Networking Is a Superpower: Penny Goffman on Building a Career on Her Own Terms
In this episode of Mom to MORE®, Sharon sits down with community builder, entrepreneur, and connector extraordinaire Penny Goffman to explore how motherhood helped her discover the business she was always meant to build. After spending five years as a stay-at-home mom, Penny launched a mobile fashion boutique before finding her true calling helping women, brands, and entrepreneurs build meaningful relationships through the power of authentic connection.
Penny shares why community is about far more than networking, the motherhood skills that have fueled her success, and how staying engaged after an introduction creates opportunities that can change careers. She also opens up about rejecting "mom martyrdom," setting boundaries with teenagers, and why putting yourself first isn't selfish; rather it's one of the greatest gifts you can give your family.
Tune in for an empowering conversation about confidence, connection, entrepreneurship, and building a life that reflects your worth.
[00:00] Introduction
[03:21] Why Penny Chose to Become a Stay-at-Home Mom
[04:53] Turning the Gift of Connection Into a Career
[06:52] Launching a Mobile Fashion Boutique From Scratch
[08:27] What Entrepreneurial Moms Really Need From Community
[11:10] The Motherhood Skill That Fuels Her Success
[14:00] The Art of Reading a Room and Building Relationships
[16:15] Rebuilding Community in Her Own Backyard
[17:40] The Secret to Creating Lasting Connections
[20:10] Why Penny Rejects the Myth of Mom Martyrdom
[25:12] Building Confidence by Acting "As If"
[31:09] Creating Haven Power Up for Women Leaders
[33:29] Why Penny's "More" Is Actually Less
Meet my guest, Penny Goffman:
Website: https://pennygoffman.com/
Instagram: @thatpennylife_
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Keep an eye out for episode #71 of the Mom to MORE® podcast where Sharon is joined by Dr. Rashmi Roy, Endocrine Surgeon and the thyroid Goiter Guru. Coming soon - you won’t want to miss it ♥
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Sharon (01:11)
Welcome back to a new episode of Midlife Reinvention for Moms, Mom to More. Hey, before we dive in, if you love these conversations that remind you motherhood is not the end of your story, take a quick second to hit follow. It is the easiest way to help more women discover what's possible after the hands-on years of motherhood. Okay, strap in because today is going to be fun. You know how sometimes you meet a mom and you just think, wow.
She is way cool and I need to know her. Well, that is Penny Goffman. She's got this energy that keeps her room vibing, and when she's the one asking the questions, she pulls answers out of people that the rest of us really learn from. She also has incredible style, and I've been taking notes. But underneath all of it, she's genuinely a lovely person. Penny Goffman has built a career.
Around one extraordinary superpower, connecting people. She's a community builder, entrepreneur, and devoted mom who has spent the last decade creating spaces where women, leaders, and brands come together in meaningful ways. She launched and then later sold Jolie Goutique, a mobile fashion boutique back in 2015 while raising two young children. She styled events and fashion experiences for brands including Bloomingdale's and Alice and Olivia.
And went on to become head of community at Hey Mama, the National Membership Network for Entrepreneurial Moms. Today, Penny leads That Penny Connect, where she curates high-impact experiences that build authentic relationships that elevate women and brands. And I love that. She also produces Haven Power Up in Connecticut, a monthly gathering that brings ambitious women into the same room with inspiring leaders, thought-provoking conversations,
And the connections that can change careers and lives. Penny has an incredible instinct for seeing opportunity through people. She can walk into a room and immediately know who should meet whom. And she has built a career around turning introductions into lasting relationships. Interestingly, she has also experienced motherhood from both sides of the spectrum as a stay-at-home mom and later as an intentional hybrid mom. And today we get to jump into what both of those seasons actually look like.
Welcome Penny Goffman. I am so thrilled you're in studio with me today.
Penny (03:36)
I'm
so excited and I kinda got chills hearing my own bio.
Sharon (03:38)
It's
a bit it's it's sort of weird, right, when you actually hear it.
Penny (03:42)
It's like I like, ooh, a pat on my back.
Sharon (03:44)
Yeah,
you're super accomplished. So I'm really excited for this conversation. So I want to start where I always start, and that is how many kids do you have and where are you raising them?
