The Power of Proximity and Confidence: Lessons from the High Vibe Women Event

This past weekend, I finally attended my first ever High Vibe Women Event, and let me tell you—being in a room full of ambitious, growth-oriented women was nothing short of an energy that every woman in business needs. There’s something incredibly energizing about being surrounded by women who are unapologetically chasing their dreams and lifting each other up in the process. Can I also just add how awesome it was to see a high caliber event like this for women, held in my hometown of Guelph, Ontario?!

If you’ve ever wondered whether being in the right rooms really makes a difference—trust me, it does.

As Palak Dave, one of the community panelists said so brilliantly that I thought was such a good lesson for us all in the room: “Proximity is power.”

The energy of this event reminded me of a fundamental truth that we, as women entrepreneurs, need to hear more often:

You belong in those rooms. You deserve to be in spaces where you’re learning from fellow business owners, sharing your own voice, positioning yourself for new opportunities and levelling up in the process.

It was a refreshing reminder to hear women talk so openly and honestly - and it was a reminder for me that collaboration does in fact trump competition in all facets of work and life!

Takeaway #1: Proximity is Power

One of the most impactful lessons came from Palak, who spoke about the undeniable power of putting yourself in the rooms where growth happens. Whether it’s networking events, mastermind groups, or professional gatherings—when you surround yourself with like-minded women, you gain insight, inspiration, and confidence.

It’s not just about being seen—it’s about being strategic about where you spend your time. These rooms are where potential clients, collaborators, and mentors hang out. The more you show up, the more you open yourself to possibilities you never even knew existed. I needed this reminder so showing up at the event and realizing this at the end, turned out to be my greatest takeaway.

Takeaway #2: Confidence is Built by Speaking Up and Just Asking

Throughout the event, I noticed a recurring theme: the importance of using your voice. Whether it was someone boldly introducing themselves or sharing their story, it became clear that confidence is built not just by thinking about your value but by voicing it out loud.

Whether it’s asking for support, pitching your idea, seeking advice or putting yourself out there with your business idea, you’ll never know the answer if you don’t ask. Just ask.

This doesn’t just apply to business; it’s a mindset that challenges us to be brave and vocal about what we want. Sometimes the greatest barrier to our success is simply our hesitation in asking. Brilliant lesson!

Takeaway #3: Relationship Capital - the most important capital

Community was definitely a major theme that came out of the event. The importance of cultivating one, about building a community, rather than ‘building likes’ like Mallory Rowan said. So much of what we do in business comes back to the community we build - and ultimately, our services/products are seen valuable by that community. Carlyn on the community panel so brilliantly said, ask your community “How can I help to support you?” This will help to tailor your offers to the needs of your community, while creating leads. Needs + leads = magic! Marissa on the same community panel also shared a line that stood out to me, that “Sometimes your gift is building a community.” Relationship capital = your network which = your networth. Period

Takeaway #4: The Power of the Pivot

Mallory, who was the keynote speaker of day 2 shared so many tangible lessons - how “It’s so much easier to lose your voice, than it is to find it” to “Build for your community, not the likes” and how you need to build your business around your life and the ‘non-negotiables’ that matter to you. What stood out for me was her lesson around the power of the pivot and that it’s okay to pivot and adapt when needed. In business, we often get caught up in sticking to what we originally planned—but sometimes, embracing change is where the real magic happens. It couldn’t have landed at a better time for me in my business journey and the ‘pivoting’ I’m doing.

Takeaway #5: Collaboration Over Competition - always

One of the most refreshing aspects of the event was seeing women genuinely supporting each other—no egos, no competition—just genuine collaboration. Introducing themselves, asking questions, sounding genuinely interested in what you did in your business. It was a reminder that our strength as women lies in collaboration over competition.

We need to remember that along the way in our business journey’s that we’re building relationships, not just amassing followers. Social media is only one facet of the business - and not always what appears online is what is happening in real life. As speaker Jordan Gill so eloquently put it, “It’s not how many people trust you; it’s how deeply they trust you.” In other words, it’s not about impressing the masses, but about creating deep, meaningful connections with those who matter to your vision and are all about collaboration > competition.

What I’d Love to See More of

As empowering as the event was, it also left me thinking about what’s still needed in (more) spaces like this. Women in business don’t just need motivation—we need practical and tactical strategies.

We need more conversations around:

• Building confidence as women business owners in communicating, marketing and selling what we do

• Knowing pricing strategies to charge for our worth

• Creating a strategic business plan that makes money and looks at making money in different ways and in easier ways

• The conversation on ‘wealth’ as women and what we do with our wealth (and not just the financial sense) - but how we contribute to our communities, our families, the legacies we leave, the policies we fix, etc.

And most of all, we need to learn more about how to tackle imposter syndrome head-on—because the greatest thing holding so many of us back as women in business is the feeling that we’re not enough to step into our full potential. It’s the greatest lie we tell ourselves.

The High Vibe Women Event was a powerful reminder that we’re stronger together. I left feeling empowering, inspired, and more committed than ever to help women confidently communicate their leadership, own their authority and scale their businesses with their amplified voice.

It was amazing to hear how many women said they couldn’t find more events like this, or communities that discuss the business topics we need as women entrepreneurs. This blew my mind.

Let’s continue to show up in those rooms, speak our truth, and collaborate. Because when we lift each other up, we all rise. And a huge thank you to organizers Kristina and Maria for hosting the event - you two are magic, thank you!!

P.s. the next High Wise Women event is scheduled for this coming October if you’re interested ;)