f2n Business Network have developed the Visionary Women Lead Change programme, running over one calendar year (Jan - Dec 2026).
Women in particular benefit from this type of support because, even in 2025, many still face structural, cultural, and practical barriers that can limit their professional growth, visibility, and influence — and those challenges are often compounded at leadership level.
• A powerful collective of inspiring decision-makers from the public, private, and third sectors — authentic women driving real impact.
• A strict pledge of trust and confidentiality, empowering you to share challenges openly and access the group’s wealth of resources with confidence.
• A supportive, transparent environment offering honest feedback, strategic guidance, and actionable solutions.
• Pathways to achieve personal goals, advance professionally, grow your business, and build meaningful new relationships.
• Enjoy twelve months of complimentary peer support, collaborating with accomplished, driven, and empowering businesswomen.
• Participate in six exclusive 1/2 day Boardroom gatherings annually, plus gain access to a private community for idea exchange, celebrating successes, and nurturing ongoing connections.
The Visionary Women Lead Change Programme is not just another leadership course. It is an intensive, twelve-month, boardroom-style experience created exclusively for women leaders who are ready to step beyond excellence in their roles and into their full power as strategic decision-makers and change-makers.
In today’s volatile, fast-moving business environment, women leaders are increasingly expected to go beyond managing teams or delivering results. They are relied upon to shape strategy, influence decisions at the highest levels, and lead with clarity, confidence, and authority.
This programme is designed to equip you with the strategic insight, practical tools, and peer support needed to meet these expectations and lead with lasting impact.
At the end, you will not only leave with new strategies and tools, but also with a clear personal leadership map, a powerful peer network, and renewed authority to lead change - with purpose, conviction, and impact.
This is more than a programme. It is an invitation to step into your fullest leadership presence - and to redefine what’s possible for yourself, your organisation, and the future.
Benefits for Participants
• Gain greater confidence and clarity as a senior leader.
• Strengthen resilience, visibility and credibility in high-pressure, complex environments.
• Expand your strategic thinking, flexible mindset and prepare for executive opportunities.
• Access support, insight and challenge from a trusted peer network of women leaders.
• Create a personal leadership roadmap to accelerate growth and impact.
Benefits for Organisations
• Equip women to lead effectively through change.
• Enhance organisational capacity for innovation, collaboration and transformation.
• Improve talent retention by creating growth pathways for employees, reducing turnover and increasing employee loyalty.
• Inclusive workplace culture fostering a more engaged and motivated workforce.
• Stronger employer brand positioning the organisation as progressive and inclusive.
Programme Content – Visionary Women Lead Change.
This 12-month boardroom programme is delivered through six half-day sessions, every other month, combining structured input, peer collaboration and reflective practice. Each module builds progressively to help participants grow their leadership mindset, capacity, influence and impact.
Pre-Programme
• Leadership Insights Diagnostic: Complete a leadership styles and impact assessment to gain a deeper understanding of your strengths, behavioural and areas of growth.
• Reflect on your assessment insights, clarify your leadership goals, and set your intentions for the programme.
Module 1. Leading from Self.
Develop self-awareness as the foundation of authentic leadership.
• Build deeper awareness of your personal leadership style.
• Clarify and align your leadership identity, values, and vision.
• Emotional Intelligence Competencies.
Module 2. Leadership Styles.
Relationship Management.
• Understand key leadership styles and their impact on team and organisations.
• Recognise your preferred style and its strengths and limitations.
• Learn how to adapt your style to different context and challenges.
Module 3. Leading in Complexity.
Develop clarity and confidence in navigating transformation and change.
• Lead cultural and systematic change.
• Strengthen resilience and self-regulation to thrive in high-pressure environments.
• Create conditions that foster motivation, innovation, and experimentation.
Module 4. Leading Across Boundaries.
Expand your reach and effectiveness beyond your immediate sphere.
• Cultivate resonant leadership throughout the organisation.
• Build strong, collaborative relationships across teams, communities and networks.
• Foster inclusive leadership that bridges diverse perspective and experiences.
Module 5. Leading for the Future.
Shape long-term strategy and legacy as senior leader.
• Apply systems thinking to create solutions with lasting organisational and societal impact.
• Navigate the transition into executive and board-level leadership with vision and confidence.
• Prepare future leaders to anticipate emerging trends and lead with agility.
Module 6. Integration and Impact.
Consolidate your growth and prepare for long-term application.
• Reflection and review of your leadership journey.
• Action planning for sustained impact and influence.
• Peer-led insights, accountability and continued collaboration.
Post-Programme
• Post programme feedback: Setting and reaching your leadership goals.
