Hundreds of us have come together in person & thousands on social media.
Now it’s time to take the meaning of ‘value’ to the next level with a blog answering your burning questions & uncovering more of what makes Milan so special.
Here’s our intro.
Written by: Ché Milani (on behalf of Katia)
The second largest city in Italy.
The fashion capital, and a goldmine of history and art.
Where more than 20% of the city’s population is foreigners.
This is where we find ourselves.
You, me, and a few thousand other amazing women from around the world.
As we venture into the realm of creating a blog, this is the perfect chance for us to get acquainted, for you to discover more about Milan Women Network - and see how we plan to make this blog insanely valuable to you…
…an adventurous woman who took the leap in moving to a new city,
and taking on all the ‘newness’ that comes with that.
Our dream is…
…to create a trusted space where you - our readers and members - can find answers to your burning questions.
Find well-researched pieces that help pave the way for ‘the next step’ in your maze of a journey here.
Find words that inspire you to make the most of living here, that empower you, and that connect you with others.
We’re really big on values of support, helping you adapt, and more than that…helping you thrive!
We hope this’ll be your go-to source!
And that it’ll spark ideas, conversations, and give you that warm, tingling feeling of “Yes! I’m happy to be here and I’m going to soak it all up!”
And even better if we can do it together, don’t you think?
Because a sense of belonging was one of the reasons that moved me towards creating MWN.
One year ago (aka Life Before MWN)
Over the past month, I’ve been thinking a lot about the interconnectedness of callings, discoveries, and how one thing leads to another (both expected and unexpected!).
One of the most obvious examples is the connection between starting my own psychology practice, and the emergence of MWN!
In a nutshell, this is where I was one year ago…
I had officially started as a psychologist.
With just 2-3 clients a week, I was a classic hermit at home - feverishly making content for social media and preparing for my client sessions.
I hardly left the house, and if I did, it was with my daughters for stolen moments of quality time.
But it was so hard to hit that famed ‘work-life balance’ minus the guilt.
(Working from home was not at all what I imagined - I’m sure so many of you can relate to this?)
Any free time I had, I dedicated to my daughters and yet I was still weighed down by guilt, thinking it wasn’t enough.
Not enough time with them.
Not enough progress with my practice.
Just simply not achieving enough.
Starting a new career from absolute scratch was so time-consuming, and after 3 months, I wasn’t seeing the results I’d hoped for.
As you can imagine, that was the perfect cue for serious self-doubt to creep in.
Had I made the right choice moving from the world of fashion to psychology?
Should I go back to full-time modelling?
Would I ever get momentum and be able to build something meaningful and worthwhile?
Things just felt way off.
After a bit of soul-searching, it turns out I was intentionally isolating myself - because I didn't believe my new career choice was ‘important’ or ‘interesting enough’ to share with others.
Compared to a lifetime of modelling, it didn’t seem as ‘successful’, or ‘glamorous’, or ‘worthy’.
But this self-imposed isolation wasn’t helping me (or anyone else, for that matter!).
Fueled by empathy, I wanted to listen to others and help them in a way that actually made a difference.
So, I took the leap and really put myself out there!
I launched summer workshops, group therapy sessions and support circles for women.
I was finally getting out the house more, meeting new people, and starting to feel strength seeping back into me.
Naturally, this spilled over into life beyond the psychologist’s chair.
I absolutely love being with other people - hearing their stories,
making new connections, and creating memories that last.
And I thought to myself, “Why stop here? There’s a whole city of people just like me (surely?), who long for more opportunities to meet, create memories together and feel at home here”
And so, from pursuing my passion of psychology and that challenging journey, I was guided to that pivotal point of starting Milan Women Network…
…as a way to take the ideas of joy, togetherness, inspiration and support to a whole new level!
Because, once again, I was convinced that I wasn’t the only person craving a sense of belonging.
But, I’ll admit…
It wasn’t a case of waking up one day and just knowing what to do and how to do it,
to get this idea of MWN off the ground.
The biggest obstacle was my own mind, and fear of the unknown.
I know that many of you amazing women can nod your heads to this one!
The fear of not being accepted, not being understood and being judged hung heavily over my head.
But when I managed to nudge myself over the start line and out of the ‘fear zone’, I landed up in the ‘growth zone’.
And that’s where momentum lay! That’s where the magic started to happen.
And now, 7 months later, we’re on a mission.
We won’t stop until every English-speaking woman in Milan knows she’s not alone in her struggles and challenges, and she has a safe, welcoming space to go to.
(This seemed like a natural aspiration after I realised I had helped over 100 women connect, feel valued, and be welcomed - within just a few weeks after the launch of MWN!)
Fast forward to now
I’d say we’re satisfying those cravings - month by month, event by event.The more we come together, the more we spark those moments that make this city our home.
I literally felt this during May.
Being my birthday month and all, it was the time of year when introspective thoughts come flooding in.
I found myself reflecting on all aspects of my life.
It was a mixed bag of emotions, with moments of joy and pride coupled with an awareness of what needs more attention.
But one small thing made this year so different to the ones before…
…for the first time in a long time, I wasn’t wallowing in the ‘birthday blues’!
Usually I spend my birthday challenging the choices I’ve made, questioning myself, and with heaps of nostalgia for past celebrations with my best friend in New York
(living without my brother for the past 19 years, he’s the ‘brother’ I hold close).
But this year, I celebrated my birthday with more lightness.
And it’s thanks to the women I’ve met through Milan Women Network since it came to life in October 2023.
After feeling such a deep longing for connection and understanding, I’ve found it with this ever-growing community.
And I know I’m not the only one!
Our dream is that you are experiencing - or will experience - this for yourself too, right here with us.
What’s in it for you?
From this blog post onwards, you can expect to find articles on a wide variety of topics - from city highlights, to navigating tricky Italian obstacles, to entrepreneurial themes, to health & wellness, to personal stories from our very own members!
(if you have something to share about your experience or something that will benefit others, please let us know here)
As I said before, we want this to be the go-to source of valuable insights for you.
We have a few things up our sleeves for the blog, but in the meantime…
…if you know anyone here in Milan who shares the same values as us,
please share this post with them.
The more we come together, the more we spark those moments that make this city our home!
Because I’m convinced that we’re not the only ones craving a sense of belonging, connection and support.
Ready to dive in & join us in June?
With 3 membership options to choose from (including free), connect with us here
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