Exploring your next chapter with Grace Kraaijvanger

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Have you been sitting on a dream that you can no longer sit on anymore? Or maybe you’ve surrendered to the calling of your life’s work and you’re seeking to create your next chapter.

In episode 129 of the Lead with Love podcast, I get cozy with Grace Kraaijvanger. Grace is a speaker, business mentor, and the founder of The Hivery, a co-working space and community where women can create, express themselves and receive authentic support as they change careers, start businesses, or take time off to pursue a passion.

Formerly a professional modern and ballet dancer in San Francisco, Grace’s initial idea for The Hivery came from a longing to create a space and community that evoked the same energy and spirit as what she had experienced as a professional dancer, when her days consisted of collaborating with choreographers, musicians, set designers, and other artists. After retiring from dance, Grace’s pursued a career as a marketing executive in tech and for Fortune 500 companies.

The Hivery was awarded “Best Office Space in the U.S. and Canada” by Wayfair, Inc. in 2017, and Grace and The Hivery have been featured in Domino, Huffington Post and Entrepreneur.

If you fall in love with Grace and what she stands for, I invite you to join us in San Francisco at The Hivery’s Entrepreneur + Inspiration Lab with an amazing lineup, including Marie Forleo and Dr. Tererai Trent.

I’ll be speaking about: How to Grow Your Community, Increase Engagement and Serve Your Tribe with Love, so you can spark a high-growth movement, build a deeper relationship with your fans and customers.

“I was very interested in creating a space that not only visually represented that creativity, but emotionally celebrated that creativity that is within all of us.”

– Grace Kraaijvanger

What you'll hear (and don't want to miss!)

• The importance of core values and what you want your business to be known for and how it informs every decision you make [7:46]
• How to respond to ideas that keep creeping back into you mind and how to turn a dream you may have been sitting on for many years into reality [11:56]
• How Grace’s business has evolved from the original plans she had for it [16:03]
• The resistance she faced starting a brick and mortar business (from others and herself) but why she didn’t let it stop her [18:56]
• What essential ingredients she used to build a thriving in-person community with The Hivery [23:21]
• What essential ingredients she used to build a thriving in-person community with The Hivery [23:21]
• A major challenge Grace has faced in building the community, and how this obstacle led to new opportunities [31:35]
• How to help women recognize they are worthy enough to invest in themselves and their dreams [35:11]
• What The Hivery’s Entrepreneur + Inspiration Lab is all about and the amazing lineup who will be appearing in San Francisco [38:06]
• The ways Grace guards her time (and sanity!) raising a family while running a business [44:46]

Resources + links mentioned:

» The Hivery

» The Hivery's Entrepreneur + Inspiration Lab

» The Hivery Virtual membership and online community

» Connect with Grace and The Hivery on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest!

» Authentically Being Boss with Kathleen Shannon

Key Quotes:

• “From our membership to our programming, to the way we designed our space, is all based in this idea of do it with heart, do it with love and respect for one another.” [9:02]
• “You actually can create a very viable business by leading with a value that’s inherently human.” [9:25]
• “As anyone who has kids knows, it’s like business creeps up on you and all the sudden I was so busy.” [12:36]
• “I look at (my business) like a painting or like creating a dance, or like writing a song. You don’t know what it’s going to be when you’re in it. You’re creating the work, and then the work is creating you.” [16:15]
• “It’s not what you’re doing, it’s why you’re doing it.” [17:36]
• “I was very interested in creating a space that not only visually represented that creativity, but emotionally celebrated that creativity that is within all of us.” [23:59]

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