11.12.23: Board Meeting: Conf, Vision statement

Attendance: Heather Frierson, Crystal Breaux, Hannah Breaux, Kendra Stanton, Tammey Stokley, Sophie Martinez

Absent: Penny Lanier

Transcript

Okay, so we're going to go ahead and start the recording.

Sorry, did that. So sneaky. So, um, anyway, it was amazing. I, um, I got to meet some incredible women and really was, uh, in awe that there was, um, you know, a gathering that, um, really was, uh, women that just was chasing after, uh, the Lord and had a mission and a purpose and, uh, was, um, you know, seeking it. And, um, and wanting to build community.

And so, um, anyway, I, um, that really everything aligned with, uh, what I wanted to do. I just come off staff at Celebration Church, um, uh, for eight years. And, uh, had a lot of experience, um, and, um, loved ministry, but was navigating how I was going to continue to have that impact. Um, you know, being in, uh, with a platform of being back on the marketplace.

And, um, and so it really, um, I felt like I found my tribe. So that was very exciting. Um, and then just a little bit about my, um, my most current experience. Obviously I was, uh, you'll probably know I was a part of, um, created woman, uh, as far as the gather her events and, uh, definitely in my wheelhouse, uh, just from my experience, especially, uh, at Celebration Church of being the church event coordinator along with, um.

Director of operations for four years and then prior to that director of communications. Um, and so, also currently I sit on a couple of other boards. Um, I sit on the DGA, Downtown Georgetown Association, uh, board, which is, um, a not for profit that is focused on building, uh, community and businesses, um, in, um, uh, downtown, uh, Georgetown and with other businesses.

And... Uh, also the Williamson County Museum that's located there, uh, in Georgetown and then also a tech company, uh, swivel app. So, excited to be a part of, of this board and, um, Let's see, married. My husband, I've been married for 12 years. Um, I am great grandmother to three, uh, amazing. Wow. Yes, I love them.

It's my most favorite thing to do in the whole wide world. So, um, uh, grown daughter, granddaughter, and, uh, born and raised, uh, in Texas. So I'm a Texas native. I think when I, when I, I know all of that is, it always amazes me when you say great grandmother. But one of the other things that amazes me that I tell people all the time, I'm like, she built a phone company, like she founded a phone company.

And even when I say that out loud, like I've heard the whole story, but it still amazes me because you just talk about it like, well we just had to figure out the wiring and then it was fine. Ha ha ha. So I have started and sold two other businesses as well. So, um, so I do. I don't think I knew that you started the phone company for some reason.

I don't think I, I don't think I knew that story. Yeah, it was like my first thing right out of college. So I was a big, but it is wild because. Nobody, that's just wild to me. Anyway, uh, so anybody want to say anything? Hello to Tammy and y'all. I think you all know her, right? I mean, Crystal, have you, you've met her too.

Yeah. At the conference, I believe. Okay. Yeah. So we're just excited to have you in the mix. And then Kendra's here. We all decided, of course, and we've talked about it before that, you know, it's hard to have the middle conversation and then back and forth just to have our part. And especially tonight as we're talking about giving Tuesday, um, because there's gonna be a lot of execution on that on Kendra's part.

So, you're still muted, by the way, or y'all, yeah, you don't have to mute yourself. All right. So, uh, Penny couldn't be here. And so I did just kind of want to give an update since Tammy's here on, uh, D. I have not approached D. We did talk about asking D to join the board. I have not approached her because she was literally in the middle of, um, what, how do I say it, Hannah, job, not a job transition, a company takeover.

Yeah, an acquisition. Yeah, an acquisition. She has been very stressed out about it. It looks like it's settling down. They did offer her a job, but she didn't know what was happening. She was interviewing. For different companies and so the past couple of weeks have been really stressful for her did not feel like the approach to ask her was the best when she was trying to figure out life so we can come back to that.

So, anyway, I know the email went out late today. Did y'all all get the email? Yes. I didn't copy you, Kendra. I, you might have, but I literally just walked in the door. I don't think I did. Okay. Yeah. I mean, I, I walked in the door right now. So it's my 1st chance to kind of sit down. Well, I sent out the recap of the meeting last week or last month.

So, and I had put the agenda on there anyway about, like, strategy and then giving Tuesday. And so all I did today was move up giving Tuesday since we're 2 weeks. Away and Kendra and I have already talked about it. And kind of a game plan, um, but I really wanted to get all of that on us. Talk about it, because 1 of the main things with giving Tuesday is the conference.

And we haven't set a date, and I thought before we even get into talking about what we're doing, because around giving Tuesday, we're going to focus on the conference. I think we already talked about that. I know Kendra and I have that. That's our main. Instead of. You know, Hey, give, I don't know what even, I can't remember what we did last year.

Do you remember what we did last year?

Thanks. Just trying to unmute anyway, find that unmute button. Um, we did, uh, we, we had people donate and they could get like the faith and fashion box, um, as part of, as part of like giving really, that's what you're talking about, like incentive. Yeah.

For some reason, I don't remember the big campaign two years ago with the chairs and the DLC. I don't remember last year very well at all. Do y'all remember? I don't remember. . Um, you know what? Last year was definitely not as big as the year before because I think just covid, you know, the year before it was like a, during Covid and so in 2021.

Mm-Hmm. , that was the DLC when we, and plus the campaign was like, the campaign was more around being excited. Can you hear me? Yep. Mm-Hmm. . Okay. Being excited about, um, uh, the, uh, DLC. Yeah. Yeah. I really cannot even remember last year. Anyway, let's, let's talk about, I think, um, just giving. And so what about giving Tuesday, which is what date?

November 28th. Yeah. Yeah. We're two weeks out. And so we don't have to spend much time on this because I know it's a lot of, um, Details that are marketing that we can work out, but I do feel like that 1 of the main important things is as we're focusing around the conference is as for to pick a date. Of the conference, and really kind of highlight of.

You know, what are what we want to do and how that's going to center around giving to say any. Should we look at calendar or what are y'all thinking? Yeah, when was it last or this year? It was in April and the good news is, is that Easter is in March because we did have to compete with that last year and um, we don't have to.

I, I think it was the last weekend. I felt like it was late.

Hey Heather, did you send that uh, email to me? I did, I did.

You felt like it was late in the year Heather or in the month? In the month, but I could be wrong. I'm trying to look it up right now. It was. It was the 22nd last year. April 22nd

May maybe that was just me.

