As the founder of Web Brand Art, Haddaoui guides entrepreneurs and organisations daily on strategy, branding and visibility. In doing so, she saw the same question recurring: how do you make yourself visible in a way that fits who you are, but is also strategically strong?

“Marketing is often approached as a technique. Which post should we create? What channel should we be on? Which campaign should we launch? Marketing doesn't start with execution and what you *think* others expect. It starts by answering who you are, who you are for, and why someone would choose you,” says Haddaoui.

Within WBA Academy, this vision is translated into concrete programmes where marketing, entrepreneurship, and personal positioning come together. One of these programmes is Empower & Connect Women Only, in which female entrepreneurs work on strategy, authentic positioning, visibility, and growth.

According to Haddaoui, that's no coincidence. Many female entrepreneurs have a strong offering, a great deal of expertise and a wealth of talent, but sometimes downplay themselves more than necessary. They hesitate longer, adopt a more modest stance, or feel they need to adapt to be taken seriously. “Then it's no longer just about marketing, but rather about how you position yourself, how you tell your story, and how you become visible without losing yourself.”

Haddaoui is collaborating with entrepreneurship expert Karijn Bonne for the substantive basis. From more than fifteen years of research into entrepreneurship and twenty-five years of expertise in diversity and social participation, she also sees the same patterns emerging. “Female entrepreneurs struggle with visibility, legitimacy as entrepreneurs, and what place they can and may occupy. These are hurdles that are less visible, but have a major impact on growth. For women with diverse roots, these challenges are often amplified by additional expectations, prejudices, or a lack of recognition,” says Bonne, based on her years of research and practical experience.

Empower & Connect Women Only therefore brings together something that both initiators often see as separate: working on the entrepreneur and on the enterprise. The sessions combine marketing strategy with reflection, personal positioning, and exchange between female entrepreneurs. Not to fit women into a specific mould, but to help them build a brand and an enterprise that springs from their own strengths.

A key part of the journey is the safe environment that is consciously created. Participants not only receive guidance on marketing and positioning, but also the space to exchange experiences, receive honest feedback, and learn from each other. Initial reactions show how that combination works. Participants talk about greater clarity in their positioning, more confidence in their story, and the feeling that they don't have to adapt themselves to become visible.

In 2027, the programme will have an international follow-up with the Marrakech Experience. Not a classic business trip or retreat, but a meeting between female entrepreneurs from Belgium and Morocco. By connecting women from here with women from there, Haddaoui and Bonne want to open up new perspectives on entrepreneurship, leadership, ambition and growth.

For Web Brand Art, the Marrakech Experience is far more than an international expansion of a programme. It is a strategic step in a greater ambition: to build bridges between entrepreneurial women, markets, cultures and opportunities across national borders. This is partly thanks to a collaboration with local entrepreneurs' organisations and female entrepreneurs from Marrakech.

Where WBA Academy today strengthens entrepreneurs in Belgium in their positioning, visibility and growth, Web Brand Art aims to become a platform with international ambitions that stimulates connection, knowledge exchange and economic cooperation. The Marrakech Experience forms a first powerful step in this: bringing together female entrepreneurs from Belgium and Morocco to learn from each other, discover new perspectives and build lasting business relationships.

In addition to Empower & Connect women-only, WBA Academy is also working on an AI Implementation project for entrepreneurs and SMEs. With this, Web Brand Art aims to help entrepreneurs use AI not as a standalone tool or hype, but as a structural part of their marketing, communication, and daily operations.

“Many entrepreneurs are experimenting with AI today, but often without a framework. They use tools, but don't build a system. With the AI Implementation programme, we want to help entrepreneurs strategically integrate AI: into their content process, customer communication, internal operations, and growth structure.”

This further develops WBA Academy as a strategic hub where marketing, entrepreneurship, technology, and implementation converge.

Ultimately, it's not about more visibility, more tools, or more networks. It's about impact. Strong entrepreneurs don't build a brand on random actions, but on a foundation that enables growth – both locally and internationally.

Over Web Brand Art

Web Brand Art is a strategic and creative marketing agency in Antwerp that helps entrepreneurs and organisations grow with strategy, branding, content and digital visibility. The agency doesn't start from individual campaigns or channels, but from a clear foundation: positioning, brand story and a marketing approach that is executable in practice.

With WBA Academy, Web Brand Art is also building a strategic growth arm, guiding entrepreneurs through programmes, workshops and courses on marketing, entrepreneurship, personal positioning, AI implementation and international connections.

More info:
www.webbrandart.be
www.webbrandart.be/empower-connect-women-only-editie/