đź’› From the Step Up BCP Community
One of the things we see again and again inside Step Up BCP is this:
People aren’t struggling because they’re not good enough.
They’re struggling because they’re building alone.
Behind the posts, the businesses and the “everything looks fine”…
There’s often pressure. Overthinking. And a feeling that no one quite gets what you’re carrying.
This is why Step Up exists.
Not just to help you show up, but to make sure you’re not doing it on your own.
This piece from Michelle Reade, one of our local community members, puts real words and research behind something so many people are feeling but not saying out loud.
If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed or like you’re figuring it all out solo…
This will hit.
___________________________________________
Why women entrepreneurs in the south of England are quietly burning out and what the research says we actually need to grow.
By Michelle Reade · Michelle Reade Coaching, Bournemouth · April 2025
You built something from nothing. You show up, you deliver, you keep going. From the outside, your business looks fine. But behind the scenes? It feels heavy. And no one quite gets it.
That’s not a personal failing. That’s the entrepreneurial loneliness epidemic and it’s affecting women entrepreneurs across the south of England, Dorset, and beyond at a scale most people aren’t talking about openly.
This post is about that. And about what happens when you finally walk into the right room specifically, what we’ve created right here in Bournemouth on 30th April.
80%
of women in the workplace experience loneliness and isolation with the impact felt most acutely by women building businesses without adequate peer support around them.
Source: TheLi.st / Berlin Cameron Research (https://infillion.com/blog/cannes-lions-2024-women-workplace-loneliness/)
The Loneliness Nobody Talks About
There’s a particular kind of loneliness that comes with running a business. It’s not the loneliness of being alone it’s the loneliness of being surrounded by people who don’t quite understand what you’re carrying.
Your friends and family are supportive, but they don’t get the 3am decisions, the cash flow anxiety, or why you can’t just “switch off.” Your clients see your polished professional front. And somewhere in the middle, you’re managing everything completely alone at the top.
Research published in Personnel Psychology found that entrepreneurs frequently describe feeling isolated not because they lack relationships, but because there’s “nobody else at your same level” to talk to. There’s no water cooler. No built-in peer group. You have to build that and most people never do.
Link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/peps.12614
46% — of entrepreneurs struggle with feelings of isolation and loneliness in their work.
Source: Wordmetrics Entrepreneur Burnout Report, 2024 (https://cleelia.medium.com/navigating-loneliness-as-an-entrepreneur-41f86e942b14)
39% — of entrepreneurs say they have no one to talk to about the stress of running their business.
Source: Same as above.
50% — of CEOs report feeling lonely in their role and 61% say loneliness is actively hindering their performance.
Source: Inc. Survey (https://cflambton.com/the-silent-strain-how-loneliness-affects-entrepreneurs-and-what-to-do-about-it/)
5.5× — more likely: entrepreneurs are 5.5 times more likely to experience loneliness than the general population.
Source: Same as above.
The consequences go beyond feeling flat. The U.S. Surgeon General formally declared loneliness a national epidemic in 2023, noting that the health risks of social isolation are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Research links chronic loneliness to reduced creativity, impaired decision-making and burnout and in the entrepreneurial context specifically, a greater likelihood of abandoning the business entirely.
Source: https://www.scienceofpeople.com/loneliness-statistics/
“Lonely founders are more likely to burn out and give up, jeopardising the enterprise they worked so hard to build.”
Women Entrepreneurs Are Building Empires Often in Isolation
Here’s what makes this conversation urgent right now: women are starting businesses at a faster rate than ever before. Women-owned businesses grew 43.5% faster than male-owned businesses between 2019 and 2024 and yet many women entrepreneurs, particularly in the south of England, are doing it without a peer network that truly reflects where they are and what they’re building
Source: https://entrepreneurshq.com/women-in-business-statistics/
Women in service-based industries, health and wellness, coaching, consultancy, and creative fields are leading extraordinary growth across Dorset, Hampshire and the wider south. But growth in isolation has a ceiling
91%
of women business owners say gender bias and inequality is prevalent in business while only 2.4% of venture capital funding goes to female founders. Women aren’t just building businesses. They’re building them on harder terrain
Source: SimplyBusiness / Pitchbook (https://ecommercetips.org/women-in-business/)
The Practitioner Trap: Too Busy Doing to Build
For service-based and health and wellness business owners, there’s a pattern I see constantly in my work as a business Coach in Bournemouth. You’re exceptional at what you do. Your clients get results. You’re booked or hustling to be booked. But the business still runs on you. Your presence, your energy, your hours.
That’s the practitioner trap. And getting out of it isn’t about working harder or finding more clients. It’s about gaining clarity on what you’re building, structure that supports growth without your constant input, and the freedom that comes when your business operates without requiring every piece of you
The path from practitioner to CEO is about identity as much as strategy. One of the most powerful catalysts for that shift? Being in a room with other women who are further along, who see what you can’t yet see in yourself, and who are direct about what actually works. That’s exactly what I’ve built with The Connection.
Link The Connection to: https://www.michellereadecoaching.com/local-events
This is for you if:
→ You’ve left networking events with a full notebook and zero actions taken
→ You know you need more visibility but don’t know where to start without it feeling fake
→ You want more clients but hate the idea of pitching yourself
→ You’re spending time in rooms that don’t reflect where you’re headed
→ You feel frazzled behind a business that looks fine from the outside
If more than one of those landed – you’re not broken. You’re just in the wrong room.
