At the heart of Iron Forums is the philosophy “Connect >> Sharpen >> Grow,” a framework that serves as both the organization’s mission and guiding ethos. Founded in 2003, Iron Forums was created to bring Christian business leaders together in authentic, confidential peer groups where they can build meaningful relationships, challenge one another to grow, and strengthen their faith, families, and businesses. What began as a forum primarily serving men has continued to evolve, and just three years ago the organization launched its Women’s Forum, creating a dedicated space for female business owners and executives to experience the same community, accountability, and leadership development that have defined Iron Forums for more than two decades.
In a business world often defined by competition, performance metrics, and transactional networking, Racquel Jenkins is creating something different. Through her leadership with Iron Forums for Women, she is helping Christian women entrepreneurs and leaders across Georgia find authentic connection, spiritual encouragement, practical business wisdom, and a trusted community where they can grow together.
What began as a single visit to an Iron Forums meeting in early 2025 has quickly evolved into a mission that has already led to the launch of two thriving forums in the metro Atlanta area. Today, Jenkins leads forums in Northwest Atlanta and Canton, bringing together women who are committed to the organization’s guiding principles: Connect. Sharpen. Grow.
Her story is one of faith, obedience, leadership, and a deep belief that no entrepreneur should have to navigate life’s challenges alone.
From Corporate Success to Kingdom Purpose
Before becoming involved with Iron Forums, Jenkins spent years building a successful career in sales, recruiting, and nonprofit leadership. Like many accomplished professionals, she found herself pursuing goals, climbing corporate ladders, and working tirelessly to achieve success.
Yet by the end of 2024, she sensed a growing desire for something different.
“I had really reached a point of being done with the corporate rat race,” Jenkins explained. “I’ve always been entrepreneurial. I’ve started several businesses in the past, and I’ve always had a passion for entrepreneurs and business owners.”
That passion stems from her admiration for the courage entrepreneurs display every day.
“I love what they do. I love the risks they take. I love the opportunities they provide for other people. I love the hustle behind it.”
But beyond business, Jenkins’ life has always been grounded in faith. A Christian since childhood, she describes her relationship with Jesus Christ as the most important and stable part of her life.
“It truly is the most solid, most steady, most precious relationship in my entire life,” she said. “I love my family, but I cannot live without the Lord.”
That foundation would soon shape an entirely new chapter.
A Transformative First Experience
Jenkins was introduced to Iron Forums through a close friend from church who invited her to attend a meeting.
Initially, she viewed it simply as another business organization for Christian women. What she discovered was something far more impactful.
Within the first 20 to 30 minutes, she knew she was experiencing something different.
“I had never seen people share on this level,” she recalled. “I had never seen the transparency, the authenticity, the openness. The masks were off.”
Like many professionals, Jenkins was familiar with traditional networking groups, chambers of commerce, and referral organizations. While she appreciated their value, Iron Forums offered something deeper.
Instead of superficial business conversations, women openly discussed their struggles, victories, faith journeys, marriages, families, and leadership challenges.
The experience had an immediate impact.
“I remember looking around the room and saying, ‘This needs to be everywhere.'”
At the time, she simply viewed it as an observation.
Looking back, she believes it was the beginning of God’s vision for her future leadership.
Answering the Call to Lead
After that initial meeting, Jenkins could not shake the feeling that she had discovered something significant.
She prayed extensively about what she was sensing and sought God’s direction before taking any action.
“I didn’t want this to be a Racquel thing,” she explained. “I didn’t want to send myself out on an assignment. I wanted God to clearly show me each step.”
As she prayed, conversations with Iron Forums Founder Gary Smith and other leaders began to confirm what she felt God was placing on her heart.
Each conversation built on the previous one.
Doors continued opening.
Opportunities emerged.
Confirmations followed.
Eventually, the vision became clear.
Jenkins would launch a new Iron Forums chapter serving women in Cobb County and Northwest Atlanta.
