“Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.”

If there’s one thing I’ve learnt in my entrepreneurial journey, it’s that if you’re not happy about something, you have to change it. Whether it’s a new office, a new path, a new project or just a spot of world domination, there’s no point moaning about something if you’re not willing to do anything about it. I don’t write often about being a woman in business, but let’s be frank for a moment, it’s not easy. I feel like I’m always having to do more, speak up more, fight more, like I’ve got something to prove.

And I’ve struggled, during my own business life, to find female mentors, women that can raise me up, advise me, support me, show me the way. We need female mentors. We need a female support network. We need strong women in this world now, more than ever. And so, yes, we’re doing something about it. This isn’t about what happened yesterday, the struggles we’ve faced or the frustration we’ve felt, but what’s happening next: this is About Tomorrow.

Introducing About Tomorrow 2018: a Festival of Women.

Female-owned businesses don’t get the attention and love they deserve. About Tomorrow 2018 at Work.Life is a special festival of female empowerment;  is about supporting the next generation of female entrepreneurs in the UK, with 10 awe-inspiring events throughout February and March 2018. The business-focused series has a bit of a twist – the events only profile and feature female-owned businesses and female entrepreneurs, to help inspire other women to chase their dreams.

The special female-focused events include curated panel talks spanning a range of industries, including food, restaurants, wellbeing, tech, journalism and start-ups, and exclusive one-off masterclasses with some of the UK’s brightest female entrepreneurs. If you’re starved of the community you crave, About Tomorrow is a space to network, connect, share and learn. So if you’re thinking about launching your own company, changing lanes in your career, starting a solo venture or just want to be generally inspired by other women, we’ve got an event for you.

I can’t tell you the amount of business panel events I’ve sat on as the only woman. This month, we’re looking at the work and achievement of women everywhere – there are so many amazing female-owned business, female entrepreneurs and career high flyers in the UK, and it’s about time we celebrated them. Read on to discover all the amazing events we have lined up in the run up to International Women’s Day 2018, ticket price, the speakers and, of course, how to get involved.

In Good Taste: How to Build an Incredible Food Brand at Work Life, Camden – Tuesday 6th February, 6.30pm 

Always wanted to launch your own food product but not sure where to start? This unique panel event will give you the inspiration you need to create, launch and build your own food brand with some of the UK’s top female-owned food brands. You’ll be hearing from the incredible women behind Pip and Nut, Livia’s Kitchen, Co Fro, Plenish and Squirrel Sisters about their own entrepreneurial journeys. We’ll be learning about the necessary steps to create an incredible food brand and product, including how to refine the concept, source ingredients, find manufacturers, build relationships and fill a gap in the market. Book here.

Eventbrite - In Good Taste: How to Create, Launch + Build an Incredible Food Brand

Speakers: Founders of Pip and Nut, Livia’s Kitchen, Co Fro, Plenish and Squirrel Sisters

Price: £15 tickets. Book here.

When: Tuesday 6th February 2018, 6.30pm

Where: Work Life, 13 Hawley Crescent, London NW1 8NP, UK

Service Please: How to Make it in the World of Food + Restaurants at Work Life, Clerkenwell – Thursday 8th February, 6.30pm

Dreaming of climbing the ranks in the world of food and want to know what it takes? We’re laying all bare with this special event focused on how to make it the world of food and restaurants as woman, with some of the UK’s top female chefs, restaurant owners, caterers and pop-up mavericks, in assocation with Bookatable. We’ll be learning about how the food industry really works, with the insider knowledge of incredible female foodies, including Alex Hely-Hutchinson, Founder and Owner of 26 Grains, Anna Jones, Imogen Davis, Founder of Native, Alex Head, Founder of Social Pantry, Rose Lloyd Owen of Peardrop London, Chantelle Nicholson, Chef Patron at Tredwell’s and Adria Wu of Maple and Fitz and April Jones of Three Little Birds. You will learn what it takes to launch your own restaurant, how to create a demand for your food concept and how to scale your business, with the women that really know. Book here.

Eventbrite - Crunch Time: How to Make it in the World of Food + Restaurants

Speakers: Anna Jones, Founders of 26 Grains, Maple and Fitz, Chantelle Nicholson, Three Little Birds, Social Pantry, Native London and Peardrop London.

Price: £15. Book here.