Penny (03:53)
Okay, so two kids currently s fourteen and seventeen. Son is the fourteen year old, daughter is the seventeen year old, and we live in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Sharon (04:01)
Sounds fabulous. So take me back to the beginning. You were a stay at home mom for the first five years of your daughter's life, which included, I think, two years of your son's life. And what was this season like for you? Was that something that you had planned for or did you just fall into it?
Penny (04:17)
So, first of all, I am forever grateful for it. I am so thrilled that I made that decision. I know not everyone has that choice. So I'm talking from personal experience, but I couldn't be more thrilled. It was a phenomenal five years. And basically it was when my daughter entered kindergarten, so more of a full day school, and my son entered the twos in preschool. It was like three mornings a week. That's when I made the leap back into more of a hybrid career. But I will
Always look at those five years with the most love and feel internally appreciative that I had them.
Sharon (04:52)
And also five really challenging years.
Penny (04:54)
Five very challenging years. But you know what? I didn't feel pulled at that time and I really let go, like completely. I completely engaged myself in stay at home mom life. and I never felt like, I can't get back into the workforce. I never had that anxiety kind of hanging over me. So I think I really just, you know, had presence in that moment.
Sharon (05:15)
I love that. Thank you for that. So what was the moment when you realized that connecting people just wasn't a personality trait, but it was actually a business model?
Penny (05:25)
So it's really interesting because I think for my whole life and I really didn't understand it. I would say more so starting in my early 20s, people would constantly say to me, Your energy, your energy, I love your energy. And I had no clue what that meant. I didn't understand it in my 20s. I didn't even know that I was using it. I didn't know how to tap into it. And then it was, you know, kind of in my later 20s and my early 30s, and especially having kids, where I started to really understand what that meant.
And part of it was of course walking into a room and being able to immediately identify, and read into people and being able to bring things out in people in a very organic, authentic way. And that's when I decided to tap into all of that.
Sharon (06:10)
And that is such a skill because being able to connect is a business skill. And that so many of us have been building it, we just didn't have a name for it.
Penny (06:19)
Yes, exactly. And in my first business, you know, it was fashion based. And so the connection element was actually just a very indirect part of it. It was in the women's space. I've been in the women's space for over a decade. and there was a whole fashion element, but it was through these shopping parties and through the fashion shows that I put on, and by creating guest counts and inviting people and through guest lists and then people showing up and crowds showing up around me.
That that's when I really honed in, even though it was very indirect at the moment, and it was more, you know, my priority was the fashion part of it. that's when I really honed in on the skill of identifying who needs to meet who, why they need to meet, and also doing so in a very organic and authentic way that didn't feel salesy.
Sharon (07:07)
Right,
right. I really admire that. I'm just curious, Jolie Gotique, which also was named after your daughter. Yes. how did you come up with an idea to say, okay, I'm gonna put clothes in like this mobile thing and I'm gonna take it around to people? Where did that brainchild come from? That's so cool.
Penny (07:24)
I think I've always been and even in my current business, which we'll get to, good at identifying voids in the market and gaps. And at the time, when it was, you know, launching in 2015, there were really only food trucks in the Westchester and Connecticut area. food trucks were actually booming. You know, you would see like the lobster roll truck on Greenwich Avenue, and it was really just coming to be.
And that was the only type of truck you saw now. You see the dog rumor truck and you see the manicure truck, but it wasn't like that. And so I really took note of this idea. What if I could literally bring amazingly curated styles right to someone's door, but without the hassle of having to enter their house? I don't have to take over their living room. I'm not trying to do a pop-up and have them open their house to strangers or their whole guests. That feels like a really big job for a hostess to have people inside your home.
Sharon (08:15)
I guess.
Penny (08:15)
A very big ask, what if I could literally pull up into their driveway with all the styles that they would want? And we had girls and women's. They can shop for daughters and moms. That was the whole concept. And they can do so and we can have a food truck with us. We can have champagne on the truck. We can have a full experience that I would start to curate and produce for them. And we would do it and their house would be completely untouched. And that concept became really popular.
Sharon (08:42)
Yeah, yeah. And no shopping is complete without champagne. So thank you for sending
Penny (08:46)
Exactly. Right.