That is when it, that is when it was, because I remember celebrating Hannah's birthday while I was there celebrating here in Austin. Oh yeah, they were here. That's right. Well, and then, and this year, the 27th, her birthday, well, they're both, the 20th is on Saturday and the 27th is on a Saturday. How do y'all feel about having it on Saturday morning like we did?

I can't remember. After we recapped, if that was something that we talked about. I think it was great. I don't think there was any issue with it being on a Saturday morning, which is a weekday. Yeah. What did, what did the rest of y'all think? So it was from 9 to 3. 30, 3. 15. Yeah. The website says, um, and are you thinking doing a full day, like the same structure?

Have you had time to put any thought around that? Yeah, I feel like it was early. Okay. That's just me. But I don't like I'm too late. I don't know. I'm very flexible at Kendra and I went to a brunch this morning that was kind of a ministry event. We used to do style speaks on Sundays, like later. They were like, they started at 3D.

I remember that. We did style speaks and it always started at 2, 2 to 3ish, to like 6.

I think you have, you have more people's time that way, right? So which way, Saturday or Sunday, Sunday afternoons, I think you're more likely to have people's time in the afternoon and evening than Saturday mornings. You're competing with parties and showers and sports and, you know, errands and all of the things.

Um, and also for people that are traveling. And I'm biased to, you know, the network of people that I brought, but they came, like Dominique came from San Antonio, so she left at like 6. 30, Crystal travels in, and if we're trying to grow outside of Austin, I think we need to be considerate of that early morning, like you're saying, for people that are traveling that may not have the time or the budget to stay overnight.

And I'm trying to get people who travel Sunday afternoon that leads them no time to travel back. Yeah, that's true. I didn't have people come in from Houston even for people that go to church. Honestly, I would not be super pumped about that Sunday. Yeah, I mean, just. Yeah, because it works like a total work day, like right now, um, but Saturdays, like, I hear what you're saying about what you're saying, like sports and everything, Hannah, because my kids are also in sports and stuff.

Um, but I also think that if it's something that some people want to go to, they're going to schedule their lives around making it happen. I mean, most. Most people do that when they go to a conference, they, they have to make a sacrifice to go. Do you think, um, do you think it was too early though? Like it could, we could do like the Saturday afternoon to evening instead of Saturday morning.

I mean, I think it's the structure. Like do you want to do another full day conference or do you want to do a half day? I, the feedback that we got, we've talked about this in a few, in a, after the conference, um, they loved Mastermind. Mentor, not mastermind, speed mentorship. That was one of the biggest things that everybody talked about that was a big impact and they wish they had more time.

And so, and just again, our team on that stage was amazing. And I don't, like we were talking about this week, I think with one of the girls, me and Kendra were one of the girls from DCX house because they had Suzanne, Suzanne too at their conference. And we brought in like maybe two people now it did give us clout.

I felt like having a name like that gave us recognition. And

so to answer your question a little bit, I feel like we don't need as much as we did. We can have more speed mentorship and not like this is on a CV section. So what are your thoughts? Tammy, you're all involved in planning the conference. Yeah, I, I absolutely agree. I think, um, I think, you know, the different, um, breakouts that we had as well as everything that was on stage.

I mean, really, really, uh, had the, the most impact and was the thing that, that was part of the conversation that people were talking about thereafter. I think just because they can really relate. And I think also because, um, you know, they Um, knew the personalities and knew, um, you know, the, the women that were involved as well.

And I think that makes that connection.

Yeah. I mean, I'm, I'm fine either way.

It went by so fast to me. It went by so fast. I was like, that was when you said, what was it? You had a full day. I was like, this, that didn't, that actually shocked me because I thought it was kind of like a part day, but I think it was just because it flew by so fast. Well, we got there early, so it was a full day for those that, that, because we got there like it's eight o'clock.

How many hours did it take you to like five, huh? How many hours was it total for people that are just regular people? The doors opened at 9. 30 and it ended at three and there was a lunch in between. So six hours. Yeah, the schedule says that check in started at 9, affles were at 3. 15, and then a happy hour was at 3.

30. Yeah, and it stayed on schedule. We stayed on schedule. Yeah, when did we start seeing people trickle off? So people left early, what time did we start seeing that? That would be a good indicator to know like. I would say lunch, 1230, like that, that's like the window if you're going to leave, you're going to leave at lunch.

But did we have a lot of people leave? I don't feel like we actually did. I don't think we had a lot of people that left at lunch either, because right after lunch there was, was it Sazan? No, she was before, but we had, uh, our, the, me, Crystal, you, and Penny, and Kenzie were on the closing panel. And I felt like it was a full room.

Did you feel like that, Crystal? I did. I thought there were people there. Yeah. Yeah. I felt like it was like the last hour that people were like, I'm going to leave. Yeah. Yeah. Well, what do you, I mean, I, I'm, I'm fine either way. I, what I didn't, here's what I didn't like. I didn't, I felt really rushed that morning to get there and to have to be on, but I guess,

but that's just me. Y'all don't feel that way? I mean, I probably wasn't there as early as you, Heather. Well, I think we could, we have an opportunity to cater more towards that early morning crowd. Like we, we had things for purchase, but like if we, you know, invest more in like the hospitality of that early morning, then I think it'll be more enjoyable.

Like if we're serving coffee or if we have like a continental style. Breakfast or something, then people can come in and you won't feel rushed. Like you can grab your coffee and sit down. Yeah. And you don't feel like you have to come in and then try to figure out what's the coffee situation? There's no coffee.

Okay, let me power through. You know, I think if we Mm-Hmm, , we can make that time a little more warm, um, to where it puts people at ease if we offer those things and communicate that in advance. That's true. Cause there was coffee, but I don't think it was communicated where to get it right. There was free coffee that people didn't buy it in the cafe and then there was a line and so things were starting and people were waiting.

And so I think what you're just logistical things, easy fixes, right? Those are easy things that we can tweak to just make it a little more relaxing and warm.

Okay. So we stay in with a morning to afternoon, but maybe start at 10, I don't think 10 is a bad time to start. Okay. Great. But, Heather, how do you feel about having so if we start at 10, how do you feel? So, and I'm just laying out all the options, right? I'm not saying one's better than the other. So if we start at nine and we end at one, we could end with a lunch.

