Building Community: Creating a Village

This year, I went through some major transitions, and so did many of the women around me. My community became critical to not just surviving, but thriving. Over the years, I have built a community through networking, joining mom’s groups, book clubs, and just making friends in the neighborhood. I like to meet people, and I didn’t realize how critical building community was going to become to being able to pursue my passion, and helping me navigate the mom life. 

So many women are doing “all of the things”. It’s exciting, exhausting, challenging, and sometimes, a little lonely. Building community is essential to flourishing in our work life and our home life.

What does it truly mean to "build community"? It's more than just collecting business cards, saying hello in the pick up line, or liking posts on social media. It's about creating a village – a supportive, uplifting space where you feel seen, heard, and understood.

What Building Community Truly Means:

• They get it: It's knowing that we love having your little girl coloring at the women’s networking meeting. It’s offering to bring  your son’s friend home because you’re going that way anyway, and you know they’ve had a rough week. It’s being able to vent about a difficult time you’re going through with your family, or at work. The women around you get it. They've been there, or they're going through it right now. It’s that unspoken understanding that only shared experiences can bring.

• Women helping women: Community means showing up to your friend's grand opening to cheer her on, and also a shoulder to cry on when things don't go as planned. It's lending a hand, and asking for help. Maybe it's sharing an easy recipe, a referral for a new client, or just someone to listen while you brainstorm.

• Encouragement and Empowerment: In a thriving community, women lift each other up. They share resources, celebrate successes, and offer constructive feedback. They inspire you to push past your comfort zone, to learn new skills, and to believe in your own incredible potential.

• Belonging and Acceptance: In a world that often pulls us in a million directions, community provides an anchor. It's a place where you can drop the filters, be authentically yourself, and feel like you truly belong. It’s that feeling of coming home.

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How do you build community?

Love and Light,

Maria DeVenuto Kasang R.M.T.