Sharon (08:47)
Okay. So I'm curious, your Hey Mama years, which I thought were really interesting, what did you learn that women actually need from a network and how is that different from what they thought they needed?
Penny (08:59)
Gosh,
so much. that was probably the most monumental career experience that I've had. I learned so much during that experience about what it takes to be really a working mom and a founder and what the concerns were and what the challenges were. And really at the forefront, what moms really wanted, what these entrepreneurial moms really wanted, and didn't have the time to just
do on their own and really needed support on was just what we're doing right now. Hey, I'm a podcast host and I'm looking for incredible guests who are building, you know, for example, fashion brands because my podcast is fashion based and I'm having trouble finding these guests and don't have the time. And I'm the guest. I'm the fashion brand who's looking for the PR. Connect us. And that connection is one simple
You know, whether it was via email or internal communications that we had on our platform, that one simple introduction led to years and years of partnership. I saw it time and time and time again. That is literally at its core connection. Yeah. The introduction, the art of introduction, the art of staying engaged, the art of staying in touch, and the years of spin-off of various collaborations and partnerships.
The ROI and impact and value was far beyond, for example, the membership fee that people paid to Hey Mama. And that's what we'd hear time and time again. The art of introduction.
Sharon (10:29)
And you know what's interesting about that? I think as as moms who maybe they're in high school or their kids are in college and I I think I felt this, sometimes you think, wait, do I even have a community? And you realize you have such a rich community, the moms of the kids and sort of Start in your own backyard.
Penny (10:46)
Yes. But I think part of the challenge is when you are on top of it a working entrepreneurial mom,
you might have the community, but you also can feel like there's so little time and I need to make every minute valuable because I am hybrid. and how can I get these whether it's PR contacts or whether it's, you know, a write-up, I wanna write up someone on my blog, or whether it's I'm doing a pop up and I'm looking for vendors.
Whatever that connection introduction is initially, it takes time to make. And as the head of community, I was able to facilitate that times thousands on a regular basis. It was absolutely fulfilling.
Sharon (11:24)
I can definitely appreciate that. So I want to talk about your not so hidden mom resume. Think about the skills that you deploy now that you were already building as a mom and through those hybrid years. And what are those forever take with me wherever I go skills?
Penny (11:41)
Okay, my number one, which honestly might not sound so interesting, but is absolutely pertinent, is efficiency. I mean, I can piece together pieces of the puzzle like the best of them. And that started when I became a mom, right? Piecing together the doctor appointments with the nap, with the feeding, with the playgroup.
making dinner with all of the different things that we're responsible for, and then having two and being having to do that for two children to piece together. Exactly. And being efficient and organized and developing systems has been really at the core of my success. it's why I can have a hand in so many different things with boundary, but why I'm able to do that, why I have so many different
As I like to say, tentacles of the octopus and why I'm able to do date night last night in New York City Broadway show with my husband. And then in the next morning, there's always the workout, there's the work, the emails, the recording on a podcast. I mean, the day is endless. And then still the facial if I want at the very end of the day. So the way I'm able to piece together all of those elements really began when I became a mom and learned how to be as efficient and organized as possible.
Sharon (12:59)
I can a hundred percent appreciate that. and no matter how busy we get, I love that you said date night because I think that's so important to make sure that we nurture the relationships that are most valuable to our heart. So I
Penny (13:11)
Absolutely.
Sharon (13:12)
love that. Hey, Penny, we are gonna take a quick break and when we return, we are getting into a lot more spicy things with our questions. So don't touch that dial.
Welcome back to Mom to More, where motherhood meets midlife reinvention, and my guest, Penny Goffman. Okay, Penny, I have a business question for you. you talked about reading a room and figuring out I need to connect these people? So is that just something that is innate to who you are? Is you sort of look at maybe a person and who she is and then a brand and who they are? How does that
Penny (14:32)
Definitely another to it. I don't think it's just innate. I think the energy has been innate because it was there way before I ever even understood it. but in terms of the actual almost process of it, that's certainly also been something that I've learned over the last decade being in this space. I think part of it is, trying to understand the players in the room.
and also the personalities as quickly as you can. You know, you can always see right away in the room who is the person who is going right in with the sales pitch, has barely known you, doesn't know anything about you, might not care to know anything about you, and they're already trying to tell sell you on something, right? I can identify that instantly. And it doesn't mean that I understand the whole person, but at the end of the day, sometimes you don't have time to understand the whole person right then and there. I understand that personality.