If we start at 10 and we end at two or three, we'll have to break for lunch. Yeah. What if you did like, kind of like what Nisi did, which was like a brunch, you know, and, and it kind of be like when people roll up, you know, and then you have, I mean, I, I honestly felt like what, hold on. Yes. Okay. Um, sorry, you're going to what Nisi did today, which was when you got there, you ate, it was a brunch.

Yeah, that's a good idea. And then people were excited. They were mingling. I'm going to move to the office. Sorry. I think my husband was in there before. So I was in there before you were. I do like that. And they're eating brunch during the first message. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. They, they eat while you're, while you have like your first, um, Person there and then people aren't like waiting hungry.

Yeah, you know, they're they're kind of just, you know getting fed And then you can have like your, your immediate speaker and then you do your, your like masterminds and stuff after that so that people stay because that's the exciting spot is the mastermindership and do it. Yeah. And then come out back for, for breakout.

I do like that. I like that a lot. And I like it because what we saw, we saw this all year. And we saw it there for sure. Um, is that every, the women that were there are entrepreneurs. That's for sure. Yeah. Well, if we, and we don't have to get into logistical planning right now, but I don't want to lose the momentum with the ideas that everybody's having, um, is have a, uh, a option to, or a place, if you will, where they can network without using that word.

Yeah, um, well, I don't think it's bad to use the word network. I mean, people know what people in the business world know what the word network means. Yeah, I just always think of here's my business card when I think of networking. I hate that. I mean, that is part of networking. I mean, it's not personal.

It's what it is. It's not what? It's not so personal, but it is what it is. I mean, that's what networking is.

You could call it connecting. Yeah, I like that better. Yeah, the other thing just to throw out there was with the, uh, the speed mentors, I think that we need to have people sign up for the speed mentors before, because that was kind of a little crazy last time. And some of the mentors, I didn't have someone sitting with them.

So it was a little awkward. Yeah, I heard the feedback picture didn't match the person. Right. Like it was hard to find them or. Yeah, and we didn't have name tags either. So that was a big fail. We didn't have name tags on their on their person or on the desk. So that was a real big because if they're maybe the badges should have like their picture that they put on the site.

Yeah. So that it's like If the face doesn't match the picture, at least the picture matches the picture matches the picture. Okay.

Not a bad idea.

Okay. What about date? I think we need to look at date. I think Crystal, you have the biggest April because of the kids. And I know it's different now because they're older, but does anybody else have a big April Things that go on in April that are conflicts that we can I'm looking at doing a women's conference and We were talking about April So I need to kind of get with Ezra.

It was like for April. Um, we have pretty limited time as well. And when we can do events. So I need to, I need to look at when Easter is and all those kinds of this year. I know, but I can't like have a big event right, right next to Easter. It's just way too much on my plate. What about anybody else? No, I'm right now I'm pretty open and I, I mean, Easter is just.

It's the 31st, right? So it is pretty much April. Like the next day is April 1st. So let's have it April 6th. Yeah, right? So let's have it the next day.

That's funny.

I see a full, I mean a open calendar. Yeah, I'll probably land on that. Um, I'll try to land on that like this week, Heather, so that you can not can get that, um, schedule. Well, we, we can't, um, because we have to plan around giving Tuesday. That's we have to have the date for giving Tuesday. Oh, yeah. Yeah. So that was a big part of it to say for giving Tuesday.

So here are the things about giving Tuesday. Uh, we wanted to

center it around the conference. So one, it's a, almost like a pre sell type thing. But I, I have been feeling like if we're talking about women entrepreneurs, then who's giving to that, who's giving to an organization for women entrepreneurs. And I, maybe Tammy and I have talked about this way back before.

Or some somebody it's it's women owned businesses. Yeah, that's true being at the end of the year businesses are trying to Get rid of whatever they have to get rid of for their tax write off. Am I not right? Am I right about that? So we talked about businesses that build before of how if you're really building Women entrepreneurs and who wants to build those more than anybody else?

It's a different It's a different pool. It's not your regular donor possibly. It's, and it's not even the church tither. It can be, but what if we centered giving Tuesday around that this conference is about building women in business, which it is women of faith. That's, you know, that's our, who's been coming.

That's what we saw in 2022. And that's what we're seeing in membership. That's who's attracted to the things that we're doing. Who's giving to that as far as financially. And that's where, to me, that thought of the women in business came in.

Then I've read anybody say anything at once.

I'm trying to think like, are you saying that the audience that you're trying to message to is women in business to give to women entrepreneurs? Can you clarify that a little bit? Yeah. I mean, I think kind of like who, like if we're saying this is and here, because For years trying to, well, not as much anymore, but I remember when we first started Creative Woman and as a nonprofit, the question was, well, do you help abuse the women?

Do you help? I'm like, no, we help the everyday woman. That's what, you know, I used to say. And now, especially the past two years, we see who's actually attracted and who's gravitated to us. And it is women of faith who are in business. Uh, whether that's leadership in the marketplace or really entrepreneurs.

Um, and that could be someone like Sophie, who's a, who's a realtor. So all kinds of businesses. Um, so, and even with our sponsors last year for the conference, they were women in our community who own businesses. That was Crystal Wilcox, uh, Wilcox Insurance. It was. Sophie was one of our sponsors. It was Dr.

Brittany Hines, who was in our community, who's a chiropractor. Um, so I'm just looking at all the people that over years have said yes to giving. What are their characteristics and how can we spend that to attract more versus on giving Tuesday, you're so many people are asking for donations. You know, so how, who, who are we wanting to reach and how can we talk about that because I feel like it's changed over the past couple of years, I think, I think.

On giving Tuesday, because just with what we've continued to say over the last couple of months, I think the message has to be a one sentence clarity. I think sometimes there's still for people outside online looking in, they're still unsure of what. Because there has been change, so to be really clear on giving Tuesday in 1 sentence, this is what you're giving to.

Like, what is. I agree. And I think that I would, I would recommend that we stay away from the word business because the whole part of giving Tuesday, the core of it is nonprofits, right? So we need to, we need to hone in that we're a nonprofit and that we're not. Building other businesses because we're not going to ask businesses to fund businesses.

That's not, I think that message will have to dance around really delicately and focus on the purpose, on the dream, on, you know, those words that are the core values of created woman and be sensitive to like, this is a nonprofit that we're training and we're equipping and, you know, really use those power words instead of businesses.

