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Monarch Workshop – Bridgeport, CT

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Loneliness began to set in as the dead of winter kept us all hibernating. By March, I had lived here for almost two months already and when I wasn’t immediately immersed in the creative community my boyfriend introduced me to over the summer, my heart sank. How exactly does a 29 year old, mostly introverted female make new friends and connections in freezing New England?

The answer came through the Monarch Workshop and the glittery tribe of warrior women that we all became by the end of it all.

It started on the second day of spring and the type of snow I love: the big, fat, stick in your hair and eyelashes kind. We met and mingled at the B:Hive for breakfast noms and coffee from Source Coffee House. Then, all 50+ of us made a lady parade and marched ourselves through the slushy Bridgeport puddles to the magical new Bananaland office: a clean, white, industrial space with light that kept us all dreaming. This was our home for the next two days.

It was here that we drank champagne and made vision boards, sat next to strangers who quickly became friends with one shoot in the photobooth, and found our peace and strength through Kathy Marino‘s calming voice and gentle leading through yoga flows.

It was here we listened to Debra Wolf and learned how to eat for success, ate delicious soups and salads from Whisk and Brush, rebranded our visions and ourselves with the guidance of Julia Lovallo.

It was here we found ourselves feeling beautiful in front of Victoria Gloria‘s lens, allowed Jennifer Paganelli’s Sis Boom wisdom to mentor our souls, and (almost) quit our day jobs because of Michelle Bablo‘s inspiring sass.

We marked our bodies with “Hustle” and “Conquer” thanks to Tattly and hugged our new sisters.

It was Michelle Bablo and Jennifer Paganelli whose words I couldn’t scribble down fast enough. It was they who reminded me that we are here to serve one another. To remember what you’re good at and share it with the world with confidence. To ask what people need help with. To give yourself permission to be creative, to dabble, and to daydream. To open up, collaborate, and don’t keep secrets.

So get excited, world. I hope you can handle all that’s about to come from the collaborating, brainstorming, and connections that were made this weekend. We are unstoppable women now.

[Eternal gratitude for Maddie Rhodes and Jessica Huizenga from Oh My Gemini and The Confetti Bar for having this dream and chasing it to fruition. I pray your hearts are as blessed as all of ours were.]

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