I recently found myself in a situation where I was in WAY over my head, and my membership with the North Durham Chamber of Commerce was a lifeboat.

For several years, I have wanted a new, fresh look to my website, one that is more congruent with who I am as a practitioner and a business owner. I finally bit the bullet and began designing a new one on a DIY web platform. Everything was going well until I had to deal with the SEO side of things.

After a few hours of going down the research rabbit hole, I realized I needed to hire someone to help me with this. I had met Kate Malcolm at Bloom Digital at our networking events through the Chamber of Commerce. We met to discuss my website, and I loved her approach and her ideas.

Not only did Kate work on the SEO side of things for me, she also spent time with me going over the details of the design. Things like where it was cluttered, where I could simplify the pages, how things lined up and especially key details that affected my SEO. The result was both stunning and effective.

You can see the results of our work together on the new and improved Elevate Women’s Health Centre website.

Collaboration is a critical factor in the success of any business. None of us is an island. We need the support of other businesses in order to succeed and, perhaps more importantly, to feel like we’re a part of something bigger than ourselves. I love the new product I was able to create with Kate’s help. I also loved that my business helped her grow her business.

Because I had such a fantastic experience, I referred my friend Nikki Mulvihill of Island Waters Counselling to Kate. Now they are working together to grow Nikki’s business.

And speaking of Nikki, because both of us work a lot in the world of menopause health care, we are creating a menopause workshop that focuses on the mental/emotional aspect as well as strategies to smooth the way through it. This workshop will serve so many of the women in our community!

Collaboration is productive and meaningful. I’ve said this before to some of you: I’ve belonged to a few Chambers of Commerce over the years as my practice has moved from town to town. I’ve never had the kind of positive experience I’ve had with the North Durham Chamber of Commerce.

The NDCC has focused heavily on connecting people and businesses through events and networking. It works. I don’t feel like I have to figure this entrepreneurship thing out by myself. I have a whole network of great business owners right here in my town who are ready and willing to walk this journey with me.

Together, we’re not just building businesses—we’re building a stronger, more connected community.