Get Offline and Find Your People (with Shannon Watts and Emily Tluchak)

When Shannon Watts created Moms Demand Action in 2012, her intention was to give moms a way to take action on gun violence. Since then, she hasn’t just seen concrete results like stronger gun laws and closed loopholes. She’s seen the transformative power of getting together in person around shared values.

Shannon wrote about this idea in her recent book, Fired Up. She explained that there’s a spark within all of us, a catalyst for our life’s meaning and joy. And when many sparks all ignite at once, what do you get? A bonfire.

The idea immediately resonated with so many women that they began forming their own groups — called Bonfires — in their local communities.

If you’ve been following Red Wine & Blue for a while, this may all sound familiar to you. Women? Forming local groups? Around shared values? Connecting in person? Making a difference? Sounds like what the Red Wine & Blue Network is all about!

And because Katie Paris and Shannon Watts are collaborative and strategic women, they weren’t offended or territorial. They wanted to work together! So Bonfire and the Red Wine & Blue Network are teaming up to share what we’ve all learned and support women who want to start Bonfire or Network groups in their town.

If you want to learn more about how it works, you can join us for a live virtual event on Monday, March 30th at 7:30pm Eastern. Yes, we see the irony of holding a virtual event to help women find in-person connections. 😂 Just join us for an hour on Zoom to get the tools you need and then go out into your community for some real face-to-face time!

We also chatted on the pod with Emily, a mom in Florida who started her own Bonfire group this year. She says it’s been so cool to have a group of women supporting each other through big life changes, political turmoil, and anything that life throws their way.

If you can’t attend the virtual event on 3/30, you can learn more about the RWB/Bonfire partnership here. If there isn’t already a group in your area, consider starting one! We’ll be here to help you every step of the way.

For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue.

You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! 

Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA

Facebook: @RedWineBlueUSA

YouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

Transcript

HTNLYS E27 - Get Offline and Find Your People (with Shannon Watts and Emily Tluchak)

Katie: Hi everyone. Welcome to How to Not Lose Your Shit. I'm Katie Paris, the founder of Red Wine and Blue. Okay, so LaFonda was with me yesterday for this week's interview, but today she is out sick and practicing what she preaches, that very strategic thing we call rest. So instead, I am truly delighted to be joined by Amy Thorstenson, who is the producer of this podcast.

Amy: It's fun to be here! I mean, I'm always here, like behind the scenes producing, but it's fun to be here in front of the scenes and on the mic with you. 

Katie: It's fun to have you in front of the scenes, Amy! Thanks for accepting my invitation. Would've been lonely here all by my lonesome. 

Amy: Of course. 

Katie: Okay, everybody. So if you are new to the podcast or new to Red Wine and Blue, we have this amazing program that we call the Red Wine and Blue Network. It's a community of local grassroots groups all around the country. We literally have these groups in all 50 states. So basically it's groups of women meeting up in person to make a difference where they live, and they have had a huge impact. They have flipped school board seats. They have increased voter turnout. They have held their local officials accountable. They have shown up for their communities, whether that's holding fundraisers or doing food drives, whether that is supporting immigrant families who have lost their breadwinners. Really, truly, the list goes on and on, and I'm so proud of every single one of them. 

So I'm lucky enough to be friends with a lot of awesome women. Those of you who listen regularly know that by now. One of those women is Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action, and in her recent book, Fired Up, she wrote about bonfires. Now these are small groups of women meeting in person to build community and make a difference. Sound familiar? Yeah, to me too. Just like the Red Wine and Blue Network! 

So one day Shannon and I were talking and we realized that Bonfire and the Red wine and blue network have so much in common, we should join forces. And so that's exactly what we're doing and I'm so excited to share this news with you all and this conversation that LaFonda and I had, not only with Shannon, but also a local Bonfire leader, Emily, to hear what it's like to actually be in one of these groups. 

Amy, you were there. What did you think of Shannon and Emily and how stoked are you about this new partnership that Red Wine and Blue has with Bonfire?

