Lift & Be Lifted
Happy Friday!
On Tuesday, we met for our first Lift & Be Lifted monthly meetup for Uplifters paid subscribers. We had women from New York to San Diego to Rochester to Fairbanks, Alaska. Each guest was asked to join with an intro that shared what she’s working on and something she needs support, ideas, accountability, or introductions around. As usual, I saw a little jolt of awkward anxiety pass over a few faces with that second question.
As Uplifters, as women, we’re conditioned to serve and carry and tolerate, while also being told that we shouldn’t have needs or desires or be supported. Of course, that’s a pretty new phenomenon because for most of history, women were doing everything together, sharing the duties based on their strengths, learning from one another how to prepare the animals for the feast, how to soothe a newborn’s cries, how to navigate relationships. And now, we’re over on our little screens typing away alone, feeling like we must be the only ones who don’t understand this or that technology, who get rejected, who feel inadequate or uncertain.
I’m absolutely convinced that the antidote is honest, brave togetherness. So, that’s what we’re practicing over in this corner of the internet. It feels really, really good because not only do we remember that we are not the only ones who need help, but we remember how valuable our gifts and resources are to others.
I have spent this week in a flurry of emails with the subject line: INTRO, connecting this woman to that woman, with their exceptionally generous and thoughtful offers of support. And we aren’t done. I’m sharing the asks with you in hopes that you’ll do a little jog through your mental Rolodex to see if you can think of ways to support these Uplifters. If you have an idea, an introduction, or an offer for anyone on this list, reply here or send me a message, and I’ll connect you.
Here are the asks that were shared:
- A small business owner curating handmade jewelry, accessories, and clothing from women- and minority-owned makers, looking for introductions to boutiques, pop-up markets, or other spaces
- A longtime leadership coach and competitive bodybuilder (at 72!), building a new fitness coaching practice, looking for 5 people to join a discounted 2-month coaching package in exchange for testimonials.
- A job seeker with a background in DEI, ESG, and chief of staff roles, looking for introductions into mission-driven organizations, nonprofits, or corporate impact teams.
- A writer looking for introductions to literary agents who represent middle-grade children’s novels.
- A chief of staff in local government, with a background across nonprofit, law, and mediation, in the middle of a career transition, looking for introductions, leads, or ideas.
- A sex and intimacy coach looking to talk to people who are interested in the topic but wouldn’t pay for coaching around it, about the gap between wanting support and being willing to invest in it.
- An entrepreneur building a family communication and financial planning app, looking for honest feedback on the concept.
- A relationship and resilience coach looking for speaking opportunities, like a TED-style talk on resilience or relationships.
- A mom figuring out her next chapter, with a big dream of opening a bed and breakfast, looking for creative funding ideas.
- A new entrepreneur launching a hair accessory line on Amazon, looking for testers willing to leave honest reviews.
Can’t wait to see you all at the next one!
Click here to join our next co-working cocoon
Every Friday from 10-12 ET, on Zoom. Here’s our flow:
10:00 - Connect and share
10:15 - Three deep breaths, then dive into solo work
11:00 - One-song dance party to shake things loose
11:03 - Second solo work session
11:59 - Close and pat ourselves on the back
🎵 This week's dance party.
Thanks, truly, for reading and being on this ride with me,
Aransas