Is not going to be the best fit for some others. And at the same time, it's going to be a tremendous fit for someone because they're going to get right into it. So that's just an example of really honestly the art of reading a room. And then the next part of reading the room is trying to identify who the connections might be, who might want to collaborate, and it's really kind of understanding adjacent spaces. You're not
Connecting necessarily someone in the beauty industry with another person in the beauty industry. That can be nice. They can have discussion. They can brainstorm. There's obviously room for collaboration. But more often than not, it's about connecting the founder of a beauty brand with an editor who writes for a beauty brand, right? So it's understanding again the people in the room, what their spaces are, very quickly, what you can understand from their personalities, who's more social.
Who's more, you know, private, who wants to, email via text? Like that has been big one, you know, with so many different channels of communication. They're, you know, understanding who wants a big long email with a whole pitch and proposal and who really just wants two lines. And if you give them more, you've lost them. So I think there's just this element of being able to read the room and then go through the process. And the process of connection is not just about an introduction. It really actually most importantly is about staying engaged.
Sharon (16:41)
I appreciate that. You must have a humongous Rolodex.
Penny (16:46)
I do. And it's really interesting. when I was with Hey Mama for six years, kind of so they were acquired January of twenty twenty five. But in twenty twenty four, which was basically my last year there, something was off with me. and I loved my time at Hey Mama. But for me, I was seeing and noticing and observing in myself that I had this crazy Rolodex nationally and I was not doing
Anything in my own backyard. Nothing. And because I had pulled back from my own community and Fairfield County so much, because I was so busy nationally and I was connecting with members in Austin and Miami and Chicago and LA, when you pull back from your own community, they pull back from you because you're saying no a lot. And then you stop getting the invitations. And I felt in 2024 so disconnected.
From my own backyard. Interesting. And then once Haymom was acquired and I went out on my own, that was really where I had the opportunity to do a total one eighty and really ingrain my roots back again in the Fairfield County community, Greenwich and beyond. And it's been a lovely experience doing that. And the
Sharon (17:59)
This
is such a vibrant and extraordinary community. Yeah, the women that we've met. Question about this. Can you give our listeners one thing that they could do differently the next event that they walk into?
Penny (18:12)
Awesome. And as a guest, right? They're a guest at an event. Okay. I think what's really important is to think about who you want to stay engaged with. So you you make your introductions, right? You walk in, someone might a good hostess is introducing you to other people, making sure that you know them if you don't. I think even if you're shy, even if you're a little bit more subdued, when you do that, when you get introduced to someone, start taking mental note or take out your phone when no one's looking.
And write down who the personality is, who is the person or people there that inspired you, who motivated you. Just note it down if you're not gonna remember. And then make sure at some point it doesn't have to be at the event, make sure at some point to do some sort of exchange of contact information. And that contact information, honestly, more often than not, could be Instagram or LinkedIn. Easy. Super
Sharon (19:06)
Right.
Penny (19:07)
easy.
And the reason that's important, even if you don't have a full-fledged conversation with them there, because you know there's a lot of people, and maybe there is an experience and you had to sit and listen and you didn't get that opportunity. If you've introduced yourself and if you've gotten their contact information, stay engaged. That is my best piece of advice. Introductions, connection, building community around yourself is not just about the event that you walk into. It's actually more so
That is where the spark is ignited. That's where the magic just begins. The actual magic happens in everything that happens after that event. So stay engaged. Start liking their posts. Give them an emoji, smile about something, comment a word or two, you know, if you saw them do something that you relate to and say, you know, I relate, whatever it is, stay engaged. And you will be shocked at what can happen just from that alone.
Sharon (20:00)
Yeah, that's brilliant. And also, whether it's Instagram or LinkedIn or Facebook, wherever you are comfortable, or even just a text. Yep. Message or an email. That's your way of staying in touch. I think that's terrific. I want to dive in a little to your intentional hybrid mom life You do so much, right? Intentional hybrid moms do so much because you're doing
at all. So I I really appreciate your being all things to all people all the time. Working, house stuff, raising teenagers, all of that. which, anyone who has a teenager knows that those are n pretty roller coaster years. So what does that really look like with no makeup or fancy clothes on, just the real unglamorous daily version of that life?