Amy: It's so cool. I remember, so Shannon Watts was on the Suburban Women Problem, actually, our podcast before this, I think in 2022. It's so exciting that not only have we maintained this relationship with this amazing powerhouse woman, but also that like what she's doing and what we're doing have continued to grow in this “get offline and find people in your local area” direction that is so important and like so strategic for what we're dealing with right now. 

It was just really interesting to hear from her as the head of Moms Demand Action four years ago or whatever, and now talk to her about Bonfire and like have us all still be learning and growing and like, doing the same work, but continuing to evolve. It’s so cool. 

Katie: Yeah, for me too, I mean, I've been in touch with Shannon a little bit, like over emails and, and this and that around various events, but we had never really gotten to talk deeply one-on-one and just immediately hearing the parallels of basically everything she'd learned over the last decade from organizing with women in their local communities, and then me doing the exact same thing with Red Wine and Blue… it was just really cool to hear how we were coming to the same conclusions like about what the secret sauce is. 

And what I love so much about it is that at no point was the conversation just like, “oh, cool, that's neat that we learned some similar things.” It was just like, “we've gotta collaborate, we've gotta come together.” And that's like the impulse that women just often have and I, I love that we are living that out. That that is how we are building this together to have, you know, even greater impact, hopefully to reach even more women. 

And the other thing, okay, so you're, you're always there. You're, you're a part of every podcast. The other thing I've been thinking about is that last week we got to interview Amelia Nagaski. Such an incredible episode, really like life impacting conversation for me. The episode is called How to Beat Burnout, and basically the conclusion of that episode was that doing this kind of organizing, the kind of organizing that Shannon and I have been learning about in communities, is not just good for your community, but it's actually good for you too.

Amy: Yeah. 

Katie: You know, like on this personal level in terms of like from a mental health aspect, we create community to transform our communities, and in the process of creating community, we transform ourselves. Did I get it right? 

Amy: Yeah. I, I think so. I think every week in a sort of different way, we discover or are reminded that connecting with your community and working on a local level isn't just strategic, it's also self-care. Which, yeah, I don't think that many other people are saying or talking about. Like there's the political pundits and you know, how to get involved strategically, politically, and then there's the self-care. And maybe community comes in a little bit to either of those, but it seems like nobody's really making the connection that it's like… all part of the same thing. And it, it's so cool. 

Katie: And I would actually take that a step further and say that not only are they not making that connection between the two, they're actually usually discussed as though they are opposites. 

Amy: Yeah. 

Katie: As though they are mutually exclusive. Right. Like you can protect your peace, you can do your self-care, or you can engage in your community. You can get involved, you know, on some of these thorny challenging issues, and you are going to sacrifice your mental health. You're going to sacrifice any sense of self care. 

And I think that we are absolutely appending those assumptions and those beliefs, and that feels really important to me because we need everyone involved and we need people involved in a sustainable way. And so unless we can link those things, I don't know how we make this an invitation rather than a demand for people to get involved and like an invitation that people actually wanna take. You know? 

And that's what I loved about this conversation with Shannon. And you know, you could hear from how Emily is talking about her experience doing this in her own community, what it's meant to her. She's leading her group with a woman that she didn't even know, like four months ago, you know? 

Amy: Yeah. Yeah. 

Katie: And she's looking forward to their meetings each week. And so that's really giving her something on a personal level. And then meanwhile, she surveyed her group, 75% of the women wanna get involved in local politics. And I, I just know that their friendships are just gonna be even further deepened by doing that work together. But it's not even gonna feel like work. It's gonna feel like deepening connections. 

Amy: Hear hear. 

Katie: Hear hear is right. Alright, so let's bring on Shannon and Emily. 

Amy: Can't wait. 

Katie: Hi, Shannon and Emily, and welcome to the podcast!

Emily: Thanks for having me! 

