The Wesleyan community gathered March 2 for the 3rd annual Women in Leadership Forum to interact with and learn from women business leaders.

To kick off Women’s History Month, a panel of talented female leaders discussed their leadership journey in the corporate culture and why networking is so important.

The panelist included Wesleyan alum and award-winning communications and development professional, Beth Lamb, founder of the Rios Group Inc. (TRG), Rosa Navejar, and strategic communications leader Merianne Roth. The event was moderated by Kim Blouin, Director of Marketing for The Cilburn.

According to the women, when it comes to networking there is no such thing as too much.

"To me, I was just meeting people and building relationships," Lamb added. "Don't think of networking as a job, think about how these relationships enhance your life."

“It's not what you know, it’s who know," Navejar said. "Growing in my career, I look for those people who I can learn from.”

The women also encouraged students to really get involved with their community.

"Volunteer in things that interest you," Roth said. “Find something that really matters to you, that way it is a natural and authentic way for you to grow a network with people similar to yourself."

"Your Alumni Association is really your biggest ally," said Lamb. "Current students should really try to figure out how to connect with them."

Keynote speaker, Jessie Lueck a creative recruiter for Hallmark Cards, Inc. also had some advice to give about networking.

"Bring your authentic self to the table," Lueck said.  "Don’t let the fear of failing keep you from trying. As a recruiter, it can get tiring trying to have the same conversation with people, so my favorite interactions are the ones when people are being genuine in getting to know about more than just how they can get a job.”

To watch the full forum, click here.