We were lucky to catch up with Jerrilynn Thomas recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jerrilynn, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

I landed online in the mid ’90s when it was merely a series of bulletin boards, listservs, and less than 30,000 websites with a dream to connect with like-mind women from across the globe while bringing in additional income for my family. It was a Godsend for me since I was extremely introverted. Some of the same women I met at the start of my journey on the Digital Women listserv are still a part of my networking circle.

My journey began with a newsletter, Savvy Female Entrepreneur, and morphed into the Women’s News Bureau as I soaked up the knowledge shared by the wonderful women I met. I continued my journey by launching a women’s networking site, The Business Diva Network to keep up with the ever-changing Internet which morphed into the International Virtual Women’s Chamber of Commerce.

The International Virtual Women’s Chamber of Commerce morphed into Women Partner to cement my dedication to helping women partner instead of merely selling to each other. I really loved providing women with creative cross-marketing ideas based upon the type of business they had.

“Smart Women Partner & Grow Rich!” is a quote I came up with years ago to inspire my female LinkedIn connections to forge collaborative marketing relationships with me. When I finally decided to build a website to promote the importance of forging collaborative marketing partnerships using LinkedIn, I knew it was the perfect name.

The names of my websites and ventures may have changed but my focus has always been the same — working with collaborative spirited women.

Jerrilynn, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I took my passion for connecting women who are looking for collaborative marketing partners with my 18-year love of LinkedIn to create the One Million Woman Link Up. It’s a LinkedIn co-marketing program that will spark collaborative marketing relationships between 1,000,000 professional, Main Street & virtual business women so they can thrive INSTEAD OF just survive by cross-pollinating their marketing skills and female LinkedIn connections.

I work with “sales shy” businesswomen who have 7-figure business aspirations to monetize their LinkedIn membership. I help them re-engage with their female connections by forging collaborative marketing partnerships with them. Most people on LinkedIn have connections that are “gathering dust” who are ideal clients for someone else.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

My journey began with a newsletter, Savvy Female Entrepreneur, and morphed into the Women’s News Bureau as I soaked up the knowledge shared by the wonderful women I met. I continued my journey by launching a women’s networking site, The Business Diva Network to keep up with the ever-changing Internet which morphed into the International Virtual Women’s Chamber of Commerce.

The International Virtual Women’s Chamber of Commerce morphed into Women Partner to cement my dedication to helping women partner instead of merely selling to each other. I really loved providing women with creative cross-marketing ideas based on the type of business they had.

The names of my websites and ventures may have changed but my focus has always been the same — working with collaborative spirited women.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I built relationships by sharing my insight and knowledge before trying to sell. I attracted my target audience by giving complimentary virtual events that allowed them to talk about their business in a non-salesy way. They made valuable contacts and closed sales. I offered advice on the types of biz people they should collaborate with while offering creative ways they could partner. When I got ready to market my expertise, I had a receptive audience. People still talk about my events a decade later.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://smartwomenpartner.com
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/smartwomenpartner
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JerrilynnBThomas