Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Best.
Hi Laura, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Passion Collective helps professional women rediscover their passion and purpose. It started as I made “the leap” in quitting my corporate/agency career in 2014. I realized that I wanted more, but that my definition of “more” was changing. Yet, this wasn’t just a job change, this was a life change. And I had work to do.
Thing is, I didn’t want to go to another networking event or conference. I didn’t have the time, cash, or courage to try new hobbies, although I craved more fun. I already had a gym. I was reading the books, repeating the mantras, writing a journal, and signing up for the online classes. Something was missing.
That something was other women, and the energy created when we share ideas, encouragement, and have each others’ backs.
A place where we just get each other’s barriers because we’ve been there. Where you learn about cool new stuff women are just DOING, fearlessly and with joy. Without judgment, without needing to strap on our “armor” to connect.
I realized that I didn’t know where to find this place. So, I set out to create it.
I started by creating a small Facebook group, reaching back out to women I knew who I felt I could be myself with. I started sharing “things I loved”, then began to host happy hours and brunches to connect us. At first, I was terrified no one would show, and I’d be standing at the bar by myself, but quickly, word spread.
Since then, as we have developed our coaching workshops and events, I’ve seen women light up in meeting each other, have the guts to show up with strangers – glow with the excitement of explaining their “thing”, listen intently when another is explaining what she’s been through to get where she is. I’ve been told of generous offers of emotional support being given privately to other members, of business relationships created, and most of all, of a feeling of “belonging.”
We launched our digital home – Passion Collective On-Demand – six weeks into the 2020 Covid lockdown as a way for the community to support each other. Since then our Passionado community has grown from 800 to more than 4,000. There, Passionados can get the practical inspiration they want from our coaching sessions, connect privately without worrying about social media and get all-inclusive access to our in-person events.
Over the last eight years, we have built a true community of people coming together to support, encourage, and inspire each other.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not. Covid was (and remains) a huge obstacle. We were an in-person events business before 2020, where people came to a physical event. That, and our “Passion Stories” were the only real manifestation of our community. So, we had to completely transform to be able to keep the community together, let alone grow. That transformation meant hard work in developing a new ‘product” and platform, expanding our network of coaches, and taking a leap of faith that our Passionados would respond.
As the pandemic dragged on, Covid fatigue set in so we had to keep our energy and content fresh and practical. It wasn’t always easy, and people didn’t always show up as we had hoped, but we kept going, knowing that if we were helping ONE Passionado, our mission was still being fulfilled.
Then, as in-person events returned, slowly, we saw new challenges with health test, spacing and hygiene requirements and hesitation from attendees.
Anyone who tells you that success comes overnight is either lying or extremely lucky. We still work hard for every event RSVP, every new member, and every new sponsor. Months of work lie behind what might seem seamless to others, but it is worth it!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Passion Collective helps professional women rediscover their passion and purpose. We do that through coaching, community, and connection.
We’re known for our signature “Buzz Session” events, which are a combination of happy hour, story-sharing and workshop – a time for our Passionados to regain their “spark” with other women. We also offer “Coach Connect” sessions – where top leadership coaches share advice on their passion topics, “Field Trips” where we offer chances to experience new ideas and places and “Mini Buzz Session” workshops.
Our experience is different because we are a safe space – there is no judgment, no expectation and who you should be, what you should offer, or how you should present yourself. Passionados can choose to join in-person events (which are always designed to feel special, unlike most networking events!) or connect online, our mission is to help women reconnect with themselves and what lights them up.
As a community, we give and we get, depending on the chapter of life we are in – we see women earlier in their careers looking for advice about their path ahead, and we have professionals in the final chapter of their careers who are seeking to redefine their identity as they retire.
We also give cash and coaching to women who are pursuing their passions every quarter with our Atomic Grants program (10% of members’ fees and our sponsors Atomic Data and Keystone Group International help to drive this.) This quarter we’ve received almost 2,000 applicants from countries as diverse as South Africa, India, Canada, Kenya and Kyrgyzstan. We’re proud that our impact is expanding in this way.
What makes you happy?
Personally, it’s the simple things – swinging on the swings at the park with my daughter, playing with my beautiful Pyrenees-Doodle, riding on the back of my husband’s Vespa around the Minneapolis Lakes.
Professionally, I am happiest when I see the magic that happens when Passionados lift each other up. That can mean me observing two women “click” at one of our events, hearing about a courageous leap that a Passionado has made in their life, or knowing that our grants are making a difference beyond what we can imagine.
Pricing:
- Passion Collective On Demand: $395/year or $40 per month
Contact Info:
- Website: www.passioncollective.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/passioncollective/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/passioncollectivecommunity
