Good Neighbor Podcast: Auburn and Opelika

Ep.#102: How A Simple Coffee Chat Grew Into A Local Network

• Susannah Hodges at Village Centre Press

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0:00 | 15:45

We share how a lonely season pushed Elizabeth Bethune to create Gathering AO, a warm, in-person community for female business owners in Auburn and Opelika. From free meetups to a sustainable model, we dig into hosting at women-owned venues, real connection, and why belonging beats business cards.

• origin of Gathering AO as an antidote to isolation
• early growth and the shift forced by the pandemic
• event format centered on the woman behind the business
• hosting at member venues to showcase local shops
• moving from free events to paid tickets and membership
• designing for commitment without losing accessibility
• redefining networking as belonging and support
• how to find the group on Instagram and Facebook

www.facebook.com/thegatheringao

instagram.com/thegathering_AO
theoagathering@gmail.com

Welcome And Guest Introduction

SPEAKER_00

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Susanna Hodges.

Why Gathering AO Exists

SPEAKER_01

Welcome. And with me today is Elizabeth Bethune. Welcome, Elizabeth. You're with Gathering AO. Tell us all about that.

SPEAKER_02

Yes, so um the Gathering AO is really a community for uh female business owners in the Alburn Opal area. Let's see if I can get this out today. Um, and it's built on really about um supporting one another and encouraging every um one another in uh the entrepreneurial journey that um so many of us have come to know, and um some by accident and then some on purpose, but um it's just really about bringing women together um to support and encourage one another.

SPEAKER_01

So tell me a little bit about how this idea came to be and how you got started doing this.

Launch Story And Early Momentum

Pivoting Through The Pandemic

SPEAKER_02

So um I had actually started my business uh back in 2017. And in the process from 2017 to 2018, uh I also got married and very quickly and unexpectedly got pregnant. And so I was now in the throes of motherhood, being a new wife and um and a business owner. And you know, it was one thing when I had my business without any of those things, but all of a sudden I was just trying to figure out how to navigate it all. And so um I was really lonely. I was very, very lonely at that point because I was working from home. It was just me. Um, I did uh social media management and consulting, and I met with a lady um for coffee one day, and we were just talking about how it was very lonely and it was not as easy as we thought this was gonna be. And um it was like it was just nice to hear other people feel the same way, and also because if somebody doesn't own a business, it's hard to relate. And so we were like, what if we just got together a bunch of women who own businesses and just see what happens? And um, this was when I was living in Montgomery at the time, and so um we launched January 2020. Um, not I say we launched, we literally put this on. Um, we just said, let's let's it was free. We somebody um who owned a little brewery let us come and hang out at their place if as well as we bought drinks, you know, and all that, and and that's where it all started. Um, we had 40 people show up to our first event. Yeah. And so we quickly realized, wow, this is a really big need. And it also showed us, wow, we have a much larger community of female business owners than we even realized. And so, um, so basically it's hard to believe this was almost six years ago, but um, you know, obviously 2020, the pandemic hit, and our whole purpose was to meet in person. That was kind of our whole thing um because we wanted to get about from behind the screens and um and just get to know people. And and so it's just been it was an interesting thing navigating um how to still build that community from the two we we met in February as well, um to to figure out how to continue that um through COVID and having to force to be behind screens. And so um, thanks to the two meetings we had, people really loved it, people really believed in it, and we were able to continue it on and start meeting again um in 2022.

SPEAKER_01

Um and so now you're in Auburn. That's correct, and yeah, so we're doing it here. So tell me, like, what does an event look like?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, so this event is very laid back. Um, I've I wanted it to feel very personable. Um, I didn't want it to feel um very, very when I say salesy, I didn't want it to be like we immediately come to each other and hand each other's hit hand each other business cards.

SPEAKER_01

Kind of like a networking event.

