We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Felicia Shanken. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Felicia below.

Felicia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Risk taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

The risk I took was leaving a Federal Government stable job with benefits to embark on an unknown journey of entrepreneurship. It was a scary decision to make, but I knew that I had to take a leap of faith in order to achieve my dreams. It wasn’t easy, but I had a supportive family and a great team of volunteers who helped me along the way. Looking back, I’m glad that I took the risk and started my own business. It was a challenging journey, but it was also a rewarding one. I learned a lot about myself, about business, and about the power of community.

Today, our organization is thriving and we continue to empower women and make a positive impact in our community. We were able to build a following and a reputation for the work that we do. It wasn’t always easy, there were times when we had doubts and we wondered if we made the right decision. But we kept pushing forward, and with hard work and determination, our organization slowly started to grow. We started to see more and more women coming to our events, and the feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive.

Our organization is called, “The Philadelphia Women’s Network Connection, LLC. We knew it was important to get our name out there and build our network. We also knew that we wanted our organization to be different and inclusive. We wanted to provide a safe space for women of all backgrounds and cultures to come together to support and empower each other.

We provide workshops, seminars, and events that promote women’s empowerment and leadership development. We also provide resources to women who are looking to start their own businesses.

Fast forward to today, our organization has become a well-known entity in the Philadelphia community. We have hosted numerous events, workshops, and seminars, and have formed partnerships with other organizations to further our mission. It wasn’t always easy, but taking that risk and leaving my corporate job was one of the best decisions I ever made. It allowed me to pursue my passion and create a platform to help others do the same.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

Felicia was a Medical Professional, before becoming a solo entrepreneur full-time 6 1/2 years ago. Associate’s Degree in Nursing from Gwynedd Mercy University. Worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs in Philadelphia for 9 1/2 years.

I decided to start the Philadelphia Women’s Network Connection, LLC in Philadelphia because I felt there was a need to offer more resources to women to help upscale their businesses. Trust me Philadelphia has tons of Women Professional groups, we weren’t here to compete we were here to complement/enhance what was already happening in the business world.

I am the CEO/Founder of the Philadelphia Women’s Network Connection, LLC and PWNC Foundation Inc 501(c)(3). Our company helps professional businesswomen and solo women entrepreneurs who lack exposure in the marketplace learn how to find untapped resources to grow their businesses and find connections with professionals who get proven results. We are not just a business; we are a community.

Philadelphia Women’s Network Connection, LLC, a certified EDWOSB, WBE, and MBE organization, has been empowering women small business owners and solo entrepreneurs for almost 5 years. We specialize in leadership and business development training, equity and inclusion training, and more. We’re proud to serve federal, city, and state governments, B2B organizations, private sectors, and universities.

I am a highly accomplished Women’s Strategist and Success Builder who has made significant contributions to the world of business. My impressive track record speaks for itself. I have been recognized by numerous publications and organizations for my outstanding work. For instance, “Fun Times Magazine” featured her in its March/April 2020 edition as part of the “2020 Philadelphia Who’s Who Black Women of Influence.” Moreover, “International Brainz Magazine” recognized her as an influential leader and business owner for small businesses in December 2020. In May 2021, she was named one of the “Top 50 Most Influential Women in Business” by “VIP Global Magazine.” “USA Today Black History Month Special Edition Magazine” acknowledged her for being a black-owned business in February 2022. Additionally, in the same month, “Alignable” named her the Local Business Person of the Year for Lower North Philadelphia. She is also a Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women: Black in Business Graduated Alumni, May 2023. Lastly, her work was recognized in the Philadelphia Inquirer’s April 2023 write-up on Women-Owned Businesses in Philadelphia, and The Global Institute for Human Excellence’s June 2023, Write-up “The Women Success Builder.”

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

The Philadelphia Women’s Network Connection was founded in March 2019 we were busy growing our brand and starting to build our business when COVID-19 hit in March/April of 2020. We were doing monthly live events so as you can imagine we had to decide quickly what to do.

When we couldn’t hold events in person anymore, We had to pivot our business model and find new ways to connect with our audience in a virtual world. We quickly adapted and started hosting virtual events through platforms like Zoom and Facebook Live. We also focused on creating more online content, such as blog posts and social media posts, to keep our audience engaged and informed.

One of our biggest challenges was figuring out how to monetize our virtual events and online content. We ultimately decided to offer virtual memberships that included access to our online content and exclusive virtual events.

While the pandemic presented many obstacles, it also allowed us to expand our reach and connect with women worldwide who could not attend our in-person events. We learned that being adaptable and open to change is crucial in business and in life. It was during this time that PWNC went Global with our brand.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Our largest following on social media is LinkedIn and Facebook. We have built marketing campaigns for our services around these audiences. Facebook is more family and friends-oriented whereas LinkedIn is geared towards the business professional and those with small businesses. You have to market your business every day in order to be present in a digital world where a small business can easily get lost in.

Firstly, it’s important to identify your target audience and choose the social media platforms they are most active on. For example, if you’re targeting a younger audience, you might want to focus on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, whereas if you’re targeting professionals, LinkedIn might be a better choice.

Consistency is key when it comes to building a social media following. You should aim to post regularly and at the optimal times for your audience. It’s also important to engage with your followers by responding to comments and messages, and by following other accounts in your niche.

Another tip is to create high-quality, visually appealing content that is relevant to your audience. This can include images, videos, and infographics, as well as well-written captions or accompanying text.

Finally, don’t be afraid to collaborate with other accounts in your niche and use hashtags to increase your reach. With time and effort, you can build a loyal and engaged social media following that will help you achieve your goals.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://phillywnc.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phillywnc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fspiveyshanken
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillywnc/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@phillywnc

Image Credits
multiple photographers were used