The process required finding a venue, identifying prospective members, organizing meetings, and establishing a foundation for sustainable growth.
In August 2025, the Northwest Atlanta Forum officially launched at Indian Hills Country Club in Marietta.
The response was overwhelming.
Women consistently shared similar reactions.
“They would say, ‘I never knew I needed this,'” Jenkins recalled.
The new forum quickly gained momentum, growing largely through personal invitations and trusted relationships.
Expansion Into Canton
Just a few months after the Northwest Atlanta launch, Jenkins began sensing another opportunity.
This time, her attention shifted northward toward the Canton area and the Interstate 575 corridor.
Initially, she questioned the timing.
The first forum was still relatively new.
Why launch a second?
But again, she felt God confirming the direction.
As plans took shape, a second forum was established at Fairways of Canton Golf Club.
Today, both locations continue growing organically through what Iron Forums calls the “Andrew Principle,” inspired by Andrew inviting his brother Peter to meet Jesus.
Rather than relying heavily on marketing campaigns, the organization emphasizes personal invitations and authentic relationships.
The strategy is proving effective.
Women continue discovering the forums through trusted friends, colleagues, and fellow business leaders who have experienced the community firsthand.
The Challenge of Entrepreneurial Isolation
One reason Iron Forums resonates so deeply with women is that it addresses a challenge many entrepreneurs rarely discuss openly: loneliness.
For Jenkins, this challenge is familiar.
As both an entrepreneur and a woman of faith, she understands how leadership responsibilities can become isolating.
“Many times, leaders and entrepreneurs feel extremely lonely,” she said. “Owning your own business is amazing, but it’s risky and can feel very isolating.”
Christian women often face an additional layer of isolation when trying to integrate faith and business.
Many professional circles do not openly discuss spiritual matters, leaving women feeling disconnected from others who share their values.
Iron Forums provides a place where faith and business are not separate conversations.
Instead, they are viewed as interconnected parts of a leader’s life.
That distinction has become one of the organization’s greatest strengths.
Real Transformation Happens Here
Perhaps the most compelling aspect of Jenkins’ leadership is the transformation she witnesses among members.
She has watched women grow stronger professionally, spiritually, and personally.
Some have expanded businesses.
Others have strengthened marriages.
Many have developed greater confidence as leaders.
One member particularly stands out.
After just three months in the forum, Jenkins observed remarkable growth in her life and faith.
“She’s almost like a different person,” Jenkins said. “To see her confidently praying out loud and leading with authority after just a few months has been incredible.”
The changes extend beyond spiritual growth.
Members often gain practical business insights through monthly leadership content, peer feedback, and accountability structures designed to encourage action.
Women leave meetings equipped with strategies they can immediately implement inside their businesses and organizations.
Just as importantly, they leave knowing they are supported.
What Makes Iron Forums Different?
According to Jenkins, several key elements distinguish Iron Forums from traditional networking organizations.
The first is the emphasis on redemptive relationships.
Over time, members develop genuine trust and authentic friendships.
Instead of exchanging business cards and elevator pitches, women share real struggles and receive meaningful encouragement.
The second differentiator is the organization’s advisor model.
Experienced advisors, often retired or nearing retirement, participate alongside members.
These women bring decades of wisdom, professional experience, and spiritual maturity.
Rather than focusing on themselves, advisors primarily serve the next generation of leaders.
Jenkins’ forums currently benefit from advisors such as Barbara Williams, an 86-year-old entrepreneur, teacher, and mentor, and Cynthia Lyles, an accomplished coach and author.
These women provide valuable perspective while investing deeply in members’ lives.
“They have so much to offer and so much wisdom to sow into the next generation,” Jenkins said.
A Day Inside Iron Forums
Meetings occur monthly from 8:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. and include breakfast, lunch, business discussions, leadership training, fellowship, and prayer.
The day begins with community updates, announcements, member celebrations, and introductions.