When: Thursday 8th February 2018, 6.30pm

Where: Work Life, 20 Jerusalem Passage, Clerkenwell, London EC1V 4JP, UK

Taking the Plunge: How to Change Lanes + Follow Your Passion at Work Life Hammersmith– Tuesday 13th February

Feeling stuck in a rut and want to change things up? It can be hard taking the plunge into something new, whether that’s your own company, a new career or going it alone. This special panel event is all about inspiring you to take the plunge in the business world, and follow your passions to something new. This event will help you muster the courage to do something different and take control of your work life, with women who have done it themselves. Speakers include some incredible female entrepreneurs in the UK, including Caroline Lucey, Founder of Active in Style, Pip Black, Co-Founder of FRAME, Karen O’Donoghue, Founder of The Happy Tummy Company, Bethany Eaton, Founder of Nush and CoYo, Rosie Davies, Founder of the London Fashion Agency, Emily Forbes of Seenit, Kathryn Tyler, C0-Founder of Digital Mums and Polly Gilbert of TAP London. With the help of these great female entrepreneurs in the UK, we’ll be learning what it takes to run your own company, take risks and cover new ground. Let’s do this. Book here.

Eventbrite - Taking the Plunge: How to Change Lanes + Follow Your Passion

Speakers: Caroline Lucey, Founder of Active in Style, Pip Black, Co-Founder of FRAME, Karen O’Donoghue, Founder of The Happy Tummy Company, Bethany Eaton, Founder of Nush and CoYo, Rosie Davies, Founder of the London Fashion Agency, Emily Forbes, Founder of Seenit, Polly Gilbert of TAP London and Kathryn Tyler, C0-Founder of Digital Mums.

Price: £15. Book here.

When: Tuesday 13th February 2018, 6.30pm

Where: Work Life, Kings House, 174 Hammersmith Road, London W6 7JP, United Kingdom

Shape of the Future: How to Debunk Health Myths + Be Healthy for Life at Work Life Camden– Thursday 15th February 2018

It can be a confusing word, “health”. What does it really mean in this day and age? How can we filter through all the messages of the media to better our health, for life? We delve deep into the world of health at this special panel event with some of the UK’s leading voices on health, wellness, fitness and nutrition. We’ll be hearing from a range of voices within the health industry, on the shape of the future, how to improve your health in the long term, make peace with food and understand what’s best for your body. We’ll be finding out what nutrition and health really means today, with special panelists Rhiannon Lambert, Harley Street Nutritionist, Alice Liveing, Personal Trainer, Kimberley Wilson, Psychologist, yoga gurus Cat Meffan and Annie Clarke of Mind Body Bowl, Nike Master Trainer Joslyn Thompson-Rule and Angelique Panagos, Nutritional Therapist. Book here.

Eventbrite - Shape of the Future: How to Debunk Health Myths + Be Healthy for Life

Speakers: Rhiannon Lambert, Alice Liveing, Kimberley Wilson, Cat Meffan and Annie Clarke, Joslyn Thompson Rule and Angelique Panagos.

Price: £20. Book here.

When: Thursday 15th February 2018, 6.30pm

Where: Work Life Camden, 13 Hawley Crescent, London NW1 8NP, United Kingdom

Young, Wild & Freelance: How to Be More Productive as a Freelancer at Work Life Hammersmith – Sunday 18th February

Fancy making new freelance friends in London? Thinking about going freelance but not sure where to start? Want to learn how to be more productive as a freelancer? As part of our About Tomorrow 2018 Festival, our next event for creative freelancers in the capital is for you. Introducing: Young, Wild & Freelance, the hottest new community for freelancers in London. The theme for our next meet-up is productivity and planning – how to be more effective as a freelancer, how to work smarter, not harder, and how to build your freelance portfolio, with special guest Anna Hart. Book here.

Eventbrite - Young, Wild & Freelance: How to Be More Productive as a Freelancer

Speakers: Anna Hart, Angelica Malin and more to be announced soon.

Price: £20. Book here.

When: Sunday 18th February 2018, 10.30-1pm

Where: Work Life, Kings House, 174 Hammersmith Road, London W6 7JP, United Kingdom

Namaste in Bed: How to Build Your Own Health + Wellbeing Brand at Work Life Camden – Tuesday 20th February

Wellbeing is big business these days. But with such a saturated market, how can you make your health and wellbeing brand stand out? This special panel talk features some of the UK’s biggest female-owned wellness brands, who will be sharing their tips for making it big in the world of wellness. We’ll be learning what it takes to make an incredible wellbeing brand, including how to brand and market the company or yourself, how to make your brand stand out, how to do something new, how to build up a loyal customer base and how to follow your passions. Special guests include the Founders of Pollen and Grace, Alice Asquith, Founder of Asquith, Lottie Murphy, one of the UK’s leading pilates teachers, Hilary Rowland, Founder of Boom Cycle, Louisa Drake, Founder of the Louisa Drake Method, Olia Saradova, Founder of BXR and Hollie Grant, of Pilates PT. Book here.

Eventbrite - Namaste in Bed: How to Build Your Own Health + Wellbeing Brand

Speakers: Founders of Pollen and Grace, Asquith London, Lottie Murphy, Boom Cycle, Louisa Drake, Olia Saradova, and Hollie Grant.

Price: £15. Book here.