Penny (20:42)
my gosh. I mean, my husband jokes with me all the time that, like, if we had a camera on me on those off moments, people would probably be shocked. And he's like, I'm gonna take a picture of you right now because sometimes it's wild. I will say, going back to the systems, going back to what I said originally, systems, pieces of the puzzle, efficiency, organization, because that is a very strong suit of mine, I am not all things to everyone at all times.
Because it's pieces of the puzzle. And that's the best metaphor I can give. When I'm putting one piece down and focused on that piece, then I put the next piece down and it's been scheduled in like clockwork. I will also say something that has been paramount, and you know, this is obviously controversial and maybe will offend someone, but I'm not a martyr, and I never have been. I don't believe in mom martyrdom. I don't believe that a mother should give everything up, drop.
Everything it happened to me this morning, actually, Sharon. my son, who is currently probably home right now, was at sleepway camp and he was demanding to be picked up because he hurt his wrist. And we've known about this for the last 48 hours, and we have the doctor appointment pieced together like the puzzle tomorrow, 1045. And I said to him, I can get you at 2 p.m. if you would like. I was not going this morning. Why? Because I was filming Mom Tomorrow, a podcast. And I wanted to get ready.
And that was a priority to me. And so I slotted him in and told him two o'clock. He ended up figuring it out on his own. He got a left home. Because that's what happens. Because I do have teenagers. We're not talking about an eight year old. But my children are completely capable and figuring it out themselves. Figuring it out of problem solving. And did he want to problem solve on his own? He did not. He really wanted mommy to get him the second he asked. Right.
but when he understood that the answer was no and I hold held strong on that, that I'm sorry, I have a prior engagement. I can't drop everything. This isn't life or death. We'll see the doctor tomorrow. Well, he just figured it on his own and he's home now. And I haven't even seen him yet. And what a great
Sharon (22:42)
Learning experience for him, right? We prioritize ourselves. I think at certain ages and stages, we should always prioritize ourselves. Like we've always have permission to do that. But you realize when you say no to your child, they sort of give you that cockeyed, you sideways glance. And then they're like, Okay, she's serious. I got the message, mom, I'll figure it out.
Penny (23:01)
Absolutely. my kids are teens now, so this is a teenage story, but really I've always been one who has always believed in the importance and value of myself. I've always had the wherewithal that if I'm happy, then my family's gonna be happy. if I move my body, then you know, that's my therapy, everyone's gonna be happy.
I've never literally, unless there was a dire situation, probably given up a workout that I had planned in my schedule, as I said, pieces of the puzzle, because that is what sets the tone for my day. And that's what makes my happy family. And honestly, here's something else I'm just gonna say. very early on, because I do pick up on things from people, I also noticed that a lot of the moms who felt like they were giving themselves up, and I'm talking to
my audience right now and what I by that I'm talking to your audience, but my point is I am not talking about the stay-at-home mom who's juggling three jobs because that isn't my audience and that's not my professional and personal community. and so that is an entirely different situation. but you know I would be at playgroup with the moms who were completely lost in themselves, completely lost with who they are, completely prioritizing everything else but themselves. And honestly all they did was complain.
Interesting. They sit in a playgroup and they would talk about how they're lost. They would talk about how they don't know who they are anymore. They would talk about how they don't feel healthy. They would talk about how they're not confident. They would talk about how they don't want to go out with their husbands, how they have no sexual desire, how they're exhausted midday. They would talk about all of these things. And at the same time, I was hearing always that they weren't prioritizing any of these things. And
That really stuck with me. And that's when I realized that, you know, maybe I was more unique in that kind of area. And also when I sort of started coining and talking about motherhood and martyrdom. I don't want my daughter, who's seventeen, and I know that she doesn't feel this way, to be a mother one day and think she has to give herself up. Right.
Sharon (25:08)
Right. And I also think the world has changed we we have the permission now. And I learned from going through that phase, and then I realized, no, this doesn't serve me. It I don't think it serves any woman to totally lose herself. And I'll raise my hand to say, Hey, I was guilty of that.
