133. The working mom's guide to networking events (from someone who's built hundreds) — Heather Odendaal
Heather Odendaal, entrepreneur, event producer and founder of WNORTH, an Award-winning membership network of women in leadership that she has been running for the past 11 years in Whistler, BC. WNORTH’s mission is to develop more women to leading positions so they can elevate their teams, families and communities, all through boutique in-person and virtual events, summits, programs and annual Conference.
She knows what it takes to build a community of working women who want to be part of.
In this episode, Heather shares what the events industry taught her about belonging, why traditional networking events fail ambitious women, and how she rebuilt her business — and herself — after losing $250K a month during the pandemic. You might have a love-hate relationship with networking, but you’re desperately wanting to find your people, and that’s why this episode was created
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Intro
(01:26) Who is Heather Odendaal?
(03:26) The best networking events are not about the aesthetic, flower walls don’t build community
(05:47) Horseshoes, not circles: the WNORTH philosophy that makes every woman feel like there's a seat for her
(07:56) How WNORTH measures belonging
(10:24) How to find your people at a networking event, even if you hate small talk
(11:11) Why being in the right room beats being in every room — the case for niche community
(11:42) WNORTH Ad
(12:45) Why being in the right room matters
(15:01) How Heather redesigned a male-dominated forum structure to actually work for working mothers
(18:05) Losing $250K/month, and pivoting to virtual events, while parenting her children
(22:30) How deeper community ties helped Heather rebuild past pre-pandemic revenue by 2023
(26:06) Quality over quantity at home too: the fractional VA secret and what it means for working moms
(29:55) Mom guilt, working full time, and traveling as an ambitious mom
(30:29) Why your kids will be proud of you for pursuing your dreams
(36:18) What to expect at WNORTH Conference, May 6–8, 2026 — speaker dinners, sound baths, W Talks, and more
KEY TAKEAWAY
Real community is built through belonging. Which is why it is better to find the right room, instead of trying to work every single one of them. The goal for working moms should be to make deeper connections. Quality over quantity.
About Heather Odendaal
Heather Odendaal is a conference entrepreneur and the founder of W North, an 11-year women's leadership conference and membership community that brings together ambitious women in business and corporate leadership. She is also the founder of Events by Bluebird, a full-service event production company. Based in Whistler, BC, Heather has produced events globally — from the Canadian Embassy in London to Abu Dhabi — and is a sought-after speaker on belonging, community, and women's leadership. She is a mom of two and a passionate advocate for building spaces that actually work for women.
Connect with Heather Odendaal
Website | https://wnorthconnect.com/ | https://www.eventsbybluebird.com/
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/heatherodendaal/ | https://www.instagram.com/wnorthconnect/ | https://www.instagram.com/eventsbybluebird/
Linkedin | https://ca.linkedin.com/in/heatherodendaal | https://www.linkedin.com/company/wnorth/ | https://www.linkedin.com/company/bluebirddmc