Does that make sense? Well, I think that it's kind of a twofold because. It's like, we are We are helping women pursue their purpose and their dreams, right? And part of that is business. I mean, because we, I would feel like for me as a business owner, I feel so passionate about helping other women pursue their businesses really, really well.

And we have an opportunity to help women thrive in their business. And I do think that when women see that they have an opportunity and for us to educate, hey, this isn't about competition, you know, it's about their space for everybody. And if you are in a place where you can help build another woman up, um, through your finances.

And I think that's, um, that's such a cool thing to be able to do. And anyone who starts a business from day one understands that it's hard freaking work to get one foot in front of the next, right? Like it's really, really difficult from ground zero to go to level two, level three, you know, and continue growing in your business and, and be profitable.

Um, And so I think, like, we do have an opportunity to message to women who would be excited about helping other women thrive in, in their, their dreams. But I think, like, to me, the word dream sounds, it can be so elusive, you know, we want to help women achieve their goals. Yeah. Mm hmm.

And really, like, it's wild because... The women that we are getting, the ones that are really invested in creative women are the ones that actually are pursuing their, their businesses. And like, honestly, like that is the women that we get that are the most involved at creative women in conversation and in wanting to like be in the membership and whatever, like they.

They are entrepreneurs,

Sophie, so like you were a sponsor last year, besides the fact that you're on the board and you love creating what was, what's your motive? What was your motivation behind? Like, Hey, I want to do this. Or was it just strictly like, I know what you're about and I support it. Yeah, I might be fine. Yeah, I think I know too much.

I just, yeah, I'm totally behind helping just like what Kendra was saying. The next person just to reach their dreams because I remember being that person that felt incapable of doing something. Yeah, this community literally brought out of me something that was in me for so long. Yeah, and I think, I think of like, do y'all know about the Tori Birch Foundation?

Tammy, do you know about the Tori Birch Foundation? No. Tori Birch It's a designer clothing, you know, and, and the reason I know about it is because I got one of her grants a couple of years ago, uh, for the clothing, but she has a nonprofit for women in business and to help them get started. Um, and so that's a nonprofit now we are faith based.

And I think that's so, that's so much, has so much more meat because when we say go into the world, that's usually in the marketplace. And when we say we equip and empower women, it's so that when they have a voice, they point people to Jesus. And it's to have women that have places of business, like even like Tammy, who knows.

That with her boutique, she's meant to do ministry inside her boutique. Um, and so I, I, I feel like the past year it's been that woman and you know, I don't, I think there's a, it's not an either or like, I think we're, we do have to be careful, but I like what Hannah was talking about, like we, cause we've, we've, we're not getting that everyday donor, but I also think like, Hey.

Really successful woman in business who has a lot of money. Give back, give back and help us support these women. We're going to train them for you. Get excited about it too. Like, um, You know, not every woman has the ability, especially when they're really successful to be able to sit down one on one with another woman who's in business and help train her up.

Right. But if they can give and feel like they're contributing, you know, like that might be a real win for them, you know, I wonder if this just popped in my brain and it might be a different strategy, what you do in public and what you do behind closed doors. If you will, we have all those mentors. What if we reached out to those mentors and said, give back or whatever for giving Tuesday?

Yeah, and get them to, you know, come to the conference and

so the audience that you're speaking to right of women that are super successful in business and asking them to kind of pay it forward, so to speak, do you, where do you feel like that audience lives? Do you feel like they all follow you on instant? Like, are they going to be the audience and the outlets that we're pushing this information out?

Are they, are they active on instagram? Do they interact with? Yeah. The messages and the ads and the stories, are they on Facebook? Are they like a CRM and your email is going to be the best bet? Like we want to think through that strategy piece too. Like are those, is the message getting in front of those people or should we be saying something else to the people that are on those outlets?

That's a good question. Yeah. Um, there's a, I mean, we have a list of people that have been donating and whatever, but as far as like history goes. I don't, I wouldn't have, like, the knowledge to decipher who of the giving list, like, is going to fit into that category. But, um, I know that we have a, we have a lot of even, like, successful women in our, in our community too.

So we're kind of speaking to. Our own audience. Yeah. I wonder if there's a LinkedIn plan that we would have, you're going to have to have for that because

there are a lot of women entrepreneurs that are on social media, but if they're like, if I think about like, I, like a two that I named that gay that are, were our sponsors. Wilcox insurance is not on social media. So how do we find people like her? Whereas the chiropractor is, you know what I'm saying? I have went, it seems like

for. I mean, I guess it depends on the level of like success we're trying to go after in women, but to me, that'd be more of like a personal touch kind of thing. I'm not necessarily like an Instagram post or, you know, a Facebook ad. I mean, it's probably going to be. From my experience, the women that you're wanting to reach are going to be in LinkedIn and not on Instagram.

Yeah, I know. Like, In my corporate world, the ones that I know are on Instagram are just for fun, but business stuff is in LinkedIn. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. I'm wondering if we have to start thinking through some strategies on LinkedIn. Yeah. Like there's a lot of corporate women I work with that don't even, they're not even on Facebook or Instagram.

Well, I do think they're hiring us to manage that anyways. Like more of like a personal,

Tammy, what were you going to say? I was just going to say, I mean, LinkedIn reaching women via LinkedIn is a, a build a building it up process. I mean, we have to encourage our current membership, you know, women that come to the conference, even the gather her gals to. You know, follow us on link at LinkedIn and really start building that, uh, and through that, that is going to touch their networks, but that is, that's a very intentional, um, uh, strategy, um, that takes time.

I mean, that could take three to six months, you know, to, to even build that. What, what are our followers right now? Do we know on LinkedIn? Oh, that's, you know, that's exactly what I was going to say. I'm like, so we can't bust on. Oh, Sophie said she'll be right back best on the scene on LinkedIn without building up because we really don't I'll post podcasts sometimes, right?

We hasn't been a strategy. And so I think, um, if that's someone we are going to touch at a high level, um, then we do have to start thinking through those strategies of how to reach, I think. I think it goes back to clarifying what is the message and clarifying who is it that we're trying to reach and clarifying, then who is it that we're trying to get to give.

And clarify that group and clarify that message and stick with it and just drive it.

So are we, um, so we are talking about, I mean, reaching out to who we have now, which is membership, um, you know, uh, attendees to the conference. Um, I think people that have any experience with created woman. Um, are, you know, are going to be fill if they've experienced it right and fill it and had had has been impacted by any way.