Katie: We are so glad to have you both. Okay. So Shannon, in a lot of ways, you and I have been living parallel lives. We've both spent the past decade helping women take action on issues they care about in their local communities. Could you tell our listeners just a little bit about your journey from founding Moms Demand Action? What inspired you then to start this Bonfire movement? 

Shannon: Yeah, I mean, look, I think women are the secret sauce that make the world go. We've both learned that throughout our activism, and so when I stepped back from Moms Demand Action, I really wasn't sure what I was gonna do next. And then I got a call from Maria Shriver, who's just an amazing advocate for women. And she said, “Look, I have a book in print. I would love for you to write about what you've learned in working with women in your career and in your activism.” 

And one of the most important learnings that I wrote about in this book and, and the whole metaphor for the book, which is called Fired Up, is fire, right? It’s this idea of figuring out what is calling you and what's limiting you in your life. But a big part of that is finding a community and, and sticking with that fire metaphor, it's really a bonfire. It's women who have shared values who help you figure out what your abilities and desires are, and then together you create what is best for you, what is best for your family, what is best for your community.

And for so many women, that idea just resonated with them when they read the book. And they took the book and they started creating real life Bonfires where they lived, right? How do I figure out what my personal, political, and professional desires are in the company of like-minded women who live near me, right? In a post pandemic, post polarized world, how do I know my neighbors? 

And that's been so incredibly rewarding. I've gone to several of these groups where I live in Florida and women who were complete strangers see each other, and it's almost like they've known each other forever because of those shared values.

Katie: I. Love this. And the parallel when you talk about this just always strikes me so much with what I've seen because I bet when most people hear about how you founded Moms Demand Action, they think she found the issue. She found the issue that all the moms care about, and it is true that we are all terrified about school shootings.

It is true that we all know someone who has been impacted by gun violence at this point, and that is a tragic fact about our country. And we get involved in various groups and with various nonprofit organizations because we are often personally touched by an issue. We see something, we are inspired, whether it's personal in our community, whatever, but then we get involved whether that issue is gun violence or that issue is seeing what's happening with ICE and, you know, getting involved in the issue of immigration. Or same story on reproductive rights, you name it, right? But then we show up, we start to get involved, and then we become friends with the people that we're doing it with and we're on the group chats together.

Those connections are the consistent throughline to this organizing. And I believe ultimately the difference between success and failure. I mean, I think this is the stuff that you cannot write a business plan for. Like, it's just the more organic, like you said, the secret ingredient about all this.

Do you find that people are surprised when you kind of tell the story of women organizing and that you're not talking about like, policy bullet points when it comes to legislation that you're passing and instead about kind of that more organic matter that happens among women? 

Shannon: Yeah. I mean, look, when Moms Demand Action volunteers come into the organization, certainly they transform the issue, but what they find is also that the activism transforms them.

Katie: Yeah. 

Shannon: Because they are in community with other people. And what I don't think a lot of people realize is that community is the stickiness of activism. Maybe you're coming into an organization because your kid went through a lockdown drill, but then all of a sudden you realize you're capable of all these things and.

Suddenly you're sitting across a desk from a lawmaker and you realize that person isn't any smarter than I am, and maybe I'm more concerned and compassionate and kind. I should be the one sitting behind the desk, right? I mean, that's just one example. Maybe it's leaving a bad relationship. Maybe it's asking for a promotion. Maybe it's starting your own community organization. If you want to have a successful group of volunteers and people who are a living, breathing, embodiment of their community, then it has to involve solidarity, comradery, values, and friendship. It has to. 

Katie: It's amazing what women can do when we are sitting shoulder to shoulder.

It's like, yeah, maybe she's gonna eventually run for office and take that guy's seat who we're talking to. But in the meantime, like I have seen this happen, like women who might have thought of themselves as like, “oh, I'm meek. I couldn't speak up possibly at a meeting,” and then they're shoulder to shoulder with other women they're standing with, and it's just like… roar! You know? It's power. 

Shannon: I was talking yesterday to Dr. Dr. Annie Andrews, who is running for Senate in South Carolina. 

Katie: Yes, she's amazing. 

