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Below is our recent interview with Susan Jarema, Co-Founder at Grand Connection:
Q: Could you provide our readers with a brief introduction to your company?
A: The Grand Connection is a supportive global community that provides education, visibility, inspiration and support you need through EDUnetworking to reach your Grand Potential. Connect, create and collaborate with like minded business leaders who share the values of Grand Giving. You are supported in your business growth through skill sharing, collaborative marketing opportunities and peer to peer learning.
Q: How did you get started?
A: Susan and Carolyn (the founders) became friends over 20 years ago teaching business classes to entrepreneurs at a local college. They were reunited in March 2020 and were inspired to create a supportive business community while hiking in the Grand Canyon days prior to the COVID shutdowns. “We could feel the world shifting and a need for us to learn to connect in a new way. As we looked out into the expansive wonder of the canyon we were uplifted by its potential and the idea of the Grand Connection was born.”
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Q: Any highlights from the past year?
A: We ended the year in 2022 with the Grand Giving Conference, Grand Giving Fundraiser supporting orphans in Uganda and our most successful Giveaway yet with over 11k in gifts donated by our community available for everyone.
Q: Can you give us more insights into your offering?
A: You don’t have to face uncertainty and change alone.
Our goal at the Grand Connection is to provide our members with business skills, ways to save money, visibility, leads and opportunities to make Grand Connections to support them in their business and life.
We host many different types of virtual EDUnetworking events each month on zoom. New people can come to 2 events for free as a guest. Members also are able to participate in collaborative marketing campaigns such as giveaways, speaking at our conferences, posting listings, and be included in digital flip books.
Q: What can we expect from your company in the next 6 months? What are your plans?
A: We love the fresh start of a new year and the energy that goes into achieving our vision. We are excited to start 2023 focusing on the monthly themes of productivity and technology. Over the next 6 months we plan to:
- Keep expanding our global community by partnering with global organisations to double our membership.
- Continue to build smaller communities (groups) within our larger community with the addition of more Grand Groups with specialised focuses and industries. We currently have The Grand Podcasters Global Group, The Grand Authors Global Group and The Breast Connection Global Group that run monthly.
- Attract new experts and leaders from around the world to connect, create opportunities and collaborate with us to grow and level up their contributions of educating, inspiring and sharing their expertise, talents and skills.
- Start in person Grand Connection meetings in cities in Canada, the United States and England.
- 6 Expert Speaker global virtual events, 6 virtual Master Classes, 6 Member Mingles and Orientation sessions and our Spring Business Growth Conference.
- Launch of The Grand Potential Podcast on itunes
- Collaboration Marketing Campaigns:
- Spring Grand Giveaway with over 60 businesses to contribute more than 10,000 in free gifts.
- The Grand Podcasters Marketing Campaign
- The Grand Authors Group Marketing Campaign
- The Grand Giving Conference Flip Book (20 speakers)
- Membership Profile Flip Book
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Q: What is the best thing about your company that people might not know about?
A: The philosophy of Grand Giving – this is what makes our community unique and stand out in global networking. Time and time again, members share with us that they love the people that they meet who are so professional, supportive and willing to build and grow through collaboration.
Q: What is Grand Giving?
A: Grand Giving is the underlying foundation of our three core values – connect, create and collaborate. It is through being in service in our community that we support each other and grow through sharing resources, skills, expertise, connections, referrals and opportunities. “Grand Giving” allows each business to share in a win, win relationship (Grand Connections) to support each other to level up and leverage each other’s expertise to grow profitable businesses together. Together is better!
