Faberge's networking company didn't start with a business plan but from her own experience with unemployment. Her initial goal was to address the "hidden job market" by building bridges between senior and junior professionals, a personal vocation that became a business concept.
Muriel Faberge argues that personal well-being is not separate from professional success. By cultivating inner peace through quietness and self-reflection, you develop a positive presence. This calmness becomes a tangible asset that clients and partners receive and value in business interactions.
Instead of setting diversity quotas for her male-dominated tech network, Muriel Faberge simply encouraged members to invite their female colleagues, sisters, and even mothers. This simple, personal approach naturally led to a balanced community with roughly equal gender representation, without forced mandates.
Rejecting transactional methods like cold calls, founder Muriel Faberge views relationship-building as an art form. She approaches each new connection like a painting, aiming for meaningful and sustainable interactions rather than immediate sales, which ultimately drives her business development.
Counter to the "growth-at-all-costs" mindset, Faberge deliberately built her business around a non-scalable core: one meaningful human connection at a time. She believes her role is to "ignite a fire" that spreads organically, rather than trying to control and meet everyone herself.
The foundation of Faberge's community wasn't a formal event strategy but a simple, organic act. After interviewing key people for her company, she would ask them if they'd like to meet others she'd spoken with. This personalized matchmaking naturally evolved into larger group gatherings.
Faberge's ecosystem was first institutionalized as a foundation within her employer's company. After battling cancer and then being laid off during a post-acquisition restructuring, she was forced to launch her own brand, "At My Table and Co," turning her passion project into her sole livelihood.