• Visionary Women Lead Change Alumni Network: Ongoing peer support via social network, networking and social opportunities, and continued collaboration beyond the programme.
Extended Resources: Access to professional one-to-one leadership coaching on an ongoing or ad-hoc basis.
How You Learn: Face-to-Face and Interactive.
The Visionary Women Lead Change programme is delivered entirely in person through highly interactive, boardroom-style sessions. Each half-day module blends expert input, real-world case studies, peer-to-peer dialogue and practical exercises designed to spark reflection and action.
Our approach is immersive and collaborative. Instead of lectures, participants engage in dynamic discussions, scenario-based activities and guided reflection, ensuring that learning is directly relevant and immediately applicable to the challenges by senior women today.
With a deliberately small group format, every session creates a space for meaningful exchange, shared experience and powerful peer support. This environment not only deepens understanding but also builds strong, lasting connections for fellow participant – a trusted network that extends far beyond the programme.
About the Course Coach: Marina Kogan
Marina Kogan brings a unique blend of coaching expertise, cross-cultural insights, and a strengths-based, evidence-informed approach to leadership development.
Her journey began as a language teacher and interpreter in Russia, advancing into international marketing and programme development in the UK, where she built business and educational networks across Eastern Europe and the UK.
Her coaching credentials are robust: she is a qualified coach, motivator, and NLP practitioner accredited by the Coaching academy, with over 20 years of experience working with young people and in international business environments.
Marina is a co-author of the Salutogenic Coaching Model, a research-baked mythology aimed at diagnosing strengths and finding ways to measure and implement positive changes in personal life, business and improve overall emotional well-being.
This model emphasizes clients’ values, strengths, and beliefs, helping them in achieve an excellence performance comprising comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness. Through variety of workshops and one-to-one coaching she enables participants to uncover their resistance resource and develop personal strategies for resilience and positive transformation.
Building on this model, Marina developed an accredited coaching training programme and has successfully trained a few cohorts of specialists to achieve their professional coaching qualifications.
Her style is described by clients and colleagues as inspiring, kind, intuitive, motivational, and deeply empowering. For example, one senior manager noted that coaching with Marina “enabled [me] to accelerate the resolution of some difficult issues at work… Marina’s energy is infectious, motivating, encouraging.” Another client highlighted Marina’s empathetic support and how she helped uncover personal values that support long-term business success.
Behind her leadership and coaching practice lies a rich foundation of methodologies: Marina is trained in an impressive range of disciplines -emotional intelligence, mindfulness, neuroscience, organisational transformation, NLP master practitioner techniques, to name a few. This diverse toolkit allows her to tailor coaching to the client’s learning style and leadership context, making the process both rigorous and deeply personal. Altogether, Marina combines a warm, motivational presence with academic rigor and a bespoke, client-centred coaching philosophy – making her especially suited to guiding experienced women leaders to step into greater influence, clarity, and impact.
This is an in-person programme takes place in The Mulberry, Conwy Marina, which requires a charge to cover costs, plus your time investment and commitment to change, adapt and engage with the programme.
You must be available in the morning on the following dates:
14th January
18th March
20th May
22nd July
16th September
18th November
The course is £525, payable as a one-off payment or in three instalments of £175 due October, November & December 2025.
Individuals will be hand selected to ensure there’s no conflicts of interest. Email nina@f2n.co.uk to register your interest.
#f2nbusinessnetwork #network #boardroom #womeninbusiness #VWLCBoardroom
For many aspiring entrepreneurs, the idea of launching a business feels exciting… and terrifying at the same time. Yet, most of the barriers are mental rather than financial. Here’s what I see holding people back—and how to overcome it:
Delighted to have taken part in Hope House and Tŷ Gobaith “Let’s Do Dinner” – though in our case, it was lunch!
Ahead of the North Wales - Business Wales / Sell2Wales Meet the Buyer event next month..
What’s the real cost of tendering?
Multi-Award-Winning Business Network Reaches Capacity as Membership Demand Soars
f2n Business Network, the multi award-winning organisation at the heart of the local business community, has officially become oversubscribed as demand for membership reaches an all-time high.
Local businesswoman selected as Finalist for global Women’s Business Award.
This December businesswomen from across the globe are coming together for the annual Women’s Business Awards. The event features over 25 categories including Businesswoman of the Year, Employer of the Year, and Diversity & Inclusion Award.
“Networking with Nina” episode six
This is going to be a controversial topic…
“Networking with Nina”
Episode Five
This one is for those of us who’ve been networking for a while, years or even decades in my case….