Then they're the ones that are. Or, you know, if they have the resources, they're the ones that are going to participate for sure.

But I have a question, and Heather, I can't find the email. So if you don't mind resending it to me, I'm missing the link between giving Tuesday and the conference. So we want to center the idea of that that I wanted that I had was to center the giving Tuesday around the conference. Uh, now we are, I mean, if we're feeling like that's just a hard strategy, that's something that Kendra and I have talked about the last few weeks of doing this.

And so I just wanted to bring it here and say, what are our thoughts? Because what DLC was two years ago, I cannot for the still cannot think what we did last year. What our aim? Our, our story was other than just, you know, who we are. I'll see if I can, I'm going to try to pull it up. And so give his day is here in a couple of weeks, right?

It is. And then, but the conference won't be until for a couple of months. Yes. Yeah. So in the past, what we've done is. If you give like different tiers, get different like bonuses, right? Like you get something you get access to, like before we did, like you get access to the DLC course and a lot of people, um, that donated and that got the DLC course, they actually donated it.

They put, they donated it to somebody else who. So it was actually people that were in business already and saw the impact that creative woman was having on women with their, um, with their purpose, with their dreams, because all that really does cater into women, like whether they go into business or they're going into corporate or going into whatever God has called them to do.

So, um, one of the great things about creative woman is that this is a path for them to help. Really sort through and sift that all out and then grow. Right. So we saw that like with our donors, um, we didn't necessarily have to like unpack every little tiny thing. We just said, Hey, you are helping another woman find her purpose and really thrive.

And then, um, you know, they didn't know really everything that was in the DLC program, you know, like, but definitely does target women who are in business. For sure. And also women who might be in leadership positions or whatever, but they gave, they did give and, um, that was 2021. Do you remember what, what happened in 2022?

Maybe I'm just saying like, didn't have like this,

I found the email from last year, because you're changing, you're changing lives and it talks about, um, DLC course and making gather her free. So I know that's not a thing anymore. Oh yeah. And it looked like the focus was, it says our goal is to reach 12, 000 in donations, which helps cover some of the costs of gather her.

And that's why I've drawn a blank. Yeah. You're like, Oh, it doesn't exist. Well, yeah. And that's because gather hers was stinking expensive. So we really need to cover the cost of it. We didn't need to cover the cost. Like honestly, I, it's crazy how, uh, you know, people don't, it was an event as Tammy knows cause she did the budget.

So Yeah, you know, right after like this summer, like one of our biggest things with gather her in any event we had at Wilco is expensive was because of the food because you had to use their food. Well, this summer they let go of catering and you can bring whatever food you want in there. I'm like, oh, my gosh, Tammy tried everything.

It's like, what if we did this? And what if we did that? I mean, to cut down and they were like, no, and I'm like, yeah, we're not doing that anymore. So whatever food you want to bring in or like, yeah. Yeah, it was no, no, and no, and more no's. Yes. Alright, so I have a question. Crystal, um, you have mentioned clarity on messaging, and since I do a lot of the messaging, you have a business or you had a coaching business.

Um, what is, how, what is the best way for us to communicate to someone like you with what we do and how We want to reach women. Where's the gap that you feel like? Well, I know that you are in corporate now, but you, you did, you ran your own coaching business, right? Yeah. Um, and then you transitioned into corporate, but we still have people that are in corporate jobs that come to create a woman.

I mean, they're not all like, They're not, they're not all like business owners. So we do have like kind of people that are in leadership, which we know, and we have people that are entrepreneurs. Um, what is the gap that you are seeing in messaging so that I can help tailor that better? I think, um, and we've talked about this in the last board meeting a little bit, or the board meeting prior to is that, um, looking from.

Mine, it can sometimes be a little unsure because there has been so much change and, and transition and launching this and going here that it's kind of unsure of, is there boxes? Is it dreams? Is it fashion? And now it's leadership. So having that one sentence. Um, when I get into an elevator and I say what created woman does what I would say now is we help women in leadership.

What, like, what can you say? And so I think just the change so much in the last couple of years has been hard for those outside to know what the the focus is. I don't know. And so business go ahead, Kendra. I'm sorry. Oh, no, I totally cut you off. You cut off for me. So I thought you're done, but go on. No, that's it.

I was just going to ask what everybody else thinks. Yeah, I mean, I think it's. I mean, just sharing what, what we are actually doing. We help women, um, by, uh, giving them tools and then listing out, you know, the tools like, um, the circles, um, the toolkits, uh, membership, uh, conference, um, Speed mentoring, master, uh, mind classes.

I mean, tools that are going to take them to that next, uh, next step, uh, to create a plan to execute, um, you know, either their business plan, uh, their business, uh, reinventing it or, um, you know, take going from a, a hobby to a full blown, uh, business. I mean, I think we just, you know, a couple of examples of, But those, that's, that's where the success is now.

And that's what we're seeing. I mean, even like, um, on Tuesday with my circle, I mean, every woman in my circle wants to stay an extra hour after our, uh, study, uh, discussion and talk about and ask specific questions of like, okay, I did this now what's the next step, the next three steps that I should do to, you know, grow my business.

So there is a desire for that. And we do have, um, you know, we are equipping them through that. So I think we list out those tangible, um, tools that we're, our resources that we're, uh, providing. Well, and like on, um, whatever night, Thursday night, we did that workshop, which was the workshop and it was crazy because it was a small group, but we got two members out of that small group.

And those women were pumped because it's so rare to have women in, that are in business entrepreneurs and whatever, like love God and want a relationship with God where you can have that camaraderie, um, and then grow together. In fact, like I'm in a, I'm in a group, um, I'm in a lot of groups online with a lot of different entrepreneur people, but one thing that conversation that keeps popping up and up and up and up and up is people are.

Probably once a week. Like, Hey, I'm a Christian. I'm looking to network with other Christian business owners. Um, because I think that's just a need in the market. But, um, I hear what you're saying, Crystal. Cause like when I first came into, um, Creative Woman, it was a lot of fashion and it was a lot of, um, just fashion and that kind of thing.

You mean when you came in three years ago for marketing, right? Or like music. Oh, like from the beginning like that. But when you got into the nitty gritty of it, it was attracting a very specific kind of woman. And a lot of them, I would like that we've talked with and been in. So you have your leaders, right, that were helping lead creative women.

