could not have predicted.
Across my events, women have collectively passed over £127 million worth of business between them. Not through hard selling, not through pressure or pitching, but through genuine connection, trust, and the simple act of turning up consistently for each other.
That is what good networking looks like. And it is available to you right here in Yorkshire.
"The right room does not just grow your network. It grows your confidence, your ideas, and your business"
Before you commit your time, here are three questions worth asking:
I run networking events specifically for women in business in Leeds, Sheffield, and online. They are unlike anything else I have come across in the Yorkshire business community.
Here is what you will NOT find at my events: hard sales pitches, cliques, one-upmanship, or that suffocating pressure to have everything figured out. What you will find is a warm, welcoming room full of women at all different stages of business, all genuinely invested in each other's success.
A few things that make these events different:
With over 500 events run and more than £127 million of business passed between the women who have attended, the results speak for themselves. But what I am most proud of is not the numbers. It is the life-long friendships, the collaborations, and the moments where a woman walks into a room not knowing anyone and walks out feeling like she has finally found her people. Many of the women tell me they finally feel like they've found somewhere they truly belong.
Leeds has one of the most vibrant business communities in the North of England, with a strong and growing ecosystem of female entrepreneurs across every industry. The city rewards those who show up consistently, and there is no shortage of ambitious, brilliant women building businesses here.
My Leeds events bring together women from across the city and surrounding areas. Whether you are based in the city centre or commuting in from the wider West Yorkshire area, you will find a room that feels worth the journey.
Sheffield is often underestimated, and its business community is all the better for it. There is a genuinely collaborative spirit among Sheffield women in business that makes networking here feel different to anywhere else I have hosted events.
The city has a growing community of female-led businesses across creative industries, tech, professional services, and beyond. If you have not explored what is happening in Sheffield yet, you are missing something special.
Not every month works for in-person. Life, childcare, location, and a hundred other things get in the way, and that is exactly why I also run online events.
Online does not mean lower quality. It means more women can access the same warm, structured, connection-first experience from wherever they are. If you are based outside Leeds or Sheffield, or you simply need the flexibility, the online events are for you.
Alongside the monthly events, we are building towards something much bigger.
EMpowered Live 2027 takes place on Friday, 12th March 2027 at the OEC Sheffield. It is set to be the most ambitious event I have ever put on. A full day and night designed specifically for women in business who are ready to think bigger, connect deeper, and leave with the kind of clarity and momentum that changes the direction of their year.
With keynote speakers, panel sessions, transformational activities, and a room full of women who are serious about building something they are proud of, EMpowered Live is where the monthly networking community comes together on a grand scale.
If you want to be part of it, get on the waitlist now! Email me [email protected]
Showing up is step one. Here is how to make sure it actually moves the needle for your business:
Absolutely not. Women come to these events at every stage, from the very first weeks of their business to years in with an established client base. Being newer does not mean you have less to offer. Fresh perspective and genuine curiosity are assets in any room.
Most people do, including the ones who look completely at ease. The discomfort gets easier every time you go. My events are specifically designed to make you feel welcome from the moment you arrive, whether it is your first event or your fiftieth. Come once and see for yourself.
Yes. I made a deliberate decision early on that childcare should never be the reason a woman misses out on building her business. Bring your little ones. They are welcome. I remember the days I was a teenage mum turning up with my pram and having to breastfeed behind roller banners and being shushed. None of that at my events, I'm often the one holding the babies whilst you get to chat with other supportive women.
Never. These events are built on connection, not conversion. You will never be put on the spot, pressured to buy, or made to feel like you have walked into a sales funnel. What you will get is genuine, warm, valuable connection, and the business follows naturally from that.
If you are looking for networking events for women in business in Yorkshire, events where you can actually be yourself, make real connections, and leave feeling energised rather than exhausted, I would love to see you at one of ours.
We have events coming up in Leeds, Sheffield, and online. No hard sell. No judgement. No comparison. Just brilliant women in business, showing up for each other.
And if you are ready to take things further, I also work with women through 1:1 coaching and my 6-Month Group Coaching Programme. Plus, if you want to go big, save the date for EMpowered Live 2027 at the OEC Sheffield on Friday, 12th March 2027. It is going to be something very special.
Find upcoming event dates, book your place, and find out more at empoweredwithemily.com . We would love to have you in the room.