Shannon: Annie was not politically involved in any way in South Carolina. The Parkland shooting happened, she showed up at a Moms Demand Action meeting. This is a pediatrician, right? She went to school for a long time. She was hesitant to go into that meeting because she didn't think she had anything to add that was of value. She wasn't sure if she could be helpful. As a pediatrician! 

And then she joined and she started to speak up and she started to speak on behalf of kids – you know, gun violence is the leading cause of death among American children. And then she decided after all these years of activism that she wanted to run for office. That’s sort of like the gateway into the organization, those baby steps toward realizing you're competent. And then eventually you become confident. 

LaFonda: I wanna talk directly to you, Emily, because I, I mean, it sounds like this is sort of what happened to you, so I'd like to hear more about what inspired you specifically to start a Bonfire group and what your experience has been like.

Emily: Yeah, of course. So hearing you both speak on that and the shared values piece, I already have reflected and thought with my group and all the other Bonfires and the leaders I've spoken to around…. those shared values are what has brought us together. 

And I think even below that, and the underlying thing that is true for everyone, like who you were just speaking about Shannon, and me, is something that we can no longer ignore, which are deep feelings that we're having: grief, rage, love, like you're having these deep feelings. And that's what drove me is that this feeling was building for years, this feeling of wanting to do more had built up in me and I was seeking ways to do that. 

You know, I'm a stay at home– or I like to say, stay outside mom. Now I was an educator previously and I'm all about helping, educating that kind of thing. But at this point in the world and my community, I just had this really, really strong urge to do more. And that's when I reached out, I believe through the website or maybe Shannon's Instagram, and I said, you know, “I'm interested. Let me join a Bonfire. Let me do something.” And then I got the call about leading and um, I was reached by someone on your team and they said, “Would you wanna lead a group? There's another woman in your area, you've never met her before. Would you wanna co-lead with her?” “Sure, I'll meet her. You know, I'll talk to her.” 

So Christina is my co-lead and we were put in touch, I think November, December maybe. We really got to work and then had our first event in January in St. Pete, Florida is our Bonfire and it's grown already since then. We have on our list over 45 members right now. My main experience is just the, the feelings that we're having already and the things that are growing as we speak to each other is just, it's hard to describe, but it's already leading to these women feeling more involved, they're feeling a little bit of peace. They're feeling, oh, I'm supported. You know, oh, I have, there's women in my area that are thinking the same as me, right. That have these values and this, this urge to want to do more. And it's really been amazing to see already at, you know, we've only, we've had two events, our third one's coming up, and we are lucky enough to have Shannon with us at one. It's just been really amazing to see. Yeah. 

Katie: Emily, I have people who, I don't know, maybe they live in places like Washington, DC and the thing that you're describing… First of all, they don't live in Florida. Or, you know, other red states and so have, don't experience that feeling of like isolated and alone. And is it just me around here? 

Emily: Yeah. 

Katie: And also like sometimes when I say these women are connecting on shared values, like I think they have a hard time and, and you just said it's kind of indescribable. It's almost more a feeling. 

Emily: Yep. 

Katie: Can you say more about like, what that feels like when you meet someone who you're like, oh, I think you're my people. I think we share values?

Emily: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean it's um, just in my little circle, right? I have women from different areas of my life, whether it be from 20 years ago, I had some friends that. I've known that long, wanted to join that we're new to the area. Um, I have people from my teaching career that have joined. I have newer friends that are also moms, our kids are in school together, and they were either nervous or scared or feel like they don't have the time or that they can't make an impact, whatever it may be. I just found this commonality of they were not sure where to start. 

But as soon as you talk, and I have friends that I've met, even at the beach where we live, you know, where you strike up a conversation and you can just tell right away that you have that feeling again of, “oh, we are like-minded on a lot of things,” you know, “I want to speak to you more.” You know, I want, and that's a lot of our members right now, and I survey them kind of after the events and get a feel for it that they just have this great feeling of, oh, I've found a group that I can feel like I'm part of a community and I want to speak to them more. You know, I want to learn more from them. I wanna just vent to them. It's just that feeling of belonging to a community that might not have existed otherwise. 

