Finding Your Girl Gang: Why Friendships Are Important In Business

A pastor once told me, "Show me your friends, and I will show you your future." In an effort to show me that the people you hang around with have a significant impact on your life and your future, he taught me a few lessons about friendship and business. Your friends are there to help you celebrate your milestones and grieve your disappointments. But your friends can also help you get more out of work and life, including business and financial success, career success and overall satisfaction.

This week, we are uncovering the reasons why friendships are important in business and hwo you can find you group of friends to achieve success and satisfication in business and life.

The importance of friends in business.

When you surround yourself with focused, ambitious, motivated and smart people, it is likely that you will adopt the same attitude. I love hanging out with people who are relentlessly pursuing love and compassion, achieving their goals with an unmatched level of grace. These people are everything I aspire to be - and hanging around them will only let me absorb, learn and become like them.

Having friends at your office or in your business is important to feeling supported, safe and productive. According to this study done by researchers in Hong Kong, workplace loneliness is related to negative performance. I went through a period at an office where I was not supported, which made me feel unsafe. As a result, my productivity and performance were poor. As entrepreneurs, feelings of loneliness can breed anxiety. When you have quality friendships that motivate you and support you, you'll find yourself more focused and passionate about whatever you do.

I think about my own #girlgang in Calgary. There is no way I would be able to do what I do without them. If it weren't for my business friends, I wouldn't have met my business coach - and Kim has helped me unlock doors to my creativity, resourcefulness and business savvy that I didn't even know were there. Some of other entrepreneur friends will gather to cathartically release our frustrations, fears and doubts about our work - as well as encourage each other through the journey. This group has supported this business from the beginning and has become a significant piece of its success.

I have found that building these friendships has opened up the doors to endless opportunities. Many of my friends have sent me referrals, asked me to collaborate or have contributed to my blog.

Find your girl gang.

Entrepreneurship can be quite isolating at times, and because friendship is vital to success (however that looks for you), it's important to find your group of friends that will support and encourage you - and give you the kick in the pants you need. (We all need those every so often.)

Here are some tips to find your personal girl gang.

• Check out MeetUp. From coffee to business to hiking, there is a group for every interest, skill level and life stage. This might take some trial and error, but finding the right group will be worth it.
• Find an entrepreneur association, networking group or community organization. Check if your city has something similar to YYC Girl Gang, YYC Blogger Babes or The Ace Class.
• Take it to social media. There is nothing wrong with establishing relationships through social media. For instance, I can connect with the entrepreneurs in Rising Tide Society or Female Entrepreneur Association and find support, encouragement and advice.
• Volunteer. Nothing bonds with together than service and empathy. Find something you're interested in and get involved. You never know who you'll meet.
• Be picky. As entrepreneurs, most of our time is devoted to building our businesses, so it's important to use that precious free time wisely to build relationships that matter.

Is your friend group amazing? Tell me about them!