How Networking in Langley Changed My Business

By Jenny Holly Hansen | Langley News | December 9, 2025

When I first stepped into Langley’s business networking community, I expected what most professionals expect: connections, referrals, and opportunities to grow my business. What I didn’t expect was how profoundly it would reshape my life.

Networking, for me, began as a professional strategy. I was motivated by growth—my own, the businesses I served, and the community I hoped to contribute to. I showed up to events ready to share expertise, exchange ideas, and build partnerships. What I discovered, slowly and then all at once, was that Langley’s business community had the power to build something much deeper.

Over the last year and a half, something extraordinary happened. The people I met as colleagues and collaborators became more than trusted experts in their fields—they became trusted friends. Conversations that started with business goals turned into talks about family, dreams, setbacks, and triumphs. Coffee meetings evolved into shared traditions. The people I once knew by job titles became people I cannot imagine my life without.

This Christmas, that transformation becomes tangible in the most meaningful way. I will have five families gathered in my home for a holiday feast—people woven into my life not because we crossed paths personally, but because we met through business networking. Aside from my partner, every person at my table found their way into my world because I showed up one day intending to grow my business.

But something bigger grew instead.

These relationships have shaped my motivation, my purpose, and my work. They’ve reminded me that behind every business card is a human being longing for connection, belonging, and support. They’ve shown me that networking is not just about exchanging value—it’s about creating it together. They’ve taught me that community is built slowly, through consistency, generosity, and genuine interest in the people around you.

And somewhere along the way, Langley stopped being just a place where I worked. It became the place where I belong.

This holiday season, I’m not simply sharing my home, my food, or my table. I’m sharing the life that networking helped me build—one friendship, one conversation, one act of showing up at a time.

If you had told me eighteen months ago that business networking would lead to this, I might have laughed. But today, as I prepare for the warmth and laughter that will fill my home, I am grateful for every handshake, every meeting, and every moment I said yes to connection.

Because business may have brought us together, but community—and love—keeps us here.

Let’s Keep Talking:

Jenny is a business insurance broker with Navacord. With 19 years experience, she will well versed in the technical aspects of business insurance coverages.

She can be reached at 604-317-6755 or hello@jennyhollyhansen.ca

Connect with Jenny on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-holly-hansen-365b691b/.

TAGS: #Jenny Holly Hansen #Protect Your Business #Community Impact #Langley Connect # Abbotsford Connect