And those are like your leader, like your ministry leaders, your, um, like, I feel like in that capacity, like a lot of our volunteers are in leadership positions. Um, and then you have a lot of people that are coming and it was attracting women that were, uh, in business. And I think that was when we started doing like masterclasses and things like that, but actually it goes way back.

Remember when you did that mass, that like speed mentorship and you had a lot of things with like business and leadership way back in the day. So I don't know. Um, I just like think from outside looking in before I even came in, it was. Kind of leaning that direction of more like, here's the business people are coming in leadership and business.

And then how do you fit in the fashion piece?

Um, but I think that the, the like pivot has been a kind of a, seems like a more natural one, um, and a more profitable one. And can be more profitable, but maybe we just need to change up our messaging a little bit to kind of fit that. So you feel like it's more clear. Yeah. And, you know, like, saying this is who we serve, because sometimes I think when we're trying to serve too many and do too many things, then nobody really knows what it is that we're doing.

Don't we have that clear already? We have that clear. We do have that clear. Okay, wait, I have an exercise to do then. What do you everyone say? I'm going to write this down. Okay, by the way, but this is this is helpful for me. Um, start with Hannah and you tell me what you think creative women is like, who do you think we serve?

That's a good question, because I probably would lean closer to fashion. When I think of creative woman, I think we equip and empower women to be who they're called to be. And that we combine and the way that we do that is through faith and fashion. I don't think about business at all when I think about created woman.

Interesting. Okay. That's really good to know. Well, and now before anybody goes on, I would say when you were gathered, her leader, that was what we are doing. So that's exactly right. I don't want to interrupt everybody, but hold on. I want to write this down. You said our women, it's important that we do honestly.

Okay. Women empower women to be who they are to be, which is through faith and fashion. And so if that's your, if that's where you're going, then yeah, the business piece makes zero sense. I understand that. Okay. Crystal. What about you?

Can you hear me? Yeah. I'm thinking

I'll get, I'll come back to you. My first thing is to say. You know, we empower women to be who God created them to be and be leaders in their community,

who they are to be as leaders in their community. Well, my initial is we empower women to be who God created them to be because we've said that for so long, but I'm trying to throw in also that we're helping them be leaders because that's kind of the that's now the, you know, the, the pivot. Okay. I think I pivoted to, I think in my mind, I've always thought leadership and business, so this is really interesting.

Okay. Tammy. Um, we empower women to, um, empower other women to be leaders, um, to grow and their purpose and in their business and in their careers, so it doesn't have to just be one, right? And, um, and we equip them with the resources to take those steps to, um, to be to that success.

Okay. Well, yeah. Okay. So what about you, Sophie?

You're muted. Can you hear me now? Without directly quoting, I would say we equip and empower women to pursue their God given dreams. Like that's just how I've always seen the ministry. We equip and empower women to pursue their God given dreams. And I would, I would definitely agree with you on that one.

And I think dreams sounds really elusive. Sometimes it sounds like can capture so many different things. Right. Um, and I think as far as like the business piece, because when we talked about fashion, okay, I'm sorry. I, I blanked out. I'll just, I'll just, I'll just enter being here for a second because. What we've seen, what we keep talking about since 2022 is that's what we saw when we came back to gather her.

When we hit COVID in 2020, they, the vision statement that Hannah said in the description is exactly what we always said. And it's who we were. It's what we did. And then COVID hit and we had a year and a half of, we are not meeting. We really don't know who we, well, who, well, we didn't meet anybody. We introduced the faith in Fashion box just so we could meet them where they were, and we did what we needed to do during that year and a half.

And then when we came back in March of 22 at Gather her, that's what we've been saying for this past year and a half. It was like, oh, the women are different. Before we were begging them, and Hannah and Sophie can for sure attest to this, like telling them, no, you really do have a purpose. You really do. We get off the sidelines.

And, and then when we came back, it was like the women that came together, her and for sure the women at the conference were like, I, yeah, I do have a purpose. God's called me and it's in the marketplace. It's in my business and I'm ready to be a part and go. Whereas before we were getting like, I'm just this and I, this is my girls light out, which was great.

That was the season we were in and that was what, how we started and. What, who we were after, but it was very clear without even us trying to change the messaging who was coming starting in 2022, it was a shock for us all. And when I say all, I'm talking about all the volunteers that were part of gather her, those of us that got, that were there, it was a shocker and that's.

When it, that's when even Kendra, I remember taking some of the things that I was saying and really bringing it narrow, narrowing it better, um, because of who was coming and you just, we just, I mean, and I think we saw that at the conference too, there was, there was no one there that felt like this is just my day out and what rose to the top after COVID.

Was everyone there, everyone that was attracted to gather her or to create a woman were strong leaders. They were not sitting on the sideline. They were ready to go and they wanted community and they wanted resources. And so we started leaning into what we knew. Like over the last several years, people have been asking for this kind of content and these kinds of resources that are, that's been message that we've been getting.

We want more of this. We want this. And then even just that whole thing that has been on me for this past year is Script, not scripture, whatever you want to call it. That Billy Graham said that the next great big move of God is in the marketplace. I believe that's true. And I have seen so many other ministries, organizations in the market of women in the marketplace really diving in because that's how God's.

I think that's how he's moving. And so, yes, everything that we were before COVID is true. That pause in between was us not even knowing, I call it a pause because the world was on pause, not even knowing, are we coming back? And then when we were able to came back, the audience was different. We're still helping women with purpose, but we realized it niched down to women leaders and they were, you know, either.

Like Tammy and that kind of demographic that was entrepreneur. But then even on our volunteer team for gather her, which is like Hannah and crystal are leaders in the marketplace, you know, like every single one of our leaders and gather her were leaders in the marketplace and they were the ones ministering and helping, uh, in the group.

And I say, gather her a lot because that's where we are actually meeting women face to face and talking to them. The same way. I don't even know how some of these women found us, but we have someone from Lubbock, California, Oregon, and I'm like, how do you even know? Well, I think they're just craving that connection.

Yeah. Well, there's, yeah, like, even with leadership, I mean, there's so much, so many, like, leadership podcasts and leadership in business, etc, etc. . Yeah. Women folks. So this is, I mean, we're, I hate it's already seven o'clock. I keep looking at my clock. This is not the conversation. It's a good conversation. . Um, I'm sorry.