But coming around and figuring out, okay, how do I maintain me in any relationship, whether it's with, you know, spouse or children or family or whatever, I think that's really, really important. So thank you. Thank you for bringing that point up. Okay, I want to go somewhere fun now.
Yeah,
Penny (25:43)
I'm ready.
Sharon (25:44)
like, okay, here we go. if someone only knew you from Instagram, they'd meet this very confident, very hot mama,
who really owns exactly
How you look. Okay, you're a beautiful woman, you're in great shape. But if they knew you only from work, building community, connecting powerhouse women and brands, they'd meet a pretty buttoned up entrepreneur. So, which one is the real Penny? Or am I even asking the right question?
Penny (26:13)
Well, interestingly, I actually do not think anyone who meets me professionally would call me I mean button up in terms of there is, you know, a system and there is a run of show and it's very organized and I've, you know, dotted every I and crossed every T 100%. But in terms of the way I show up day of, you know, and present myself and the energy I bring and the fashion I wear.
I think we're still on the going on the sexy mom thing because even today in front of you, I'm wearing a tight dress. People will be able to see. Okay. I'm wearing a tight dress and there is a little, I'm looking at the video for a second. There is a little bit of cleavage here, you know? So and some leg showing.
Sharon (26:57)
I got it flaunted. Yeah.
Penny (26:58)
Exactly. So I actually think that version of me presents both personally and professionally. I really do dress up on date nights.
I was in the city last night. My husband wrote me this morning and said, You looked amazing last night. He was walking towards me from his office. He hadn't seen me all day. And we had this like moment literally like on the New York City streets where we waved to each other. And then he walked up to me and he was like, Wow. I mean, not because I'm saying wow. I just meaning I dressed up for him. I dressed up for me. I dressed up to go to the city. the only time I'm not dressed up really is if someone has a 10 a.m. coffee date with me and I'm coming straight from the gym. At home, I am not dressed up.
So that's the other side of me. The at-home mother is probably different than you see on Instagram. she's has lots of boundaries. She is extremely efficient. I'm always efficient, but meaning I run a tight ship at home. And so it's not always sexy, and it's not always glamorous. My hair is in a bun. I'm in big sweatpants most of winter. I had
Sharon (28:02)
And even today you're wearing a hat because you said
Penny (28:04)
a bad hair day. Exactly.
So I think that energy, that feeling, the vibe is really the same personally and professionally.
Sharon (28:14)
Interesting. Thank you for that. Okay, I'm gonna quote you here. And you said, quote, ask for more. It's not selfish, it's knowing your worth. how would you advise a mom to flip the confidence switch? And for the mom who might be maybe feeling a little invisible these days because truth, we've all been there, what is one small doable action that she could do right now, this week, to start to change things up?
Penny (28:42)
my best advice is, especially if you're coming from a place where you're not feeling this way, the best starting point is act as if. It is the best starting point. Act as if, or some people say fake it till you make it. Look, if you're not feeling that way, you're not gonna all of a sudden wake up the next day and feel it. But if you act as if, if you put on makeup one morning, go work out one morning.
have a full day. Carve it out where you act as if, even if you're not feeling it inside completely. Just do it. Just go through the motions. Cause you know what, we're adults. We put on our big adult pants and sometimes we just have to act as if. How do you feel at the end of the day? Write it down. That would be my question. How did you feel at the end of the day when you acted as if? When you literally carved that out and put it into your schedule as if it was an activity. What you planned out the day that way. How do you feel at the end of that day?
Take yourself on a day night, have a girl's night, act as if. Maybe you're not feeling great about yourself. Put on some whatever you consider some hot outfit. Act as if. How did you feel? How do you feel the next morning when you wake up? Do you want to act as if again? What can you do today to act as if? Keep doing that. Not all day, right? I certainly, as I just said, don't. I'm in, you know, bun and sweatpants and whatever. But have those moments where you act as if, and if you act as if and you continue on that path.
It is unbelievable if you consciously take note of how you're feeling, consciously dig in and see how the confidence might be building. This is not just an outward thing. It's spiritual, it's emotional, it's connection with yourself, it's connection with others. It will just push you on that path. It will make you want to ride that roller coaster.
