Women in Sarasota, Florida Benefit from Women with Moxie Business Networking Mixers

A new sensation in Sarasota, Florida since August 2007, Women Wtih Moxie is a business networking experience designed specifically for women. Whether they are business owners, salespeople, artists or just independent business women, all are invited and welcome. Annual membership on WomenWithMoxie.com is just $50, and the benefits far outweigh that cost. Admission to the monthly mixers is $5 for non-members, so membership saves you $10 off attending each one. As a member you also receive all reminders and updates from the group, discounts from group members and sponsors, and a host of other benefits.

The monthly mixers are unstructured events that serve the sole purpose of getting members in the same room to mingle and network. They are held on the third Wednesday of each month and run from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Upon arrival, attendees check in at the door with three lovely women known as Mixmasters. The Mixmasters direct arriving attendees to register for the drawings and make their name tags. They also answer any questions. Members can sign up to be Mixmasters, donate items to be given away at the mixer and even sponsor the mixer. Details are on the Women With Moxie website.

The current venue for mixers is Rustic Grill, located at 400 N. Lemon Avenue in Sarasota. Rustic Grill offers generous drink specials to Moxie members during the event. They also put out munchies for the group and host us in their spacious Trellis Room. Upon arrival, members are encouraged to order a drink and mingle about the group. The size of the group varies between 150 and 200.

Around 8:00, the founder of Women With Moxie, Elsie Gilmore, takes to the microphone to make announcements.

Each mixer has a theme, and there is always a question for members to answer in relation to that theme. Our April theme was Earth Day, and Elsie read some answers to the question "How are you "green" in relation to your business?" The group also collected donations for Carbonfund.org in order to make the mixer carbon neutral. $74 was collected, which offset 13.45 tons of CO2, effectively making the mixer carbon negative.

Next it's time for the drawings. Usually between 5-7 items donated by members are given away to attendees. This is always a fun time!

Then a few more announcements and it's back to mixing.

Women With Moxie mixers bring about wonderful conversations and collaborations between Sarasota business women. They are truly valuable business networking events for Sarasota.