The advantages of working in the private sector versus the need for collaboration… How can we work together?
One of the biggest barriers to parents returning to work is the lack of funded childcare. If you’re based in Wales, this could change everything for you…
“Networking with Nina” episode 4…
What obstacles stop you joining a business network?
In this episode we’re going to focus on
“Why DO YOU Network”
Someone told me today…
“Your membership is too cheap,
it should be at least double the price!“
Our Mission
f2n Business Network exists to empower, connect, and support local businesses and professionals through meaningful relationship-building, inclusive networking, and shared learning opportunities. We are a business network with purpose — placing people and community at the heart of everything we do.
In this episode we’re going to focus on
Why DON’T you network ”?
The answer to this is going to be slightly different for everyone but there are some broad responses.
Before I start, I want you to think about…
* Why you network? (If you already do) - we’re going to cover this in episode 3!
* Why don’t you network (if you currently don’t)
Yes, f2n Business Network was the FIRST UK networking organisation to give every attendee a full 2 minutes to speak at every meeting.
Welcome to a new series of posts….
“Networking with Nina”
I’m going to be sharing some
insights, tips and helpful hints for you if….
* You’ve always wanted to join business network, but you don’t know what to expect
* You had a bad experience, you’ve never attended another network
* You enjoy networking, but you want to get more out of attending
* You love networking, something I read might inspire me!
Did you miss us? Well I missed you and I’m delighted to be relaunching the network this Autumn!
The 6th annual F2N National Business Awards took place on Friday 24 November at St George’s Hotel, Llandudno. The awards recognise business excellence, resilience and future growth.
Hosted and judged by Olympic downhill skier, Chemmy Alcott, the glittering event attracted a record number of entries from across the UK. The night was also an opportunity for the F2N network to continue to raise money for their charity of the year Ty Gobaith. The charity was selected by F2N members who pledged to raise £2,017 throughout the year and smashed their target by raising almost £3,000 (£2,926), the majority being raised during the awards.
As a group, f2n Business Network is a business networking organisation which supports and hosts over 200 events each year for small and micro-businesses across North Wales & Cheshire. For the past five year’s our members have democratically elected a Charity of the Year for all members to support.
We would like to congratulate all this year’s f2n Business Awards finalists, UK’s elite businesses at the top of their game as chosen by this year’s Judge & Awards Host, four time Winter Olympian, Adventurer and Britain’s number one female Alpine Skier, Chemmy Allcott.
f2n Business Network is thrilled to announce that the 2017 business awards will take place on Friday 24th November 2017 from 7pm at The St George’s Hotel, Llandudno, North Wales. Limited tickets are now available: CLICK TO SECURE YOUR TICKETS
This glittering black tie gala event provides the ideal opportunity to recognise the success and reward the achievements of business men and women from across the United Kingdom. These are business people have succeeded and continue to succeed in their chosen field during such unpredictable economic times.
Being a Finalist in the f2n Business Awards is an incredible achievement, we received huge number of entries and our judge, Chemmy has only selected a handful of finalists per category.
In fact Chemmy was so impressed with your business stories that she told f2n Business Network, “the quality of nominations far exceeded anything I could have imagined. I feel I know all about you and your business and I can’t wait to meet you on November 24th. I can relate to many of your stories - you are truly at the top of your game!’
Finalists include:
10 Top Tips for Creating Award Winning f2n Business Award Nominations!
By multi award winner Teresa Carnall of TBC Marketing and Press and PR Award Partner
Click below to complete your nomination and enter this year’s f2n Business Awards, the 6th National Business Awards which takes place each year in the beautiful seaside town of Llandudno, North Wales on Friday 24th November 2017.
Entries close on 21st September 2017 and all finalists will be notified in advance. Each Finalist will receive a certificate and the winners will receive hand-crafted awards made from locally sourced materials. All Finalists will have the opportunity to meet and have a photograph with this year’s Judge & Host, Four Time Winter Olympian Chemmy Allcott.
Nominate a business or business person who you think deserves national recognition!
* Top Tip - complete your nomination in a word doc. and save it on file for future entries then copy and paste it into the nomination form.
The Conwy Business Awards 2016 took place at Venue Cymru, Llandudno last Friday evening. There were over 350 guests in attendance including representatives from the Conwy business community, councillors and dignitaries. There were over 110 entries and the ion Leadership award was awarded to Nina Sardar, Founder of f2n Business Network.
As a group, f2n Business Network is a business networking organisation which supports and hosts over 200 events each year for small and micro-businesses across North Wales & Cheshire. For the past three year’s our members have democratically elected a Charity of the Year for all members to support.