Why Community Isn’t a Nice-to-Have – It’s a Growth Strategy
Research from Gallup shows that engaged individuals who feel connected to the people around their work are 64% less likely to experience loneliness. Community isn’t soft. It’s structural.
Source: https://www.gallup.com/workplace/645566/employees-worldwide-feel-lonely.aspx
Ann Shoket, CEO of women’s leadership group TheLi.st, found that spending just 10 intentional minutes a day building your network could decrease the loneliness gap by 50%. Imagine what a full day in the right room could do
Source: https://infillion.com/blog/cannes-lions-2024-women-workplace-loneliness/
That’s the foundation of The Connection a women’s business event created right here in Bournemouth, Dorset, for women entrepreneurs who are serious about what they’re building and ready to stop circling and start moving.
What The Connection Actually Is
The Connection is a full-day women’s business growth event taking place on Thursday 30th April 2025 at the Royal Bath Hotel, Bournemouth. It’s built around real women, authentic speakers, and at least five clear actions you can implement in the next 30 days to generate more clients.
Nobody on this stage built their business on hype. These are women who started from scratch, refined their message, strengthened their visibility, and built credibility properly — and they’re going to show you what actually works
Meet the women on stage:
Michelle Reade — Business Growth Strategist & Community Builder
Opening and closing the day, turning insight into action.
Chantelle Davison — Copywriter
Stop underselling and start owning your value.
Kim Antrobus — Visibility Strategist
Aligned visibility that feels sustainable and human.
Kate Browning — The Creative Unicorn
Branding and Canva simplified so your content actually gets created.
Kay Suthar — Podcast Strategist & Agency Founder
Build credibility and authority through podcasting.
Nicole Geddes — PerformerPreneur
Confidence, presence and fully owning your voice.
Charlotte Yeates — Intuitive Executive
Trust your judgement and lead with clarity
And because this isn’t beige: early morning wake-up yoga, an aerial performance from Phoenix Aerial, and a Menopause of Sound disco to close the day. Business growth and energy belong in the same room.
What You’ll Walk Away With
→ At least 5 clear, defined actions you can implement in the next 30 days to generate more clients
→ Specialists in your area you can finally relate to and call on
→ A community of women who actually get what you’re building
→ Greater confidence in how you show up and speak about your work
→ A networking experience that doesn’t make you want to fake a phone call
You won’t leave with ideas you never use. You’ll leave with decisions made.
EVENT DETAILS
Women’s Business Event · Bournemouth, Dorset
The Connection
The women’s business event where you leave with more clients, more confidence and more people in your corner. Royal Bath Hotel, Bournemouth.
đź“… Thursday 30th April 2025
⏰ 9:30am – 5:00pm
đź“Ť Royal Bath Hotel, Bournemouth
🍽 Lunch and refreshments included
BOOK YOUR PLACE — link to: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1980125986128?aff=oddtdtcreator
£69 early release · £89 standard · £99 final release
Optional overnight stay from £40pp B&B — quote MICH300426 on 0161 923 0302
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is The Connection women’s business event being held?
The Connection takes place at the Royal Bath Hotel, Bournemouth, Dorset on Thursday 30th April 2025, from 9:30am to 5:00pm. Overnight accommodation is available at a special event rate call 0161 923 0302 and quote MICH300426.
Who is The Connection women’s business event for?
The Connection is designed for women entrepreneurs and service-based or health and wellness business owners who are serious about growth — particularly those who feel stuck in the day-to-day of their business and want to step into genuine leadership. If you’re based in Bournemouth, Dorset, Hampshire or anywhere in the south of England, this event was created with you in mind
What will I get from attending a women’s business event like The Connection?
You’ll leave with at least 5 clear, actionable steps to bring in more clients within 30 days, a network of women who genuinely understand what you’re building, and greater confidence in how you show up and speak about your work. Unlike most business networking events, you’ll leave with decisions made — not just a notebook full of ideas.
How much do tickets cost for The Connection?
Tickets are available from ÂŁ69 early release, ÂŁ89 standard and ÂŁ99 final release. Lunch and refreshments are included. Book your place here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1980125986128?aff=oddtdtcreator
Who is Michelle Reade?
Michelle Reade is a Business Coach and Community Builder based in Bournemouth, Dorset. Through Michelle Reade Coaching (www.michellereadecoaching.com), she helps service-based and health and wellness business owners go from practitioner to CEO through clarity, structure and freedom so they can finally have a business that runs without them. The Connection is her signature live event. View all upcoming local events here: www.michellereadecoaching.com/local-events
Is The Connection suitable for women new to networking events?
Absolutely. The Connection has been deliberately designed to feel nothing like a traditional networking event. It’s curated, structured and human built for women who find conventional networking uncomfortable or unproductive. You won’t be asked to do a 60-second pitch or collect business cards. You’ll be guided through genuine conversation, practical strategy and real connection.
This Is the Room Where You Stop Circling
The data tells us that loneliness isn’t just uncomfortable it’s actively costing women entrepreneurs their growth, their health, and their confidence. But the antidote isn’t more content, more courses, or more hustle.
It’s the right room. The right people. The right conversation at the right time.
If you’re a service-based or health and wellness business owner in Bournemouth, Dorset or the wider south of England — and you’re ready to move from practitioner to CEO, to build something with clarity, structure and freedom this is where it starts.
Not with another notebook full of ideas. With decisions made, people in your corner, and at least five things you can do in the next 30 days to bring in more clients.
Secure your place at The Connection → https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1980125986128?aff=oddtdtcreator
Come and be in the room that changes things.
Michelle Reade, www.michellereadecoaching.com