I just, I needed, I wanted to, but I mean, if we're talking about giving Tuesday and what we're talking about, that's how we got here. Yeah. Was giving Tuesday, who's our messaging? So have, has any of this. I mean, it says a lot. Actually, I think I feel like I don't I mean, I don't know where to go from here, but I feel like do we just ask for giving on giving Tuesday or do we have to have?

I mean, what do we do now? I mean, I think we're giving Tuesday. I think we have all of the resources from and this is a suggestion. Right? Everybody can weigh in their suggestions. You can toss it out the window. Um, but I think, and, Visual strategy for giving Tuesday could be pictures from the conference, a clip from the conference.

This is coming up in April. Give towards her. Yeah, that's kind of what we were. Well, not kind of, that's exactly. Honestly, the budget, like if you think of budget wise, well, the food was most expensive. So I think there's a big cost there, but now we have the videos that we're going to be able to sell. So that Hannah exactly right.

We were talking about using all the footage that we have. So maybe we don't have to target a certain demographic, is that what you're kind of saying, leaning towards? Yeah, I think if you say our goal is to raise 5, 000 towards our conference in April, and then you show video, like, let the visual speak, like, don't overcome the messaging, don't draft out, you know, all the different words that can be open to interpretation, like, just give them, Visuals because that's what that's what we want to see.

Anyway, we want to see lives being changed and those videos and images are going to do that. Yeah, totally. I think that's really good. And we had some great speakers. We can highlight to a video from that. Yeah, I think that's really, really important. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hijack. That's okay. That's okay.

It went it went to work. I mean, yeah, Well, honestly, if you guys don't make the message easier, we're gathered for giving Tuesday. Well, yeah, and I think it's important to be on the same page. Yeah, and you might even be able to just say April 2024. You know, like you don't even have to. Oh, yeah. You know what?

Well, the only thing was is that I wanted to go ahead and open up tickets. So because people don't pre pre sell. Yeah, but they won't pre sell unless we have a date.

Right. Sorry, crystal. Go ahead. Well, I was just going to say I may be different, but I, I don't think you're going to get many women in our demographic to buy tickets this early. Well, that's true. Cause nobody buys tickets early. It's very frustrating. No, like I, I mean, look, we can't, we can't commit to a plan cause we don't even know what our schedules are in business and has the family is going to buy a ticket for a hundred dollars.

That's really true. It's not going to happen. That's true. That's why I was trying to make the connection between giving Tuesday and the conference. I think also we need to check out and make sure that I like. Celebrations, uh, Radiant Conference is in May, so it's not in April. I think we need to check out, wasn't there, didn't Shoreline have something?

Yeah, there's an October, it's already over. Okay, okay, so. But I'm just going to say this once, I don't want to be rude, but it does sound like rude, I said last year, I'm like, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not organizing our events around Shine Conference anymore. There's 500, 000 women in Austin, it's a different demographic, but I do agree.

I know what you're saying. I'm just saying, like, I had to organize my life around it so long. I'm like, I don't care, but it is what I agree with you. I mean, yeah, unless, unless celebration is having, I don't know, Christine King. Yeah, then that then I'd do it. Then I'd be a pause. I would not plan around if gathering.

That's the only thing I wouldn't plan around because if it's online and everybody does the online and but there's this February.

So, April, we're going to say save the date. We're going to get back together.

Um, I don't know. It's it's already 7 almost. It's 7 15 almost. Did we exhaust the conversation?

Well, um, Kendra, did you get what you were kind of looking for? Do you get some something to work with?

Sorry, um, yeah, I mean, I'll I mean, I can, I can draft something else up like another tag, a couple different taglines if you guys. Feel like that's gonna give you a better like boundary for Viewing created woman as far as like the elevator pitch goes I think this is a great reason to have kendra on the i've been saying we've been saying that for a long time Kendra needs to be in the meetings Yeah.

Um, well, I do think that obviously messaging is really, really important and there's no reason for any of us that are sitting here right now to be unclear on where, what our taglines are and where we're headed to in the future. And that's my responsibility to make sure that that's really clear in messaging.

So, um, I'll probably reach out to you guys again, just to like separately from this, to make sure that we're getting the messaging correct. That sound good? That's why you pay the big bucks, Kendra. So big. Oh my gosh. Retiring soon.

But I, I do think it is really important. If, if you are unclear, then that means other people are going to be unclear and we don't want that to happen. So I got you guys. We'll make it. All right. We've only got 15 minutes. Should we wrap it up here and just come back December and talk about the other things or, uh, what do y'all, I feel like that was a really good conversation.

Welcome Tammy to the board. I'll be honest with you. My son, yes, my big project. So I have to be done by no later than seven 30. Cause I, I gotta be a mom. Oh, okay. But you're saying you're going somewhere else. No, I'm, I'm doing a second grades, a second grader project because teachers are so nice. Okay. So any last words, thoughts?

Um, it's open. I'll mute

from any that y'all wanted to bring up or do we want to wait till next week, next month? Not. Well, I have some, I have one more thing I'd like to, to say, um, and this is just. And I'm sorry, I don't know if you guys are participating in what we're doing in our toolkit or not and what we're doing in our, uh, in our community and whatnot.

But I think it's really important since we're all sitting here and we all want to be on the same page. If you guys at least. Look at every everything inside of those kits. That way you have an understanding of what we're actually doing. And also, um, you can give us feedback to on that as well. And then in the group, um, I know that it can be hard to participate and whatnot.

And I don't even know that that's like your role is being a part of the board. I have no idea how that works out. But, um. I think that if we're not like as board members or as people invested in creative women, if we're not participating in where it's going, then there is going to be a disconnect. So, it would be really, really helpful for me if you guys participate in at least looking at emails, looking at the toolkit, like, those kinds of things so that we are on the same page and so you do understand what's happening on the back end and.

Um, I think it's, it's really, really important to know what, what it is that you're backing and the toolkit is such an important, the CW membership is such an important part of where we're headed and where we're going that, um, if, if you don't understand that it's going to. It's going to be really, really difficult to understand where we're going.

So I'm glad you brought that up. I want to invite everybody to the Google survey that I just sent out this week. Tammy, I still haven't sent it to you. You told me to send it to you and I totally forgot. Um, Because we're coming up on the six month mark of membership. We literally, when I say we, I mean, I think it was me, Tammy, Kendra, and Christie were like, what are we doing on membership?