Over 150 businesses from all over the UK attended the recent Free2Network Business Awards held at the St George’s Hotel, Llandudno recently.
This is the fifth year of the awards and founder of Free2Network, Nina Sardar, said the support for the awards has never been higher.
“We received a staggering number of entries to the awards this year, each of them winners in their own right. I know that Margaret Carter, our judge and host for the evening had a mammoth task in choosing the overall winners.”
As well as winning a stunning award, hand crafted from Welsh slate embedded on a plinth of oak, each of the 12 award winners will receive a mentoring session from Margaret Carter herself. Margaret is a multi-award winner in her own right, business entrepreneur and self-proclaimed CEO – Chief Excitement Officer and founder of Patchwork Traditional Food Company.
On Friday 13th November Free2Network members came out in force to support Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day.
Free2Network members dressed up for networking on a Friday 30th November.
This year’s Free2Network Business Awards finalists have been announced…
Alice shares her story with you which shows the power of winning a National business award.
Last year Rich Brady of Recruit Packs was crowned Free2Network Business Man of the Year, here’s why Rich would encourage you to nominate for this year’s Free2Network Business Awards.
Each of this year’s twelve Free2Network Business Awards will be produced with locally sourced Welsh slate and are handcrafted and engraved in North Wales.
Friday May 29th, Free2Network celebrated National Biscuit Day at the Afon Conwy, Llandudno Junction.
Last year Free2Network members voted for St David’s Hospice to be their chosen Charity of the Year and they raised an astonishing £3884.47, smashing their target of £2,014.
Businesses from all over the UK were honoured at the Free2Network Business Awards held at the St George’s Hotel, Llandudno on Friday 28th November.
TV Personality has selected the finalists for this year’s Free2Network Business Awards.
Would you like to be featured in the Free2Network Top 12 for one year?
Features end on January 31st 2016.
Featured with us for one year
Each “Top 12” feature includes click through to your own website
Free feature design included
Excellent and prolonged business exposure
Social media links to your feature throughout the year
Be one of only a dozen businesses each year in our “Top 12”!
Just £200 for one year’s exposure…
Businesses in our 2015 Top 12 include:
1. Cleaner Care Limited
2. Jacksons Accounting
3. Quality Acoustics Sound Services
4. Integral Life Centre
5. Tudno TV
6. Glasdir
...only six features remain!
See Free2Network Founder Nina Sardar taking the #ALSIceBucketChallenge!
Apprentice star, TV presenter and entrepreneur Saira Khan has been named as this year’s celebrity host and judge at this year’s Free2Network awards. The celebrity entrepreneur first came to our attention as a contestant in the hit TV show The Apprentice in 2005 and has rarely been off our screens since.
Each year Wales Business Insider magazine reveal the latest group of 25 enterprising people aged under 40 who think will shake up the Welsh business scene in years ahead.
Why would an organisation choose to partner our Free2Network Business Awards? We asked three time partner Gareth Jones, MD from Carbon Zero and this is what Gareth said…
Thanks to all the Free2Network members who came out to support our RNIB Dotty Days in April.
We raised £28.00 which will help to make a difference to the lives of blind and partically sighted people across the UK.
4th Annual Free2Network Business Conference
Friday March 21st at Glasdir Centre, Llanrwst
10am - 4pm.
Click to view the Order of Events
We asked our members to vote on our Annual Survey as to which Charity they would like us to support in 2014. The majority of votes came in for St David’s Hospice.
A local business networking organisation based in Llandudno was celebrating last week having smashed their target of raising £2,013 in 2013 for their chosen Charity of the Year for 2013.
ENTREPRENEUR and former Dragon’s Den star Rachel Elnaugh will judge the Free2Network Business Awards 2014 following the success of this year’s competition.
The announcement was made on the day twelve business leaders and organisations were announced winners and presented special trophies during a glittering gala dinner evening at St George’s Hotel in Llandudno.
Finalists from across North Wales gathered for the event hosted by Rachel who led the tributes to those named on the shortlists as well as winning awards.
Free2Network members and guests at the Quay Hotel, Deganwy had fun this morning raising much need funds for the BBC’s Children in Need appeal.
A former Dragon has selected the finalists for this year’s Free2Network Business Awards.
John Evans owner of Handy-Office based in Old Colwyn had only been a member of Free2Network for less than one year and last Friday he celebrated attending his 100th event!
When does a five-bedroom guesthouse run by a husband-and-wife team get to compete with the likes of Brains Brewery and the Principality Building Society?
In business awards, of course.
