“I never thought that existed, to be honest, that women can support women,” Sabine (Tia) Vine said.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Last year, Tia’s life was changed when she attended an International Women’s Day event in Melbourne held by We Rise Networking, a company founded by Sherelle Packer and Steph Bell-Dunkley which connects and empowers like-minded business women.
In April of 2024, Tia decided to bring We Rise to the Mitchell Shire and, within a month, grew the Facebook group to over 200 members.
On Saturday, March 8, one year after Tia attended the We Rise event that inspired her, the Mitchell Shire We Rise group celebrated themselves, celebrated empowerment and celebrated women across the globe at Kilmore Trackside.
The masquerade-themed International Women’s Day event saw women from the Mitchell Shire forming connections and revelling in what it means to be a woman.
Alongside a delicious two-course meal, attendees were touched by the heartfelt speeches of Leanne Tymms, director of award-winning Easy Reach Scaffolding, and Stephanie Notley, nutritionist, mindset coach and advocate for empowered, fruitful living.
“Rock up to life’s buffet, pull your ‘big girl’ panties up and eat your darn heart out,” Stephanie said.
“My message is, that no matter how dark the day, and no matter how dark the night, there is always a brighter day ahead,” Leanne said.
Raffle prizes, donated generously from local businesses, were also on offer.
The proceeds of which went towards Broadford Love In Action, a community group of locals who are committed to helping underprivileged families.
Attendees walked away with not just a goodie bag and a delicious ‘We Rise’ cookie, but took with them a sense of liberation and connection.
“Today, we’re honouring extraordinary strength, resilience and achievements of women everywhere,” Sherelle said.
“Our mission at We Rise is to empower visionary women as multi-passionate entrepreneurs through networking.
“An empowered and connected woman naturally grows and it’s our joy to create these events where women can dance with their own magic, grit and dreams, and share it with one another.”
The We Rise Mitchell Shire group meets monthly to bring together like-minded women in the community.
To stay up to date on these meetings and other future events, join the Mitchell Shire - We Rise Networking Facebook group.
Cadet Journalist