You Belong Here

With membership opening again this month, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it actually means to be part of The Collective.

A recent conversation with a friend reminded me how easy it is to question whether we still belong when we don’t have something new to share. Maybe there is no new launch or major update, or what we were building has been completed, slowed down, or shifted in a different direction.

There can be so much pressure to always have something new happening, but that is not how things usually work. A lot of growth happens quietly, without a big milestone or anything obvious to show for it.

The Collective was started as a community for entrepreneurs, but over the years, it has become so much more than that. It has become a community for people who are building, creating, leading, learning, rebuilding, growing, and sometimes just trying to figure out the next right step. You don’t have to be in the middle of something big and exciting to belong here, and you don’t need an established business that's constantly growing, a huge team, or major growth happening to be part of this. We are all here to learn and support each other. 

One of my favorite things about The Collective is that our membership is made up of not only entrepreneurs, but artists, creatives, doctors, nonprofit leaders, consultants, makers, restaurateurs, retail owners, community leaders, coaches, photographers, farmers, and people building in ways that don’t always fit into one tidy professional box.

Some members are building businesses from their kitchen tables, while others are managing employees, payroll, systems, brick-and-mortar spaces. Some are full-time entrepreneurs, some are growing something on the side while working a full-time job, some are expanding, some are just starting, and some are still shaping the idea of how they want to make an impact.

All of that belongs here. The strength of The Collective has never come from any of us being in the same place, it comes from the fact that we aren’t. We learn from each other because we have different experiences, perspectives, and ways of seeing the world. An accountant can learn from an artist. A maker can learn from a farmer. A leader with dozens of employees can learn from someone running everything on their own. We all have something to share and we all bring value!

There is power in being in rooms with people who don’t do exactly what you do and aren’t exactly like you, because those are often the people who challenge the way you think, introduce you to a different audience, offer a perspective you would not have considered, or just remind you that you’re not the only one figuring things out as you go. 

What makes The Collective work is all of the people, perspectives, ideas, and experiences in the room. We each bring something different, and that difference makes the community stronger. As membership opens again, I want to be clear, you don’t need a thriving business, a new launch, or a big accomplishment to be part of this community. Even if things have slowed down, shifted, or are still taking shape, you still bring value to the room.

Something I learned quickly as an entrepreneur is that no one has it all figured out. Sometimes the best part of a community is simply just surrounded by people who inspire you and remind you what is possible.

If you’ve been looking for a space where you can be supported wherever you’re at in your journey, and where connection matters just as much as growth, this is your invitation.

You don’t have to continue proving your value to have a seat at the table, you belong here

-Mandy