Participants then engage with professionally curated business content designed to address leadership and organizational growth.
The afternoon centers around one of the forum’s most powerful experiences: the Snapshot.
During Snapshot sessions, women evaluate various areas of life, including:
- Faith
- Marriage
- Family
- Personal growth
- Business performance
- Leadership effectiveness
Each member receives dedicated time to share openly while fellow members listen, offer insights, and pray specifically for her needs.
“There really aren’t many places where someone can unpack their entire life like that,” Jenkins explained.
The process creates a rare combination of accountability, encouragement, wisdom, and spiritual support.
Leading Through Faith
When asked how women can successfully balance faith, family, business, and leadership responsibilities, Jenkins points to one foundational principle: prioritizing time with God.
For her, everything flows from that relationship.
“If I don’t have my personal time with the Lord, I’m off,” she said.
Jenkins believes success begins with maintaining spiritual alignment before pursuing professional achievement.
Rather than looking first to external circumstances or opportunities, she encourages women to seek God’s guidance daily.
“It’s having a right relationship vertically with Him,” she explained. “That’s where I get my direction.”
From that foundation, stronger families, healthier leadership, and wiser business decisions become possible.
She also emphasizes the importance of community.
No leader, she says, was designed to succeed alone.
Surrounding oneself with faithful, supportive women creates resilience during difficult seasons and encouragement during times of growth.
Building a Lasting Legacy
As Iron Forums continues expanding across Georgia, Jenkins remains focused on the mission that first captured her heart.
She wants women entrepreneurs and leaders to know they do not have to carry their responsibilities alone.
Whether they are launching companies, leading nonprofits, managing teams, raising families, or navigating personal challenges, there is a community ready to walk beside them.
Her vision remains remarkably similar to the one she received during that first meeting.
“This needs to be everywhere.”
Today, through her leadership in Northwest Atlanta and Canton, that vision is becoming reality.
By creating spaces where women can connect authentically, sharpen one another through wisdom and accountability, and grow in faith and leadership, Racquel Jenkins is helping transform not only businesses, but lives.
And for the countless women who have found encouragement, purpose, and belonging through Iron Forums, that transformation is only beginning.
Meeting Locations and Schedule
Jenkins currently leads two Iron Forums for Women locations in North Georgia. The Northwest Atlanta Forum meets at Indian Hills Country Club in Marietta on the second Tuesday of each month, while the Canton Forum meets at Fairways of Canton Golf Club on the third Thursday of each month. Both forums run from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., providing members with a full day of business development, personal growth, fellowship, and meaningful connection. The experience includes breakfast and lunch, leadership-focused business content, small group discussions, peer advisory sessions, prayer, and the organization’s signature “Snapshot” process, where members receive dedicated time to share openly about their personal, professional, and spiritual lives.
Visit an Iron Forum
Women business owners, entrepreneurs, executives, and organizational leaders interested in learning more about Iron Forums are invited to visit one of Racquel Jenkins’ Georgia locations:
Northwest Atlanta Forum
📍 Indian Hills Country Club, Marietta, GA
📅 Second Tuesday of each month
⏰ 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Canton Forum
📍 Fairways of Canton Golf Club, Canton, GA
📅 Third Thursday of each month
⏰ 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Built on the motto “Connect. Sharpen. Grow.”, Iron Forums offers Christian women leaders a unique opportunity to strengthen their faith, sharpen their leadership skills, and build authentic relationships with other purpose-driven women in business and leadership.
Inspired by what you’ve read? Iron Forums continues to expand its reach through chapters across Georgia and beyond, giving Christian business leaders the opportunity to experience the power of authentic relationships, accountability, and growth in both life and business. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, executive, or business owner looking for trusted peers who will encourage and challenge you, there’s likely a Forum near you. Visit IronForums.org to explore locations, attend as a guest, and find an Iron Forums chapter where you can begin your own journey to Connect >> Sharpen >> Grow.