SPEAKER_02

Right, right. I I knew that's kind of what it was, but I wanted to kind of do something different. So what I truly want, I try to communicate with people is it's all about getting to know the woman behind the business. So we get to know each other, and of course it's gonna come up about, you know, oh, what what do you do? You know, what business do you own? But it's just about building relationships and really getting to know each other. Um, and so that basically means we come together and there's usually some food, you know, little nibbles to to eat or drink, and then um we we each get to stand up and share um who we are and about our businesses. And our our big thing is to be to to follow each other on social media to get that connection to get that support. And then from there, um, we that's usually when people want to say, Hey, I want to come to talk to this person. And so there's just a connection that happens afterwards, and so it's relayed back there, they're a lot of fun. Um, one thing I always love about them is there's always typically a lot of laughter that comes with it. Um, and so it's just I've I've always wanted it to feel where people walk through the door that they don't feel um, it doesn't feel stuffy, it doesn't feel judgy, it's just very much a come as you are, like let's learn about each other and see how we can support and encourage one another in this journey.

SPEAKER_01

I've been to a a couple of your events, and uh what I really like about it is is you're meeting at a person's or uh their business and getting to experience the their location as well as learning about the person. That's correct.

Hosting At Women-Owned Venues

SPEAKER_02

Yes. Um, that was actually again, I I I laughed because this was no this was never something that I sat down and planned and mapped and I said this is how we're gonna do it. We're gonna meet at different own you know, business female owned businesses, but um I the Lord, as I I always say it's only the Lord that actually could have orchestrated this. And because from there, from that first meeting that we had, we had two women who owned a boutique come up to us and say, Hey, we would love this. We want to host the next event. Of course, in our minds, we were we had not even thought about event number two, but it just organically started happening like that. And I did, we saw so much value in it because it um it, I mean, it kind of uh freed us up on a level of things because we were both running our business, uh, you know, our main businesses at the time, and it it allowed the business owner to really kind of take it over and and allow people into their store or whatever you know location they had and um get to kind of show off who they are and what they do. Um, and so that has been a really unique thing. Um, I say you knew, I mean, it's just a really cool thing that that's just been organically um that has organically happened and continues to allow it to to like fuel the mission. Right. Um so yeah, so it's been that's been a really cool element of it.

SPEAKER_01

So let's uh turn the conversation to you personally, uh Elizabeth. What do you like to do for fun when you're not planning gatherings?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, that's kind of the the funny question. I was that's I told you before this, I was like, man, I actually actually think about this question. Um, you know, right now I have a seven-year-old daughter, and um I our fun thing to do as a family right now is we got two, well, two things right now. We love bowling. We um that has just become one of our family night, like almost weekly things that we do. Um, we all look forward to it. Um, and so I really consider that something really fun that we get to do. Um, and then uh my husband and I are just uh love to go to the mountains. Um we usually only get to go about twice a year, but um that's kind of our oh, when do we get to go to the mountains? And just just being able to get away. So I don't know how much that is fun, but my two things, yeah.

Hard Lessons On Tickets And Money

SPEAKER_01

That they get us, yeah, they get us out of our everyday grind, I guess you could say, yes, need to get away so you can think a little better outside of uh your normal places that you exist. Yeah. So part of the reason I do this podcast is to encourage others to follow those ideas that come in your head and say, hey, why don't like you did, like why don't we uh get get some people together? And so a lot of what I try to do is encourage people to to follow those trains of thoughts into entrepreneurship. So obviously, when you're starting a new business and you're coming going through the motions of trying to get things off the ground, you're gonna have hardships, you're gonna have obstacles that stand in the way. So, what were some of those things that you experienced and how did it help you and the gathering maybe even become a stronger person and a stronger organization?