Sharon (30:31)
Yeah. And it also puts you more in touch with yourself, which I think is something as a mom sometimes we can get detached from ourselves. But also what you just said, which I thought was brilliant, it's those little baby steps. it's having the courage to push yourself into that uncomfortable zone because that's where the magic happens.
Penny (30:51)
Exactly. Yes. And I know it's almost like cliche a little bit 'cause I do hear it a lot, but it's just so true. It's all the little steps that add up. That's it. It's not about the big moments. It is always about the little steps.
Sharon (31:04)
Right. Those are some great ideas and I I want people to listen to that because whether it's tiny little baby steps, however it presents organically to you, have the courage, have the trust in yourself to be able to say, I can do this, I deserve this, I know there's more out there, and I'm gonna take these tiny little steps to figure out how I'm gonna do that. Absolutely. Yeah, thank you for that, Penny. Thank you. I wanted to ask you about Haven Power Up.
And I've been to a couple of them and they are wonderful. What was the inspiration for that? And how do you find the people that you bring in and showcase in those events?
Penny (31:41)
So this I'll just say is a perfect example of connection and staying engaged. I remember that put an asterisk near it, everyone, 'cause that's what I said is the secret sauce. Felicia and I knew each other from my Hey Mama days where we had partnered and w when I saw she was opening a Greenwich Location, it was at the pretty much a month after Hey Mama was acquired. And I basically reached out to her and we had a meeting. I had no
expectations or even real ideas, to be honest. It just wants her to reconnect because I was like, you're in my town. And next thing I know, she's basically like, you know, I need people in the door. And how do you think you can make that happen? And that's literally how the idea was created out of nowhere, in the women's space, always my North Star. And really the idea is to connect and power, inspire, and bring together local women of the community.
In terms of picking speakers, you know, each month is completely different from the next. And I'm just so excited and proud of that. I mean, we're doing a live podcast production with Clai Productions next week, although this won't air probably then July 22nd. And it's all about podcasting. The month after is with CT Bytes, and we have s the founder Stephanie Webster's, the most influential flu food community in Connecticut, with a mini food hall for everyone to taste and have lunch with.
And then we're going into women's health. And I mean, then we're going into, you know, breast cancer awareness month. And then we're going into like workout. And and every month is completely unique. and so it's really just about the ideas that flowed in my head or the people that I've spoken to. and I it's kind of putting it putting all the pieces of the puzzle together again, just making sure that there's a hole. Everything that I do for power up, I want it to feel not like here's a speaker coming in to speak.
But there's an entire theme and package and experience wrapped around it.
Sharon (33:36)
That's terrific. And j just the few that I've gone to, really fascinating speakers, learned from all of them. Thank you for that. I have a question that, as our time is drawing to a close, that I ask all of the amazing women that I have the privilege of interviewing. And that is: Since this is the Mom to More podcast, Penny Goffman, what is your more?
Penny (34:01)
So interestingly, and this is a an amazing time for this question because I've been having this conversation with my husband over the last month. My more is actually less. And what does that mean? So I'm in the process, you know, entering into I'm into the second year of my business at Penny Connect. And it's been wildly successful over the last just over a year.
And now I'm at the point where I want to take on less projects that are more impactful. And impactful can mean that are higher revenue, have greater reach, and have really unique and special target audiences. So I would like to do less projects overall, but be much more selective.
About the clients and projects that I take on that have more impact across all those streams.
Sharon (35:00)
Thank you for that. Penny, please tell our listeners where everyone can find you online. And folks, everything is going to be in the show notes.
Penny (35:08)
The best place to get in touch with me, honestly, and if you wanna reach out or DM is on Instagram at that Penny Life. That's what I check the most. and then I guess secondary, you can always check out pennygoffman.com to learn more about me, what I do, my experiences. And you can pick up on my email there on the website. But Instagram's always the best for me, that Penny Life.
Sharon (35:27)
Got it. Got it. Penny, thank you so much for today. I learned more about you that I didn't know before and I really ad admire you for your your various systems and your tenacity and your vision and your commitment to yourself. And I think that's really important that as moms and as women that we always remember that we come first.
Penny (35:46)
Thank you. This has been wonderful. I absolutely adore you and thank you so much for having me.