Women who attended last month’s Mid-Hudson Women’s Network meeting were greeted at the door with a hug from Karin Janin, the group’s effervescent director.
“I believe whatever you do, you’ve got to have some fun,” she says. “I’m not a very pretentious person. I have let the women know that the organization doesn’t have to be stuffy.”
Janin, who relocated from Austin, Texas, six years ago, took the helm of MHWN at the end of 2005. When she first settled in Marlboro, Janin realized she didn’t know anyone in the area but her husband. Looking to socialize, she stumbled upon MHWN. It was kismet for this life coach, hypnotist and author.
The MHWN began in 1988, founded by Barbara Picard and Christine McDonnell. The two women served together until 1996, when Picard took the reins, increasing the Network’s membership to more than 200 members. When Picard decided to step down in 2004, Cathy Maloney served as director for one year before Janin took over.
Janin, who has a bachelor’s degree in psychology, is currently working on a master’s degree in philosophy. “I’m one of those people who always have to be learning something new,” she says. “I have a lot of different interests.”
Those interests include, but are not limited to – in addition to the aforementioned life coaching, hypnotism and penning “The Magic of Intention” – creating a nonprofit group The Orphan Connection with a corresponding Web site (www.orphanconnect.com) and leading motivational workshops incorporating movement and music.
She says The Orphan Connection is her “true passion.” The group, dedicated to “honoring orphans that are making a difference,” reflects Janin’s own experience. “I lived in an orphanage for the first four years of my life in Germany, which was really horrendous,” says Janin. “I came to the states when I was 8 years old.”
Perhaps that early experience with dramatic change has led to Janin’s being so open and enthusiastic about embracing the unknown. Whatever the cause, the MHWN could find no greater advocate for its purpose than Janin.
Friends with benefits
As the group prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary, Janin is gently nudging it forward. One of the first things she did was create a Web site (www.midhudsonwomensnetwork.com) and “online magazine.” Her embrace of and enthusiasm for technology – “I think the two greatest things that have been created are GPS and iPods,” said Janin – have led her to be innovative. She uses her iPod to “record testimonials about what people thought of the meeting.” She then posts the un-edited material to the Web site. The women interviewed, says Janin, can use their time to promote their business, effectively getting brief ads on the site – in addition to the directory listing of members posted on the site.
JoAnne Meyer, owner of Wine and Chocolate Bar catering, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, has been a member of MHWN for eight months. She is currently preparing to open the Chocolate Bar in Newburgh at the end of this month, where she will sell her handmade chocolates along with a friend’s homemade ice cream. Her plan for the Chocolate Bar is to create a kid-friendly atmosphere, where she can host kids’ parties, demos and classes.
She joined MHWN “because I’m a big advocate for women business owners.” Since joining, Meyer has found support, encouragement and opportunities to collaborate with other women, most recently with a friend and co-member of the group, Carol Heady, on a “Women Building Strategic Alliances” meeting in Poughkeepsie. “We’re really into getting women business owners together,” says Meyer. “It’s a win-win,” she says of the MHWN. “I really love the community that we have there.”
And Meyer says Janin “is wonderful.” Of the group as a whole, she says, “It’s like having a whole new network of friends.”
Business, and personal
The MHWN meets 10 times a year, taking a break in December and August, on the third Tuesday of the month (except this month, because of Thanksgiving). At each of its meetings, which rotate geographically throughout the member region – Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, Westchester and Albany counties, there is a dinner, a featured speaker and a question-and-answer session, as well as ample networking time.
“Speakers address everything from marketing, branding to health issues,” says Janin, although she admits, “It’s not always business. A new member will be talking about styling and fashion (at an upcoming meeting). It’s never the same.”
The average age range of members, says Janin, is in the 40s. She’s trying to encourage younger women to join in order to ensure the group’s survival. She has begun to see 30-year-olds come to meetings, and hopes to attract even younger women.
To become a member, women can fill out a form located on the Web site, contact Janin directly or join at one of the meetings. Membership costs $35 per year, and affords members discounted rates at the monthly dinners as well as free ads on the Web site and in the online magazine.
But the best benefit of the meetings, say Janin and Meyer, is getting to meet other women in business. While there is a fair amount of socializing, business also takes place. “At the last meeting, one woman hired two artists at the meeting part-time to work with her organization,” recounts Janin. “I’ve heard a lot of stories about how people just happened to find who they needed at a meeting. I love that synchronicity.”
Meetings are open to non-members as well, who have to pay the visitor price to attend. Janin says most women who come to visit end up joining. At the last meeting, “I had one woman join that had been having dinner with friends who happened to see our meeting taking place,” says Janin. “She talked to some members and decided to join.”
What’s next for the indefatigable Janin? “My dream is to have a centralized meeting space,” she says. “I would love to see this online magazine to be a real magazine about women in the Hudson Valley area. I just bought a movie camera. I thought it would be fun to tape some meetings, but who knows? If someone makes a suggestion that’s feasible, I’m open to exploring it.”