There's a lot of groups and there's a lot of female, LGBTQ+ groups in our area that are inclusive, but to me, just what I've gathered and we see is that a lot of them are based on, you know, a very specific niche part of your life, right? Whether you're a business owner or um, you’re a mom. But what I love about ours is that it's based on those values and it's... It's one that's based on those feelings that everybody can come together kind of no matter their background, but they still have things in common. 

Katie: As a whole person. Yeah. 

Emily: Yeah. I think that's what's unique, but also bringing together a lot of diverse people and perspectives, which we value of course at the very top.  

Katie: So what do you say to the woman who is like, “oh my gosh, Emily, I just admire you so much for doing that. That's so great. I mean, I'm too busy. I, I'm raising my kids, I just, you know, I, between my job and kids or whatever, I just don't know where I'd ever fit that in. And also, like, I don't know what I'd have to offer.” Like, what do you, what do you say to a woman who says something like that? 

Emily: Um, I think overall doing something is better than nothing. Myself, personally, especially the past year or two, I just felt like I really rearranged my life and my priorities towards actions like this, and I really wanna focus on it. You don't necessarily have the time, but if it's a priority, you make the time. And what is also cool about our group, I have members and friends that aren't super active and they don't wanna be super active politically in terms of like, I know they're never gonna go really to a protest, right? They might not be out there canvassing, but they can still resist in different ways. 

And that's having that value of joy at the top as well, right? With inclusion, with diversity, with dialogue. I think that they, knowing that I can say, you know, “well, there's something that you can do,” you know about 75% of our members are really interested in local politics, whether that just be learning more or becoming more active learning about volunteering opportunities.

So I just tell them, you know, anything that you choose to do, whatever you want to do, whatever action you wanna take from here, beyond coming to our monthly events, like anything you do is gonna matter. 

Katie: You sound like you've been doing this forever. Emily, you. And this makes so much sense. I mean, like, your why.

I wanna now talk about this, this partnership now between Bonfire and Red Wine and Blue. Shannon and I have been so excited as we've kind of been brewing this, this plan and to announce that we're joining forces and you know, both Shannon and I, were all about local in-person groups. Connecting online is so important.

So much of our lives are online. But it can't just be that we do need each other in this in-person connection where we live. And you said women are interested in that local politics because we know we can have that outsize impact and like see the results of our labor and we're getting, you know, so much bad news online and this is just feels like truly the antidote to all that. Like by having that connection, by being able to see that impact, by actually getting offline and finding our people. 

So Shannon, let's, let's talk a little bit. Like, how's this all gonna work? You know, if someone listening to this has heard from you, heard about us joining forces, heard from Emily, and they feel like maybe that could be me. Like, if they want to start a group, like let's tell them how would they do that? 

Shannon: Yeah. I mean, first of all, you can join one, but you can also lead one, right? If you're interested in pursuing your personal, political, and professional passions, and there isn't a group near you, then you should, by all means, start one.

But if there is one near you, plug in and go to a couple of meetings and check it out and invite friends. Just like Emily has grown her group by encouraging the members to bring their friends. So if they go to Red Wine and Blue, they can find how to join groups that might already exist where they are. Or to start one if they're interested in leading. 

Katie: And I love actually, Emily, how you shared that you were like, “sure, I'll be a part of that.” And then someone reached out. And like, by the way, like we are real people, you guys listening out there, like there's other real people who we get to work with every day. And so like if you reach out and you wanna be a part of this, like you're gonna talk to one of us and we're gonna talk about what works best for you. 

And Emily, I love that, you know, when you had that conversation that it quickly led to you meeting someone who it sounds like now has become your co-leader and friends and you're doing this together. And like, maybe that could be your journey listener if you're listening. But like, we'll help you find that path. You know, like we don't expect you to have it all figured out. None of us did when we got started. 