Like we're launching at conference. What are we putting into this thing? Well, now we've got members and we've sent out a six month survey. Like, Hey, what do you want? I've got three responses back. And I think this is good moving forward as planning to, um, if I can find it real quick, if I can't find it real quick, um, I'll email it, um, survey.

I have a quick question because I was trying to get on to, like, I get all the emails and I get the notifications for the toolkit. And then when I try to log in, um, I don't know if I just don't have the right password or something, but it won't let me. I don't get an email to reset my password. I think I've done it like 4 or 5 times and it's just.

Like, I just keep waiting. I check my spam folder. Okay, I'll help you. I'll totally help you with that later. Okay. I'm like, I know it's like a back end thing. You're probably one of the original, and you're not on the new website. Because we launched the website in June or July. We changed it in August because we, it wasn't, um, mobile enough, if you will.

Okay. Um, I cannot find I have a question. So, and I've heard it a couple of times, which is why I'm asking. So, on the membership form, when people sign up for membership or the form fill, is there a place where we capture that referral source of how did you hear about us? No, but it's good. We need to because you're right.

I was like, I wasn't expecting that, to be honest. People come out, you know, like, where'd you come from? Yeah. And so I think, um, I think that would be really helpful to understand how that capability on the backend, it would have to be a survey after it wouldn't be where they, when they sign up. Oh, okay.

Just ask them in the survey. Yeah. Cause we don't have anything that like captures it's a commerce, basically a, a commerce item they're buying on the website. But is it a form fill like don't they have to can't you add in a text field or no like a comment or any type of text field on the actual form?

It's what is it? I haven't. It's no because it's Squarespace is not that. Squarespace is super limited. So they get a lot of the information on the reply in MailerLite on the auto email flow back back. I can add something in there to ask them like when they get their, when they go into the email flow.

Yeah, I think that would be great, especially in these surveys, you know, how did you hear about us? How do you engage in our community? Um, because I think it's important that we understand where Where, like you said, when you say, I don't even know where they came from, like, I think it would be really valuable to know where they came from.

Well, the people that have found us, that have found you on Instagram.

Oh yeah, for sure, a couple of them, yes, absolutely, but I don't even know how they found... Yes, Instagram for sure. But I guess maybe it just shocks me so much that I'm like, you know, yeah, they're not like, Oh, I just happened to like they follow followed her on Instagram. And that's how they became a member.

So they were looking for women. And and I only know this from conversations with women that have joined, they were looking for a community of Christian women in business.

Got it? Yeah. So yeah, I'll tell you this really quick. I'm looking at that survey. I'm finding it as if you got to get off Transcribed I don't remember getting a survey either because I sent it to the people that are like participating and getting the toolkit and get like, what do they need? What are they liked?

It was questions like, what's your favorite toolkit? What masterclass have you liked? So it's through four people that have I sent to that are participating

and I'll find it later because I can't do it on the fly. But out of the three surveys that we've gotten back so far, one was. Now, I can't remember. Well, one I'll tell you this is in Tammy's circle and she was like, I shouldn't have joined. I was too much. I'm in the circle and I'll never come to a retreat.

I was like, will you come to a retreat? Yes or no? No. Um, and then one was, uh, that their favorite was the masterclasses and she named which one was her favorite and that she uses the Instagram props. And then another one was, uh, pretty much the same. Out of the two, those were pretty much the same. I wish I could pull up into it.

What I'll do though, is I'll send that link to all of you guys. So you can read the responses because I think that in our planning is super important. Yeah. Yeah. And then maybe like feedback, but in the name of Jesus, they'll all fill it back. They'll all fill it out. Yeah. And I mean, even if you guys don't use everything in the.

It's like, I mean, not everything is geared towards people that are, like, running a business. We do. There are other things in there, too. Um. But I found that, like, the things that we do have in there, people do use and they find them to be pretty helpful, especially, like, new business owners. Yeah, but, um, but, yeah, and I also just want to open it up to say, like.

If you ever see anything, they're like, that sounds weird or I don't really understand, like. Please just message me and let me know because it's really important for me to hear that too. I'm open to feedback. Oh, yes, I am. Tammy, how was your first board meeting?

It was good. It was good. I, um, I didn't really prepare, but I would, it was really good for me to, um, you know, kind of understand the flow and what we're looking for and that we are, you know, oftentimes going to be creating it, creating from the scratch. And so to be a little bit more prepared for that in terms of just mind space.

Uh, cause I literally just walked in the door and like, Oh, well, it definitely went a different direction. Like I, I really was way was the plan was to talk about giving Tuesday and get some. Strategy around that and then go on to three year strategy things that we had talked about our last meeting, but it didn't do that.

But that's okay. Because I think this this was good. And, uh, I love I love what we have feel like we had some breakthrough. So that's really good. Well, yeah, I mean, as being on some other boards. I mean, I love that. We're, um, that we're doing exactly what creative women do does is that we're being strategic and we're planning or being proactive because sometimes boards are just, you know, looking back at what has been done.

And then they spend a lot of time on that versus like, okay, let's create it. Let's create, you know, you know, But let's let's do it now. Um, and so, uh, it definitely collapsed the time frame of actually executing something for sure, which If I can add in Sophie and Hannah, I would love to hear anything you have to say too.

I think Heather, you saying you wanted to talk about strategy tonight definitely is a need. However, hearing that each 1 of us described created woman in a different way, I don't think we can really have a strategy and stick with it. If all of us are saying that we stand for different things. Yeah, I think getting that that messaging really clear for everybody is really, really important.

I totally agree. Yeah, and I think common. Oh, good. Yeah. No, I'll, I'll definitely be working on it. And then, um, you guys can expect an email from me and then we can just sort of make sure that it's all in alignment and everything else that you know, as I say, in the past, like. A few board meetings that we've had, it's been a common thread because of all the changes that have happened that I think it's true.

Great. We need to nail that down.

Anybody else? Last thoughts. Hannah last thoughts.

Thank you guys for joining Kendra. I think it was really valuable to have you here and to do that exercise. I think that was great. And Tammy welcome. Thank you. Appreciate it.

It's like 726. I don't want to keep everybody. From their Sunday night wind down. I've got kids in there too. So, all right, I guess I've got, we've got, I don't know what the date is next month, but we'll see y'all next month. And that's it. Bye. All right, buddy. Have a good night. Bye.