Local businesswomen Liana Bevilacqua and Christina Hixon, realtors who run the Hixon + Bevilacqua Home Group, organized a dinner last month that brought over 40 Lynnfield women in business together.
Inspired by a dinner for top realtors in the New England area where a variety of talented women bounce ideas off each other, the two decided that they needed to bring a similar event back home for women who are looking for a similar networking experience.
“We don’t really get that a lot in the real estate business, because it can be very competitive and everyone for themselves,” Bevilacqua said. “We came away from that night with just such a wonderful feeling and we wanted to bring that to Lynnfield.”
However, Bevilacqua and Hixon decided they wouldn’t just limit themselves to realtors. The 42 women who ended up attending came from an array of industries, ranging from bakeries to medical clinics.
Each attendee got to stand up and explain their business and why they care about what they do, giving the opportunity for everyone to learn from and support their fellow Lynnfield professionals.
It was the perfect place to highlight women-owned ventures from the community.
All of this is an effort by Bevilacqua and Hixon to make a space where women are empowering each other and that competition, which is so prevalent in the world of entrepreneurship, is cut out.
“One thing Christina and I really try to focus on is muting that all out, and focusing on just doing better than we did the year before,” Bevilacqua said. “We really wanted to create a unique networking experience where attendees could share experiences, exchange ideas, and build valuable & collaborative relationships as business owners- it was very well received.”
She’s already seen participants working on collaborations, offering discounted services to each other or mutual clients, and providing opportunities for connection that wouldn’t have been as simple to nurture without this event.
Additionally, Bevilacqua and Hixon brought in Crystal Reynolds, owner of Cultivate Clarity, as a keynote speaker. Her speech touched on the importance of women keeping space for themselves as they try to juggle different aspects of their lives.
“As women and moms, we’re pulled in so many different directions. So she talked to the women about making sure that you’re making time for you in all the craziness and making sure that your cup is filled,” said Bevilacqua. “That’s the message that I feel like we as women don’t hear often enough.”
The reaction she saw from the speech and the night as a whole was that many of the attendees felt like they had a community in the midst of a field that can often be lonely and exclusionary for women. They noted it was refreshing to be in a room surrounded by like-minded businesswomen
Bevilacqua recalled how a few women spoke on their work in male-dominated fields where they can sometimes be the only women in the room.
For the future, Bevilacqua and Hixon have already set out on collecting a vendor list for their clients, many of whom are from the North Shore area, with every business from the dinner featured on it.
“I’m sure that we may have missed some [business owners] and so hopefully the word getting out will encourage those women to come forward and say, ‘Hey I missed it last year, but I’d love to be a part of it,’” Bevilacqua said. “The women were super grateful to all be brought together, and we were really grateful for them for taking the time out of their busy schedules, to come and collaborate with us.”