LaFonda: No. Emily, how has the in-person community aspect of Bonfire helped you? Because I can imagine it's helped all of the women who have come into this space, 'cause you've created this really inclusive space of hearing how you've invited people in. But how has it helped you? We talk a lot about community on this show. How has the in-person community aspect of Bonfire helped you? 

Emily: It's just given me this touch point, right? Like we do, uh, Christina, my co-lead, and I, put in this work behind the scenes and we're planning events. Our, our members already have ideas too, for other things. They've given us input. Um, but having those minimum of one event a month that we're all meeting in person, it, it really gives me something to look forward to also. Um, I've always enjoyed bringing together friends from different groups since I was younger. For me, I just, I don't know. It's one of those things again that you can't really describe. Right? 

Like when I shared with Amy prior that the magic has come from our members, like even our first one, I'm kicking myself still to this day that I did not record our members because we knew we wanted to have everyone go around and share on. This is what our first event in January, this is the end of January, our first membership event. I think there were 16 of us there. And I, I'm kicking myself about not recording because everyone went around and shared a little bit about themselves, about why they were there and just for them to hear from each other, their whys and what has gotten 'em to this point.

Whether it's um, you know, their children, things their children might experience if they have different color skin than them, right, their mothers. Us having different levels of privilege as well to be able to take the time to do this. I think that's something I'm gonna really try to continue to, uh, highlight, but really say like, we have this position to get together, right? There's so many people that don't have any time in their calendar to get together in person.

But them going around, I just felt... I feel honored and just grateful when I'm there in person, listening to them share, get emotional with, with people that they've never met. You know, some of my friends were crying happy tears, you know, but just seeing that is really amazing. I just feel honored to be guiding it. You know, I see myself as a guide. I shared with Amy, just like when I was teaching. I'm not there to talk the whole time. My goal is to talk less and less, right? I just wanna kind of guide and facilitate. And so having those in-person events allows me to do that and I just feel really grateful.

LaFonda: Have you seen a change in yourself? Have you seen a change in yourself or the women in your group over time? 

Emily: Yeah, I think that it's a little confidence boost too, and just a little for myself and for others, just to see like, oh, I can put myself out there. You know, some that may have not even put themselves in a social situation like that, right?

It is because we wanna encourage them to have conversations about various topics over the months. Some of course would be focused politically, some more personal. A lot of my members wanna learn about you know, improving and maintaining their, maintaining their emotional wellbeing, for example, right? And their mental health.

So I think that I, I hope at least that along with myself, it gives them a confidence booster. It gives them a real sense of peace and calm, at least for a little bit of their day. You know, I just hope that everybody keeps looking forward to it. 

Shannon: And Emily, I would just add, when I was at the Bonfire group that you had recently, 

Emily: Yeah.

Shannon: It was so interesting how women were talking about the transitions they were going through. Some of them were getting divorced, some of them were looking for new, new careers. Some of them were becoming empty nesters. I think what they all had in common was they were looking for some kind of support system to help them learn and get through that transition and also to grow. Right? 

Emily: Yep. 

Shannon: And again, personal, professional, political, whatever that was, they are curious and eager to get involved with these people that they didn't know but who were part of their community. 

Emily: Yes, definitely. 

Katie: This is what I love about women centered spaces organizing, like what you all did. By starting with those like introductions, not just like, “hi, I am Katie, I'm from Ohio,” but like the why, you know? Where you're immediately talking about the divorce, she's going through the empty nesting. Like all of that stuff is so relatable and specific yet universal and creates that sense of connection, relationship, community again, which is like the stickiness that women keep coming back for.

And I truly think, for anyone who is thinking about starting a group or getting involved with, with, with this understanding that that is truly the secret sauce to these groups working. I hope that can demystify things because I think there's this idea. And this is true in a lot of political or issue-based organizing that you'll show up for some kind of meeting and there's a bro at the front of the room. There is no talking about your why. You know, like it's just like bam, bam, bam, you know, going through the PowerPoint and you know, that just leaves such an enormous piece missing. It leaves the community missing. You know, it leaves the stickiness, it leaves that out of it.

