Fearless and Fun Launch Par-Tee!
What a launch par-tee we had! Thank you so much for coming out to celeberate the launch of our community!
Over forty fearless women came together to celebrate the launch of The ORB Network, and the energy in the room was fierce!
Our ORB Clubhouse guest, Mitra Azizirad, Microsoft President, COO, and CVP, reminded us to get energized by the word no, to set boundaries, to lean into discomfort, and to advocate for ourselves. Thank you Mitra, for sharing such inspiring stories and the beautiful Rumi quotes: “Move, but don’t move the way fear makes you move.” and “You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.”
We carried that fearless spirit into action, taking a swing with Coach Bronte, practicing putting with Coach Deborah and Coach Pamela, and moving and stretching with Coach Kaila. A heartfelt thank you to our amazing coaches for helping us bring confidence, connection, and fun to the evening. The Fearless Scorecard Challenge was a hole-in-one hit!
This launch is just the beginning. I am excited to continue building community through Golf Gal Meetups on the course and on the range. Our very first Rockin’ the Range evening is happening on October 1st at Bellevue Golf Course, hosted by Bronte.
👉 Sign up here to reserve your spot! Only 12 spots available for this drop-in clinic, so come hit some balls and get some light coaching from Coach Bronte.
We’ll also have more exciting leadership offerings coming soon, so stay tuned and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn to relive the memories, celebrate the a-ha moments, and stay connected as we grow this fearless community together.
Finally, a massive thank you to our partners and friends who helped make the launch so special.
· Evergreen Golf Club, for hosting us in such a unique space.
· Salt and Light Boards by Elaina for the stunning grazing board that was almost too beautiful to eat. Follow her on Instagram for upcoming classes - beware, her Instagram is drool inducing.
· Sugar Bytes Market, for the custom cookies that were every bit as delicious as they were beautiful.
· J2 Creative, for our fresh new look, and Sara Nagy for designing and bringing our ORB Gal mascot to life with a new store filled with ORB Gal accessories, be sure to check it out!
· Harshita Amit, for commemorating the launch with AI inspired and hand-painted ORB Network painting. Harshita is not only a visionary engineering leader but also the founder of HA Arts, be sure to check out her site.
Thank you to all you fearless ORBgals, I’m looking forward to growing our new community together with you.
Orlagh Neary, Founder The ORB Network
The ORB Network, 401 Broadway Ste 100, Tacoma, WA 98402-3900, United States
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Tee off in 7 days!
I can't believe it! We are just seven days away from celebrating the launch of The ORB Network, and I am incredibly excited to meet the wonderful and fearless women joining our sold-out launch event.
This gathering marks the beginning of something truly special, a powerful community dedicated to connecting and empowering women in golf, leadership, and wellness. The theme for our inaugural event couldn't be more perfect: "Being Fearless."
What Does Fearlessness Mean to Me?
Fearlessness is the driving force that transforms potential into achievement. It's not about the absence of fear, it's about moving forward despite it, with purpose and conviction.
In golf, fearlessness means stepping up to the tee with confidence and embracing every challenge the course throws at you. Whether it's the howling winds I recently battled on Ireland's Wild Atlantic coast or finding myself in those massive bunkers one too many times (we've all been there!), it's about committing to hit the best shot possible every single time and believing in yourself to execute it.
In leadership, fearlessness shows up as the courage to make tough decisions, advocate for meaningful change, and inspire others to push beyond their perceived limits. It's about standing firm in your values while remaining open to growth and new perspectives.
In wellness, being fearless means prioritizing self-care without guilt, addressing mental and physical health head-on, and making the commitment to show up as your best self, not just for others, but for you.
Breaking Barriers Together
Across all these areas, fearlessness empowers women to break barriers and lead with conviction. It's what allows us to step into rooms where we might be the only woman, to take on challenges that seem impossible, and to lift other women up as we climb.
The ORB Network exists because we believe that when fearless women come together, magic happens. We create opportunities, we solve problems, we inspire change, and we build the kind of community that transforms not just our own lives, but the lives of those around us.
Seven Days and Counting
As we count down to what’s a milestone moment for me personally, I'm filled with gratitude for every woman who believed in this vision and secured her spot at our launch event. You are the pioneers, the trailblazers, the ones who said "yes" to something new and exciting.
To our sold-out launch event attendees: get ready to be inspired, to connect deeply, and to discover just how powerful fearless women can be when they come together with shared purpose.
The future of The ORB Network starts with you, and I couldn't be more thrilled to embark on this journey together.
Here's to being fearless, on the golf course, in the boardroom, and in every aspect of our lives.
See you in seven days!
The ORB Network Launch Event is Tee-d up!