FORMER Dragon’s Den star Rachel Elnaugh has urged North Wales businesses to enter a business competition she will judge and present in the region later this year.
The celebrated businesswoman described winning awards as “the pinnacle of the entrepreneurial journey” and believes her own successes led the BBC to cast her as the first female Dragon in the hit show. She will judge and present the annual Free2Network Business Awards in Llandudno this November and says North Wales businesses stand much to gain by entering.
Free2Network have been approached by television production Wall to Wall, one of the UK’s leading independent production companies with a reputation for making intelligent and sensitively made content. Wall to Wall are most well known for making programmes such as ‘Who Do You Think You Are’ and the hit family reunion series ‘Long Lost Family’.
Chris Russell is well-known in the sailing world. Based out of Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland, Chris began sailing at the age of 5 and hasn’t looked back since. He progressed quickly to an International level as a youth in the Optimist, 420, Laser Radial, and later 470 classes.
Following my last article I’m delighted to say we’ve hit the £400 mark which mean’t I wore my bright pink onesie at Free2Network in Deganwy this morning!
Free2Network aims to raise £2,013 in 2013 for Hope House Children’s hospices by organising a variety of fundraising events, activities and donations. Please support us!
Hope House Children’s Hospice provide specialist nursing care and support to life-limited children, young people and young adults from Shropshire, Cheshire, North and Mid Wales.
Free2Network Business Awards Black Tie Dinner…
Join us in honouring the 2013 Free2Network Business Award Winners and Finalists
At Free2Network we are keen to protect the environment for future generations so we encourage our Members to car share whenever possible. Other than the environmental benefits car sharing is a great way develop the relationships between members…. more time to network!
.... Free2Network Passionate about Car Sharing!
SHOW….BUSINESS SELLING!
Wednesday 16th May, 8.30 - 10.30am
St George’s Hotel, Promenade, Llandudno
Attend this lively breakfast event with self made multi-millionaires Nicky Pattinson.
You will not need to attend any other sales training course again!!!
You are most welcome to download and/or forward our Free2Network Spring Conference Flyer. Alternatively email nina@f2n.co.uk for a copy in PDF or jpeg formats.
The conference is taking place on Friday April 20th at The Interchange, Old Colwyn.
Over 250 business men and women are booked to attend, so this is set to be a superb day for networking, developing, empowering and motivating yourself and your great business future.
We asked some our our attendees and Free2Network Members to tell us why they attend Free2Network events.
Come and “show off” your businesses at the forthcoming Free2Network Spring Conference 2012
We’re delighted to be joined by Jo Beevers, Founder of Kokonoir Chocolates for this year’s Free2Network Pancake Day Business Lunch at the St Georges Hotel on the Promenade, Llandudno on Shorve Tuesday, 21st February 2012.
Would you like to have the opportunity to promote your business to Free2Network members at the first BIG event of 2012?
Here’s a look back at Free2Network Events which took place in 2010/11….
Thank you to Computer Solutions Cymru who are offering a prize draw to win the software “Sage ACT!” to all attendees of the Supertemps North Wales Autumn Conference this Friday!
I’m delighted to annouce that Everything Everwhere (T Mobile & Orange) will be taking a trade stand at next Friday’s Supertemps North Wales Autumn Conference 2011.
Last Friday I attended Spotlight North Wales, a conference held annually in North Wales. Tim Smit KBE, Chief Executive and Co-Founder of the Eden Project was the keynote speaker and I adored Tim’s honest and jargon free presentation. Thank you Tim, you made my Spotlight 2011!
Taking place on Friday 14th October was the inaugural Free2Network Awards. With over 120 Free2Network guests from businesses from across North Wales this gala black tie evening was set to recognise the most celebrated businesses and entrepreneurs in our region.
“We were inundated with nominations in all categories from across the region, judging was made difficult because of this, so to be announced as one of our finalists was an incredible achievement. The winners shone as the finest businesses and entrepreneurs from across North Wales.” Nina Sardar, Founder Free2Network
Nominations are coming in from across the region for this year’s Free2Network Awards.
The Free2Network Awards are designed to recognise, celebrate and promote the achievements of businesses and entrepreneurs from across North Wales.
The first [Your Business Name] North Wales Conference will take place at the Conwy Business Centre, Llandudno Junction on Friday 25th November 2011.
If you are interested in sponsoring this event and would like [Your Business Name] to be associated in helping to develop over 150 local business men and women then please email nina@free2network.co.uk for more information.
The Free2Network Awards & Website Launch took place in the Garden Room at the Royal Hotel, Llandudno on Thursday 28th July
