When then-32-year-old Emily Zoog first walked into a Plano Chamber of Commerce Women’s Division luncheon in 2013, she didn’t know a single person in the room. She came armed with a handful of business cards, unprepared to “elevator pitch.”
“I didn’t even know how to network,” Zoog says. “I was just excited about how many business cards I could collect.”
Over the past 12 years, Zoog has gone from a nervous newcomer to director of the Women’s Division.
In 2014, Zoog joined the Women’s Division board as treasurer, using her banking background to work with the Chamber’s finance committee.
“Even in banking, I had never worked with financial statements,” she says. “Suddenly I was in a room with these incredible leaders, thinking, ‘How did little Emily get here?’”
She soaked up every lesson she could — from how to run a meeting, to how to handle tough conversations, to how to carry herself with professionalism and confidence.
“Some of these women mentored me from afar without even knowing it,” she says.
The Women’s Division has been a Plano Chamber of Commerce mainstay for more than five decades, historically centered around monthly speaker luncheons that drew in more than 200 attendees.
After the pandemic led to declining numbers, Zoog decided it was time to shake up the norm.
“We wanted to make networking comfortable for newer, younger members who might be nervous walking into a big room,” she says.
Last year, the division launched “Ladies Lunch Out,” a small group-based lunch hosted at several restaurants in the city every quarter, mixing members and non-members alike.
“It forces people out of their comfort zone, but in a smaller, more intimate setting,” she says. “We’ve never had to use our backup conversation prompts — the talk just flows.”
Topics range from personal branding to work-life balance, and the events regularly fill to capacity without any formal marketing.
Zoog also served as president last year when the division hosted its first Women’s Division Summit, a half-day event featuring keynote speakers, a panel and a live podcast recording. Hosted at the Hope Center, it drew 110 attendees in its inaugural year. This year, the summit will take place on Oct. 9, and Zoog is hoping to draw in even more attendees.
“Our theme last year was about building confidence,” she says. “This year, it’s ‘No Apologies’ — we’re not just building confidence anymore. We are confident.”
The summit reflects a shift Zoog has seen in women’s professional lives.
“I’m seeing more women leave corporate roles after decades to start their own businesses,” she says. “They’re not waiting for permission — they’re creating the opportunities themselves.”
Throughout these changes, Zoog says one thing has stayed the same: the Women’s Division’s culture of support.
“You always hear that women at the top will step on others to stay there,” she says. “Yes, that happens, but 95% of the women I’ve met want to lift each other up and see each other succeed.”
She still remembers the first person she met at her first luncheon — fellow banker Joan Calhoun — who introduced her around and made sure she didn’t feel lost.
“Now I see our members do the same for new faces,” Zoog says. “Circles open up, conversations shift to include them. It’s phenomenal to watch.”
While the Women’s Division is a warm entry point, Zoog encourages all professionals to see the bigger picture of what the Plano Chamber offers: advocacy, education, sponsorship opportunities and connections that can open unexpected doors.
“If you’re a business owner or the face of your company, the Chamber is a great start,” she says. “It has absolutely pushed me out of my comfort zone and into rooms I never thought I’d be in — with the mayor, city leaders and so many inspiring women.”
And for Zoog, that first step into the luncheon room in 2013 was just the beginning.
