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Jacqueline Rogers didn’t set out to build a networking organisation. She simply noticed that the rooms she was being told to walk into were not working for her, or for many other women.

In this episode of The Secrets of Learning and Development, we speak with Jacqueline Rogers, CEO and founder of The Athena Network, about the experiences that shaped her journey from military community life, through corporate learning and development, to creating one of the UK’s most recognised women’s networking organisations.

Jacqueline shares the reality behind her career transition, including the exhaustion that told her something had to change, the quiet planning that helped her move forward and the early networking experiences that left her questioning whether there had to be a better way.

What follows is a warm, honest and insightful conversation about confidence, reinvention, connection and the difference between transactional networking and genuinely relational business relationships. Jacqueline also gives us a glimpse into Athena’s next chapter, including international growth and the launch of the Athena Networking Companion, an AI tool designed to support women with their networking strategy.

This is an episode for anyone who has ever walked into a room and wondered whether they truly belonged there, and for anyone interested in what can happen when frustration becomes the starting point for creating something better.

Key Learnings

Networking is often happening before we ever call it networking.
Jacqueline’s story shows that connection is not just about walking into formal business rooms or delivering a polished pitch. It can begin with someone recommending you for a role, sharing a useful contact or simply helping another person move forward. One of the key messages from the episode is that women are often already networking instinctively, but may not recognise the value of what they are doing.

Career transition rarely happens in one dramatic leap.
Jacqueline’s move from corporate life into entrepreneurship was not instant. She made the decision to leave, but then spent time learning, preparing and building what Julia described as a “parallel plan”. The learning here is that once you know something needs to change, even small actions can restore a sense of direction and help you move towards what comes next with more intention.

Guest Information:

Jacqueline’s profile
linkedin.com/in/jacquelineybrogers

theathenanetwork.com
athenafranchiseuk.com
jacquelineybrogers.com

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