Belonging Over Business Cards

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I think I mean to be very transparent, when we started doing this, um, it was a free event. Um, and so and I guess I'm still kind of figuring this out as we go. Um, I finally, I think in 2022, when we were still in Montgomery, decided to start charging because I realized I really wanted to eventually do this. Like I wanted to make this um a business. Yes. And so, you know, the financial aspect has, and when I say financial, there's not a ton of overhead or anything like that. But what I know is my my audience. And so my most of my women are solopreneurs who you know that we work with. And um, and so they're it well, how can I say that? They're all trying to figure this out with their findings. Everybody is, right, and especially, you know, with the economic times we're living in. Um, it was like I never wanted this to be a financial burden. And so it's just been really kind of figuring out, you know, the um testing and kind of seeing what works as far as for ticket prices. Or I'm like right now I'm working on creating a membership um to kind of to kind of add a little something more to it. And so, you know, what does that entail? Number one, for time, because you've got two things here. You've got time and you've got money. And so two very valuable things for entrepreneurs. And um, and so it's just been kind of figuring out what works and what doesn't. Obviously, you're not gonna be able to um, you know, it works something for everybody, but what is that kind of good middle ground that that it's not gonna quote break the bank, but it's also going to be investing in in this this community to not just not just make profitable for me, but to be able to invest it and give it back um to serve women. And so um, I don't know if I really have a message because that's really I feel like that's something I'm constantly just trying to figure out, but that's been kind of the the interesting thing is because when we did it for free, um I learned very quickly that if people don't have skin in the game, um more than likely they're not gonna show up. Right. Um, and so you know that that was not working very well. Um, and so yeah, and just kind of slowly kind of fig figuring out that. Um, but yeah, I guess that's kind of been the the biggest kind of learning um curve is is you know not being able to please everybody, but just trying to make it work to where um it's beneficial for everybody.

SPEAKER_01

That's right. Yeah, and those are kinds of things you kind of have to figure out as you go along when you're starting a new business. Right. Absolutely. Right. So, what is one thing you wish people knew about the gathering AO that they may not realize?

SPEAKER_02

Um, I guess for any woman out there who who has maybe said, Oh, it's just another networking event, I I've I've always wanted to say, I don't I don't want it to feel like that. And it's kind of like I want you to come and see for yourself. Um because the one of the greatest compliments I've been given is is having somebody who um who is not from here. She moved from Rhode Island. So can you imagine moving from Rhode Island to Auburn, Alabama? That's a big culture. That's it, that's a small yeah. And so she had just started her business, um, new mom, and she came to the gathering and she said it it was like not saying Auburn was as bad or anything, like please hear I'm not saying that, but it was just that she was like, I felt like I kind of belonged when I walked or when I joined. And um, it just felt like that place where, okay, like no matter what where I'm from, or I can just come and be supported and be welcomed. And so it's not about the size of your business, it's not about your the amount of money that you make every year. It's not about um, even if you are doing a side hustle, it doesn't matter. We just want you to come, we want to support and encourage each woman on their journey. Um, because I, you know, I believe each woman has been gifted um by God with gifts and opportunities, and we want to see them shine and and thrive. So um that's kind of what I want people to know is that we it's really about the woman behind the business, not just about trying to get you more business, even though that's it's a perk of it.

Where To Find Gathering AO

SPEAKER_01

Don't get it. That's a perk of it, yeah, but not the main focus. Absolutely. Yeah. Right. Well, um, Elizabeth, how can people learn more about the gathering AO and how can they find out about when the next event is?

SPEAKER_02

Yes, so website, not we don't have a website yet. So we are currently working off of mainly Instagram and Facebook. Okay. Um so if you want to follow us on Facebook, it I'm sorry, on Instagram, it is of course Instagram.com slash thegathering underscore AO. And then um our Facebook is also um, I believe Facebook.com slash thegathering AO, no underscore. Um, and then um we also have a private Facebook group if you are a female business owner in the Albert Opalica area. Um, even we've got people in from Chambers County, um, that's sort of, you know, in that area. Um, you can find us at it's this the gathering AO is a private Facebook group there as well.

SPEAKER_01

All right. Well, thank you so much for being with me today. I've enjoyed learning more about you and your venture here in helping business owners, specifically women, yes uh connect with each other and learn from each other.

SPEAKER_02

Well, thank you for having me on. I really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_00

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast Auburn. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpauburn.com. That's gnpauburn.com. Or call three three four four two nine seven four zero.