Happy August everyone! After a few months of thinking, planning and connecting with wonderful supporters of The ORB Network, I am excited to share that The ORB Network launch event is shaping up to be fun-tastic!
A big thank you to Evergreen Golf Club in Redmond for partnering with us to host a wonderful event. It’s a beautiful location, and I can’t wait to meet you there on September 23rd!
Our first event blends leadership insights, with wellness tips, golf coaching and networking and tickets just went on sale: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-orb-network-launch-event-registration-1578888069719
PAR-TEE!!!
💬 Leadership Coach – Be Fearless: We’ll kick off with a 20-minute fireside chat with Mitra Azizirad, President and Chief Operating Officer at Microsoft.
With over 33 years at Microsoft, Mitra has led many innovative and high-stakes organizations, trailblazing and doing what she loves most: writing on a blank sheet of paper. Mitra often uses this metaphor to underscore what it means to create something from nothing, to disrupt and innovate. Her leadership style embodies the tenacity required to leap into the unknown, as does her favorite mantra to ‘get energized by the word no.’ Mitra is clear that being a fearless leader doesn’t mean you don’t feel fear; it means you take the leap anyway. Mitra will share insights on what it means to be a fearless leader, cultivating self-belief, persevering, and becoming your own best advocate as important keys to driving resilience, inner strength, and growth.
🧘 Wellness Coach – Breathe, Balance & Swing: In this 10-minute wellness segment, Kaila Bongiovani will guide you through simple yet powerful breathing and stretching techniques designed to energize, refocus, and release your inner fearless golfer.
Kaila’s work is guided by a simple truth: our lives are a manifestation of where we invest our energy—and when we care for that energy, we elevate our leadership in the office, on the golf course, and everywhere in between. Kaila is a dynamic professional who bridges the worlds of business and wellbeing with equal passion. As a corporate leader and certified yoga instructor, she’s dedicated to helping busy women reconnect with their breath, bodies, and inner clarity.
🏌️ Swing Coach – Confidence at the Tee: Whether you’ve never picked up a club or you’re working on shaving a few strokes off your game, our swing coach, Bronte Polette, will meet you where you are and share tips to help you play with skill and confidence.
Bronte volunteered with the First Tee Organization for over 10 years as a golf coach, program manager and event co-ordinator and I am so excited to partner with her to bring many wonderful experiences to The ORB Network.
🤝 Networking – The 9-Hole Insights Challenge: Thanks to Evergreen Golf Club, we have access to four state of the art simulators where you can get swinging and work on completing your scorecard challenge - meet nine amazing women, gather nine fresh perspectives and submit your completed scorecard for a chance to win a fun prize.
🍷 19th Hole – A Taste of Local Women-Owned Flavor and Fun: One our goals is to showcase local female led businesses and I am grateful to Salt and Light Boards and Sugar Byte Market for providing a wonderful selection of charcuterie and cookies.
I am really thrilled by the reception so far and looking forward to continuing to grow the community with you all.
The ORB Network is in full swing!
The ORB Network is in full swing!
Two weeks after launching The ORB Network, I am humbled and excited to share that already 60+ ladies have joined. I’ve had this idea for quite some time and after retiring from Microsoft and taking a breather from corporate life, I decided to nurture the idea and here we are! Thank you so much for the incredible support. The ORB Network is in full swing!
Since launching, many women have reached out sharing their personal stories - many missing in-person connection, many women have prioritized everyone other than themselves, others want to play golf but don’t know where to start, and others are intimidated to sign up on a timesheet with strangers, and so many more. All these stories resonate strongly with me.
My hope is that The ORB Network will offer women in the greater Seattle area a valuable platform to develop new professional relationships, gather insights and fresh perspectives on leadership challenges, all while learning and growing confidence in the wonderful game of golf.
My goal is to host 6 ORB Network community events per year in addition to organizing monthly ORB Network golf outings at local courses. Perhaps in the future I will organize trips to Ireland but for now I am focused on getting our first community event organized!
I am designing the first event around 4 core experiences:
Golf: For beginners we will introduce you to stance, grip, form and swing; for more advanced ladies we will try to work on tweaks to help you knock some shots off your game. Either way, we'll help you stay on par with your goals!
Wellness: Golf requires physical and mental strength, as does powering through our workdays! We will learn techniques to calm our minds and strengthen our muscles.
Leadership: I am tee’ing up a great fireside chat with a fantastic lady leader to share insights on some tough challenges.
Networking: I know entering a room full of strangers can be intimidating so I am structuring a networking activity for you all around a fun 9-hole scorecard challenge.
It’s going to be a blast, and I will share more details in two weeks…I am so excited!
Thanks!
Orlagh Neary
Founder, The ORB Network