Women Who Thrive: Who Are They and Why Now?
We live in a time where now more than ever, it’s important for women to speak up for what they believe and what they stand for. It’s important for the voices of women to be heard by those around them, as women are powerful, they are influencers, they are strong and they deserve to be recognized as such. When women come together, greatness ensues and that’s what Women Who Thrive aims to encapsulate.
Women Who Thrive Brunch was a networking event put together by little Lola and tots and the C3 Method, two businesses led by women. The goal of the event was to provide a safe space where women from all different ethnicities, backgrounds and career orientations could come together and not only network but empower each other. The brunch style networking event was held on February 3rd, in Baron’s in Bedford-Stuyvesant Brooklyn, another woman owned business.
little Lola and tots is also located in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. It is owned by two sisters, Natalie and Jessenia Rios, whom came together to create a playspace for kids in their community. Not only do they provide enrichment classes for toddlers, but they also provide various services for women including health and wellness classes, postpartum informational sessions and workshops focusing on the health of not only the mom but of the woman. The other collaborator of the event was the C3 method, a business started by Alexandra Macias and Michael Blunt after both of them struggled with their health while working in the corporate world. Realizing that their health was being impacted by their work, they started the C3 method: a three-step process that promotes making a choice, taking a chance, and experiencing a change. They use a holistic approach and apply their methods to not only people in the workplace but students in schools as well
Alexandra, Jessenia and Natalie have always been passionate about networking and advancement through the power of women. However, they found themselves attending many networking events and leaving quite disappointed. The events were largely lacking in diversity in all regards including industries, backgrounds and ethnicities. The networking also felt forced for the most part. Therefore, the idea of the brunch came together through a support/networking group series the three women started called Women Who Thrive, where once a month women will come to the business location to mingle and discuss career related situations particular to women. The goal was to become part of a community of strong business-minded women who uplift each other. Each themed meeting is filled with women sharing their stories, socializing, networking and laughing with one another.
little Lola and tots and C3 Method then decided what if we as women also came together with a cause. It was then that the idea of the brunch came to mind. Often times at networking events, making connections feels forced and insincere and nothing really comes out of it, Jessenia mentioned during the event. Natalie, Jessenia, and Alexandra figured they would come together and create an environment where women would not only feel a sense of giving back but also feel comfortable enough to create long lasting connections with one another. To say the least, that is exactly what happened.
To follow suit with the Time’s Up Movement, all the women who attended were to wear black. The brunch started off with a guided meditation led by Courtney Clifford, an NYU certified leadership coach and creator of SOULutions, a program specialized in corporate leadership training. After that, Jessenia led everyone in a fun game where the task was to see who could collect the most business cards by the end of the evening; the winner of the game would win a a Pilates reformer class. The networking continued and there were different raffles one could enter to win: a free month of yoga with the C3 method, tickets to Party Face, an off-broadway play, an Ipsy bag, and a Kalidou yoga workshop hosted by Courtney Clifford. Even without winning something from the raffle, everyone left the event with a gift bag at the end. The money from the raffle sales all went to the organization GEMs, who empower young women who have been victims of sex trafficking.
Aside from all those wonderful things, the event also had two keynote speakers: Courtney who gave a talk on “How to Become the Director of Your Own Life” and Natalie who spoke about “What a Women who Thrives Means To Me”. Courtney was inspirational as she spoke about leaving the corporate world to find her own happiness and work on her health and wellness. She now helps other people do the same in order to be able to take control of their own lives. Natalie also gave a moving speech about the monumental changes in her life that have occurred recently; and although seemingly lousy things have happened, she goes to explain how her life has changed not only for the better but how everything has led her to where she is now – a successful momprenuer in charge of her own life and her own happiness.
While it may not be easy to share your story, Women Who Thrive provided a platform and a space to do so. Women Who Thrive provided a place where women of the health and wellness field could unite, women in the marketing industry could connect, women in the media industry could speak, women in the arts could team up, and where all women could come together and empower one another.
All the women at the event shared their personal journeys that led them to where they are and where they want to be. It was amazing to be able to listen to different stories of women who come from different backgrounds, who studied different things, and are all on different paths. Networking provides an opportunity to expand your knowledge, to learn about different fields and even learn about different people and that’s exactly what this event succeeded at. Despite the differences in everyone, one similarity was to be celebrated and that was that everyone present was a thriving woman, ready for more.
