The value of curated connections


Reader —

It’s been about a year since I first considered building a container around my network in the form of the Partnership Pulse.

Back then, the vision was to create a space where talented, driven professionals could come together, build authentic connections, and amplify each other's success.

The format is simple: A monthly written newsletter that introduces you to partners within the network, and a quarterly meet-up that gives you time to connect with each other on a deeper level.

I’ve always been surrounded by incredible people. And while I love connecting folks one-on-one, I knew there had to be a way to make an even bigger impact.

What I really wanted was to foster a community of like-minded business owners who could inspire, collaborate, and support each other on a larger scale.

That’s why this group is so highly curated. The only way to join is by direct invitation.

I’m protective of my contacts, and I imagine you are too. You’ve been in enough networking rooms with takers. You deserve better than that.

Today, we’re inching closer to 100 active members and the two-way collaborative partnerships are beginning to emerge.

Brand messaging coach and copywriter Jaime Blair forged a biz bestie-style relationship with women she met at the first Referral Connex.

Business Opportunity Strategist Emily Bissen and Human Design Guide Kayla MacArthur instantly hit it off when they met in a Referral Connex breakout session. They’ve since launched a collaborative venture called Close Clients Confidently: A Design Led Strategy Session.

It’s a 60-minute private session that takes entrepreneurs through solving a single sales-related challenge in alignment with their human design. It’s practical, actionable, and tailored to your unique skills (my favorite). Click here to find out more.

Kayla is also collaborating in a similar way with brand-experience designer Veronica Chordas.

Notice a trend? While this newsletter is valuable and gives you an idea of the scope of professionals within the network, the true magic happens during our meet-ups. In the span of an hour, Referral Connex attendees participate in 2-3 small breakouts, learning more about one another and sharing tips on expanding their individual networks.

We have just one more session scheduled for 2024. It’ll take place from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Pacific on Thursday, Dec. 5.

I'd love to see you there to close out the year and also to see what kinds of connections you make with fellow participants.

To your collective success,

Gwen Bortner
Founder/CEO, Everyday Effectiveness


Partner Profile

Justin Vajko

Justin Vajko works with founders and CEOs who want to grow their thought leadership on LinkedIn with video.

He also leads workshops designed to help business owners leverage the social B2B platform to attract the right clients.

On Oct. 31, he’s presenting The Scary-Good LinkedIn Sales

System, which combines content strategy and sales skills to get more from the time you spend on LinkedIn.


Want to invite someone to the Partnership Pulse? Reply to this email and tell me what makes them a great fit!

PO Box 1133, Merced, CA 95341
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Everyday Effectiveness | Biz Ops Exposed

Gwen Bortner is a no-nonsense Operational Strategist and Business Advisor with an intuitive coaching mindset. She helps visionary female entrepreneurs achieve their most ambitious goals without the stress and overwhelm of trying to do it all on their own. Her approach comes from the belief that personal and professional success looks different for everyone, and most business owners waste time and energy trying to conform to outside expectations and definitions of success. From finance to IT, and small business operations to academia, Gwen has seen cookie-cutter strategies put organizations on the fast track to frustration, burnout, and eventually failure. Problem-solving is her zone of genius, and Gwen can quickly discern the root cause of issues, simplify systems and processes, then create the most direct path to any given solution.

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