Hidden Gems: Meet Jamie Madsen of NOCO Women in Business

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Madsen. They and their team shared their story with us below:

In February of 2022, two women (Sarah Dick & Jamie Madsen) from Northern Colorado joined ideas and decided to pick a group of women, hand selected by their motivated energy, ambitious dreams, creative outlook, and inspiring experiences. During Valentine’s week, we asked these women to meet us at a local brunch spot in Downtown Fort Collins, Colorado. 

We ate, drank, and embraced the joyful energy of everyone in that room, but one thing that stood out to us was the elevated conversations about the highs and the lows of being a career-driven wife, mom, sister, or friend. We shared ideas about things that could help the others in the room and walked away with a new perspective on networking for business. 

By our second time meeting together for connection & networking, we grew by 20 women. At this point, we realized there was something about the energy inside this group that was different than most networking opportunities. So, we started to think of ways we could serve the group, foster that energy, and create something different. 

That is when we decided to invite local speakers, leaders, and career-focused women to speak and spread a message to the group, and what happened next was incredible. Our group grew from 12 women in a room, to over 150 by the end of 2022. We had grown our connections by a landslide compared to previous years and had begun to establish recognition as Northern Colorado’s fastest business growth community for women. 

Now, we are approaching our 2nd anniversary. We’ve cultivated partnerships with some of our communities’ leading businesses and corporations and have assisted in fostering the growth of over 200 entrepreneurs and career professionals in our area. We’ve been told that what’s made us so successful is how we kept our mission the same from the get-go. We know that smart women & girls know that successful businesses lie in community and leadership, and we’ll continue to use the movement we have to spread our message even further. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
At the beginning of NOCO Women in Business, we had no idea what we had created. It truly began out of a selfish desire to fill our cups with companionship and community relationships. 

However, what we realized very quickly was how many other women needed to connect to the same women, and not just in a space that helped them “promote” their business, but a space that caused them to look inward, challenge themselves, and do it along other women who are about the same thing. 

Because we didn’t know what we were creating, we had many speed bumps along the way. From overcoming fears of public speaking, learning how to operate inside partnerships & roles, as well as standing as leaders who can be an example for a community that’s looking to grow. 

We’ve been challenged in many ways ourselves to step outside of our comfort zone, and step into a higher calling. Growth can be extremely uncomfortable, but having a supportive community that’s cheering you on and believes in what you’re doing makes it so worth it. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
NOCO Women in Business is a Women’s Business Organization that exists to help elevate the hearts, minds, and businesses of females in our community. We’ve become known for highlighting local leaders and speakers, by giving them stages to spread more messages that women in business need to hear. 

Because of this foundational platform, we’ve been able to assist in promoting over 100 local businesses in various ways, from sponsoring our events to local digital marketing & social media promotion. 

What makes us different than most networking organizations is that we put the focus on growth, whether that be growing your business or growing as a person. Most networking communities exist for you to promote your business, and we believe that by going deeper and offering spaces that expand your mind, we can lead to the most fulfilling and joyful business relationships there have ever been. 

Not to mention, there are so many brilliant and inspiring stories of past experiences that women who lead, need to share. By learning from what other women have been through, both personally and professionally, we can apply those experiences to our minds and businesses as well. 

We want everyone to know that no matter your situation, whether you’re looking to grow virtually or locally, find a community that can help you reach the next milestone in your journey. It takes a village to raise a baby, and it takes a village to build a business. If we can encourage you with anything, it would be to find a room where the conversations are elevated and challenge you to think harder about yourself, your decisions, and your goals. 

If you want to achieve your goals, you have to surround yourself with people who have already achieved them. 

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Our community was born post-COVID since we had not engaged with other humans face-to-face in a long time. Many of us are moms, whose babies were born during the covid crisis. 

Our first meeting intended to be able to embrace removing yourself from your quarantine and going to do something that would fill you up. 

Pricing:

• Our Events are $47, $67 for VIP
• Our Membership Starts at $250/Year
• Our Event Sponsorships Start at $300

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nocowomeninbusiness.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/nocowomeninbusiness
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/nocowomeninbusiness
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/nocowomeninbusiness

Image Credits
Krista Henery Photography and Rhema Faith Photography