This post lets you know about Women Howling at the Moon this Saturday night at Bardon (Brisbane) - for those of you interested in networking with interesting women, eating some good healthy tucker and learning how the free-to-use Instagram might become a friend to your business.

First though, I'd like to share with you that on most Wednesdays I climb Brisbane's Mt Coot-tha at dawn with a small group of women. It is a beautiful way to start the day. We are invariably inspired by the beauty of the mountain and by the delight of interspersing quiet walking with sharing around our businesses, our life journeys and the planet. 

Below is a shot of the track, and this morning's intrepid walkers - Chris (me), Annie - and Hannah who I met this morning - appreciating those first rays of sunshine a the top of the mountain.

The three of us will be at Women Howling at the Moon on Saturday night. This is doubly exciting for me as amazingly it turns out that Hannah has a most inspiring Instagram story of her own that she'll be happy to share.

Instagram in action - Hannah's inspiration and food for thought...

Hannah started taking and sharing photos via INSTAGRAM just on a year ago, just for herself, as part of her own healing and whole food journey. Her story is inspiring, but for now what I'd like to focus on is what opened up for her out of that tiny Instagram beginning.

Hannah now has 4000 devoted followers! Plus she has an Instagram-based business, thanks to her use of that medium and being approached by a large company to do essentially just what she was already doing - ie taking beautiful photographs of food ingredients and dishes and other related delights. Sounds tough, eh!

You can meet Hannah on Saturday. You can also follow Hannah on Instagram at @nourishingcells and visit her Nourishing Cells website.

So, a query I'd love to hear your thoughts on. Do you use Instagram, either for home or for your business? And if so, how?

I'm starting to get the sense that Instagram can be a useful part of the building-a-following strategy for almost any business or project, from architects and optometrists, clothes and cake shops through to accountants, yoga studios, plumbers and gardeners - so long as there's an interest in providing a more accessible presence for the business. 

It's an active environment that connects a global community of 200 million monthly active user, with 65% of users located outside the US. 

For your diary: Instagram this Saturday, 6.15-9.30pm

More info / book now

The Instagram session will be led by Jasmine Birks from Media Me Marketing.

Participants joining us this time so far include photographer Hannah, filmmaker Wendy Rogers, naturopath Annie O'Moon Browning and accountant Kerry McGovern.  Plus skyping in from further afield will be Lani Morris (Map of Meaning) from the land of the long white cloud, and I do believe Zohl de Ishtar, coordinator of Australia's very remote Kapululangu Aboriginal Women's Law and Culture Centre in WA.   

There's a space for you too and it'd be lovely to see you, and a bring a friend if you wish. Every woman is welcome. There's no limit on professions etc, and just a $20 registration to help cover venue hire and tucker. 

More info / book now

Looking ahead: future Women Howling at the Moon events

There are just two more events in this current social media series of Women Howling at the Moon.

In August we'll cover Pinterest (Monday 11 August, Amanda Hoffman presenting).

Then in September the last event in this Getting Social Media Savvy series will feature LinkedIn (Tuesday 9 September) for all those who missed the powerful LinkedIn session earlier in the year - or would like another opportunity to access Amanda's brilliant resources.

For October, Women Howling at the Moon will turn to the very relevant topic of Women's Leadership and Women in Business. 

Thanks for reading, visiting and sharing.

Cheers
Chris

This WAS a great night, with much learnt and much laughter and connecting. And I see no reflection! This post to be amended shortly ;-).