Hazel Walker and I share a lot in common. We are about the same age, with grown children. We share a love for sushi, martinis, walking on the Monon Trail and the Gretchen Sandwich at 3 Sisters Cafe.

We are both direct, strong, smart, competitive women. Maybe it is that competitive nature or the fact that I was president of Rainmakers, when Hazel was Executive Director of BNI which made others assume we didn’t like each other, thus the Frenemy relationship.

But the truth is, we have too much fun spending time together to let any of that get in the way of a good conversation. Hazel was one of the first people I met when I started Roundpeg. Over the years I have learned a lot about networking, relationships, power circles and DISC Profiles from Hazel. In return, I have taught her about social media, web design, and blogging.

Most Saturday mornings you can find us on the Monon walking and talking about life, family, travel and business on the 8 mile round trip to our favorite 3 Sisters Cafe. We commiserate when things go wrong and celebrate when things go right. We coach and advise each other, challenging the status quo, and encouraging each other to take steps to move our businesses forward.

As a business owner I respect her counsel and as a woman, I value her friendship.