Why I joined "Pouvoir d'Entreprendre" — and what I was looking for

The loneliness of the woman entrepreneur: a subject we rarely talk about

I have been a guide in Marrakech for ten years. I welcome groups, I create experiences, I build connections between people who didn't know each other in the morning and are sharing dinner together by the evening. But in my day-to-day life as an entrepreneur, I operated alone for a long time. Not by choice — by habit. And one day I realised that this solitude was costing me dearly: in energy, in inspiration, in missed opportunities.

That realisation is what drove me to actively seek out a women's professional network. Not an online directory, not a silent Facebook group — a living space where women genuinely support one another.

Why "Pouvoir d'Entreprendre" won me over

I discovered Pouvoir d'Entreprendre, the network founded by Sandrine Berthier, and something resonated with me immediately. The principle is simple and sincere: creating spaces for women's networking, in person and online, in a spirit of mutual support where no one is left behind. The network is present in more than 60 cities across France, including Marseille where I have close contacts.

What moved me was the "no one gets excluded" spirit. In some networks, you quickly sense the implicit hierarchies, the closed circles. Here, the intention is clearly different: every member is welcomed, whether you are just starting out or have twenty years of experience. It is that fundamental generosity that made me want to join.

What women's networking concretely changes

Since joining the network, I have noticed simple but precious things. A question posted in the group receives several answers within a few hours. A genuine recommendation is worth more than any advertisement. And above all, the fact of being together with women who understand the everyday challenges — managing an activity, the ups and downs, the mental load of the entrepreneur — creates a quality of exchange I don't find anywhere else.

Women's networking is also a way of normalising ambition. Of saying that you can want to grow your activity, look for partners, train, travel for your business — and that this is not only acceptable, but encouraged.

Recommendation: the invisible engine of our businesses

In my work as a guide, I have built 80% of my activity through word of mouth. A satisfied client tells their friends, their colleagues, their works committee. A network like Pouvoir d'Entreprendre works on exactly that principle: members recommend one another, not out of obligation, but because they trust each other.

It is a model I understand in my bones. And it is one of the reasons I wanted to belong to a community that shares this core value.

What if your network treated itself to an adventure in Marrakech?

By joining Pouvoir d'Entreprendre, I also realised something: I can bring something unique to these women and these networks. I know Marrakech inside out. I organise private group tours designed for associations, works committees and — precisely — professional networks.

The idea is simple: the members of a network each book their own place, at their own pace, and we set off together to live an unforgettable experience. Depending on the group, the programme may include: a sunset hot-air balloon flight above the palm grove, an evening of street food by night in the Médina, a quad session in the Agafay desert, a moment of relaxation at the hammam… or a tailor-made combination depending on the group's energy.

These trips create bonds that Zoom meetings cannot replace. Sharing a meal on a terrace in the Médina, laughing together in the souks, finding yourself under the desert stars — that is where real collaborations are born.

For works committees and associations: the format that works

I also work a great deal with works committees and women's associations. What I have learned over the years: the groups that leave the most united are those who have experienced something out of the ordinary together. Not necessarily luxurious — authentic. A 2CV ride through the lanes of the Médina does more for a group's cohesion than an air-conditioned conference room.

If you are a works committee manager, the president of an association, or an organiser within a women's network, I would be delighted to chat with you about what we can build together.

Joining a network also means daring to ask

What I am taking away from these first weeks in Pouvoir d'Entreprendre is a simple permission: the permission to ask for help, to share what we do, to offer what we know how to do. I have been guiding groups in Marrakech for ten years, but it was by joining a network that I truly began to talk about it without holding back. And that, in itself, is already a small victory.