I think that not only is that what keeps people coming back, but I also hope that that is what people can realize. “Oh, I can do that. I can create connection among people.” And if you can do that, you can do anything because then you create that connection and then it turns out that like you had 16 people in that room, that's 16 people with their own gifts that they're bringing to the table and their own life experience and expertise in something, you know, and now you've got the 45, like that is just an enormous amount to draw from. 

And nobody, you don't have to do it alone. You and Christine don't even have to do it alone, you know? I bet you, I bet you even, the next time we talk, you're gonna tell me that there are more women in that leadership. More women will have joined you. There's gonna be somebody who left a crazy toxic relationship. There's gonna be somebody else's going back to graduate school and somebody who's running for office. I'm just telling you, like over and over and especially when there's someone who sounds like you do at the beginning of this journey, like it's just gonna happen.

And that's so exciting. I truly believe this is how we change the world and make like lasting real change. Not just like send out a press release change. 

Emily: Yep. 

Katie: In our community. So I'm just like so pumped about what you're doing. 

Emily: Thanks. 

Katie: Um, 

Emily: thanks. Me too. 

Katie: Yeah. I mean, and Shannon, that's why this, like, you wrote like two Instagram posts about this and there's, there's already these bonfire groups in like more than a dozen states, right?

Shannon: Yeah. I think we're just, we've just touched the tip of the iceberg here. Like this is so needed and so wanted, and really Red Wine and Blue, I think, is the first and only organization to be organizing women all over the country in a grassroots way. And that is profound and I think will result in a seismic shift in all kinds of things. Right? I mean, it's difficult to even quantify because when women come together, so much change happens and I'm just, I'm so thrilled that Red Wine and Blue is growing and thriving. 

Katie: I'm so excited that we are doing this in collaboration together because I also, like, that's another thing that only women do. Like you and I had a Zoom call however many months ago, and it wasn't like, “well, wait a minute. I'm doing my thing and you're doing your thing.” And you know, like silo, fiefdom, like, no. It was like, “how do we do this together and just make it bigger and bolder and more badass, because that's what everyone we know deserves.” 

Shannon: All boats rise with a tide. 

Katie: That's right. 

Emily: Mm-hmm. 

Katie: Alright, well. Thank you guys both so much for joining Lafonda and me on how to not lose your shit. I am so, really just excited to meet you Emily, and, and thank you for what you're doing in St. Pete's and I can't wait to, you know, keep hearing updates on the group.

Shannon: You two are gonna have to come out to Florida. 

LaFonda: Yeah!

Katie: Oh, okay. Yeah. Especially from Cleveland while it's so cold, you know. Like, okay, fine. 

LaFonda: We already talked about the beach. I'm in. 

Emily: Yep. Yeah. Come on down. 

Shannon: Katie, we have an amazing event coming up. Do you wanna talk about it? 

Katie: Uh, I can't believe that I almost said goodbye without talking about it.

So yes, everyone. March 30th you can join Shannon and me and other leaders – Emily, are you joining our event? 

Emily: Sure. Yep. 

Katie: Okay. Maybe Emily. I'm there. LaFonda, are you coming? 

LaFonda: Of course!

Katie: Right. Okay. So it's not, this is not just gonna be a podcast. We're all gonna get together on Zoom. We could all be in the chat together, live and in real time. And the name of the event is Get Offline and Find Your People. And so, yes, we are having this event online. Yes, I see the irony. It will be a Zoom event, a virtual event. The purpose for this virtual event is to help you find your people in real life. We already have thousands of women who, like Emily, are connecting with women locally in their communities.

If that sounds like something you want to do, you gotta come join us on March 30th. Mm-hmm. At 7:30 PM Eastern, 4:30 PM Pacific. So like, get online for like an hour so that you can get offline and find your people. 

Emily: Yeah. Perfect. 

Katie: All right. We'll see y'all then!