When: Tuesday 20th February, 6.30pm

Where: Work Life Camden, 13 Hawley Crescent, London NW1 8NP, United Kingdom

Plant Power: How to Turn Your Vision into a Reality with Deliciously Ella at Work Life Hammersmith – Thursday 22nd February

Ella Mills is one of the UK’s brightest young food entrepreneurs. An award winning cookery author and entrepreneur, and a champion of eating well. She started off with the popular blog, deliciouslyella.com, which has had over 130 million hits in the last four years. Her first book came out in January 2015 and has been the best selling debut cookbook ever in the UK and a NY Times best seller. She has since released a further three best-selling books, created a #1 app, launched a line of natural beauty products in collaboration with Neal’s Yard Remedies and with her husband, opened three deli’s in London, as well as launching three food product lines across the UK. Their products – energy balls, granolas and muesli and oat bars – are now stocked in over 5000 stores, including Starbucks, Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsburys, Morissons, Ocado, WHSmith and Holland and Barrett. Ella and Matthew recently won the Ernst & Young Rising Star Award at the Entrepreneur of the Year Awards in London. But what does it really take to make it as a food and wellness entrepreneur? In a special evening with the woman behind the brand, we’ll be learning all about Ella’s personal business journey, including how to present your brand’s ethos and message, find confidence in business, build your personal brand online, harness your creative vision, build and manage a team and scale a business.

Eventbrite - Plant Power: How to Turn Your Vision into a Reality with Deliciously Ella

Price: £20. Book here.

When: Thursday 22nd February 2018, 6.30pm

Where: Work Life, Kings House, 174 Hammersmith Road, London W6 7JP, United Kingdom

Switched On: How to Thrive as a Woman in a Tech Start-Upat Work Life Hammersmith – Tuesday 27th February

Are you a technology whizz kid?  Dream of working in the tech space? Find out what it takes to make it in tech, with some of the UK’s leading female tech entrepreneurs. We’ll be delving deep into the world of tech with this special event all about the future of technology, how to build a brand in the tech space and how to find confidence to launch your own tech venture. With special panelists Bethany Koby, Founder of Technology Will Save Us, Gemma Young, Co-Founder of Settled, Joanna Montgomery, Founder of Little Riot, Savannah de Savary, Founder & CEO of Built_ID, Valerie Stark, Co-Founder of Huggle, Imogen Wethered, Founder of Qudini, Melissa Morris, Founder of Lantum and Karen Dolva, CEO and co-founder of No Isolation. Book here.

Eventbrite - Switched On: How to Thrive as a Woman in a Tech Start-Up

Speakers: Bethany Koby, Gemma Young, Joanna Montgomery, Savannah de Savary, Valerie Stark, Karen Dolva, Melissa Morris and Imogen Wethered

Price: £15. Book here.

When: Tuesday 27th February 2018, 6.3opm

Where: Work Life, Kings House, 174 Hammersmith Road, London W6 7JP, United Kingdom

PR Strategy: How to Pitch Journalists + Editors in the Digital Age at Work Life Clerkenwell – Thursday 1st March

Looking to get press coverage for your company? Want to learn how to pitch publications better? This talk is for you. Getting press can be tough – trying to grab the attention of a journalist, chasing the story, as we journalist fight deadlines, constant requests, emails and a million press releases. Why does it seem that some agencies and PRs seem to always smash it? Is there a secret to the successful pitch? How can you do the PR for your brand better? If you’re looking for an evening full of corporate jargon and management speak, you’re in the wrong place. But if you want a simple, clear, informative chat about what (and what not) to do from some of the journalism industry’s brightest young writers, including the one and only Rebecca Reid, then we want to meet you. Book here.

Eventbrite - PR Strategy: How to Pitch Journalists + Editors in the Digital Age

Price: £20. Book here.

When: Thursday 1st March, 6.30pm

Where: 20 Jerusalem Passage, Clerkenwell, London EC1V 4JP, UK

Write On: How to Break into Digital Journalism in 2018 at Work Life Clerkenwell – Sunday 4th March

Imagine an editorial space where anything is possible. No idea too wild. No writer too inexperienced. One day, we decided to put 30 aspiring journalists, lots of snacks, pens, paper and ideas together in the room. The result was rather beautiful. After hours of chatting, networking and brainstorming, the result was fantastic editorial ideas, tons of energy and a seriously inspiring day of creative writing. In the morning you’ll meet the About Time editorial team, hear their stories, find out about the magazine, before being asked to brainstorm around specific themes – and pitch them to the team. As well as lots of new friends and contacts, a few of the skills you’ll take away from the day how to think creatively around editorial themes, how to pitch publications and editors, how to use social media effectively to boost your content and how to build a personal brand. Book here.

Eventbrite - Write On: How to Break into Digital Journalism in 2018

Price: £20. Book here.

When: Sunday 4th March, 10.30-1pm

Where: 20 Jerusalem Passage, Clerkenwell, London EC1V 4JP, UK