Your Vibe Is Your Tribe :: My Girl Gang

As many of you know, before starting my own business, I practiced corporate law for quite a few years.  Prior to embarking on my entrepreneurial journey, I was invited to join a networking organization called Ladies Who Launch (“LWL”).  At the time, LWL required each member to participate in a 4 week intensive incubator where you let the ladies in your incubator work on/think about your business for you.  I couldn’t imagine why anyone would do such a thing; I  was certain if I did someone would “steal” by business idea.  When I voiced this concern to my friend Karla (she’d extended the invitation to join), she sagely said, “Kalyn, you’ve been working in the corporate world for a long time; that’s how men think.  No one’s going to steal your idea, the whole purpose of Ladies Who Launch is to support one another.  And, even if someone has a business similar to yours, I’m sure they’re either going to be further ahead of you or behind you. There won’t be any competition, it’s all about community.”  I hate to admit it, but this way of thinking was totally foreign to me when it came to the workplace.  Nevertheless, I decided to take a leap of faith; I’m sure glad I did.

My business has changed and morphed since my LWL incubator, but the tenets learned in the incubator have stayed with me all this time.  Helping someone with her business in no way takes away from my business and vice-versa.  There are soooo many women who’ve been kind to me and my business over the years that I truly believe it’s my duty to pay it forward.  As an entrepreneur, I have the good fortune of meeting business owners all of the time, who like me, are looking to build their client base and spread the word about their companies.  So, I’ve compiled a list of female-owned businesses I love and thought you might like to know about: