WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Groups put focus on empowering women in business

BY RACHEL MADISON

STAFF WRITER

Liberty Hill has a robust women entrepreneur scene. From boutiques and salons to medical practices, real estate offices and more, women who own businesses are easy to find. Continuing to cultivate that unique scene is important to most of the women who manage their own businesses. They are finding support through two area groups that give these entrepreneurs more than just a place to network, but also a place to discuss challenges and wins, and to create relationships that continue to foster women entrepreneurship.

Liberty Hill Boss Babes

When Kaela Thurman started the Liberty Hill Boss Babes Facebook page in March 2018, she had no idea it would grow to include over 500 members four years later.

Thurman, who owns Care First Walkin Clinic, said there was a need in the community for a space for women-owned businesses to share.

“I didn’t start the group with the intent of what it is today,” she said. “I just wanted to provide a free space for local women business owners to communicate, and now it’s grown into one of the biggest community resources in Liberty Hill.”

Thurman didn’t have any goals to grow the group -- it has just grown organically over the years. She especially noticed an uptick in members during the COVID pandemic, because it gave people an outlet to communicate. About a year ago, she created a board of volunteers to help her manage and moderate the group. Boss babes on the board with Thurman include Erin Ashby, owner of Suade Marketing; Amy Gandy, owner of A. Gandy & Co. Real Estate; Nicole Rysdyke, owner of Flock Fitness; and Nancy Wilk, creator of the “Getting to Know You in Liberty Hill” Facebook page.

As the group grew, Thurman knew she needed some extra hands to continue to cultivate it. Together with her volunteer board, they came up with the purpose “to be a community of support and a safe space for women to grow as business owners, leaders and people.” Each day of the work week has a different theme for boss babes to get involved, like Promote Yourself Tuesday, Wisdom Wednesday, and Boss Babe Spotlight Thursday.

“Having a place where people could learn and grow from other business women is really important,” Ashby said. “This group is growing because we’re really leaning on each other for leadership advice and just having a place to vent.”

Each boss babe on the board has their own role within the group. For example, Rysdyke is responsible for boosting morale and providing inspirational thoughts on Wisdom Wednesdays, while Gandy’s role is to plan and execute in-person events for the boss babes to network.

“One thing I love about this group is that it’s just for Liberty Hill boss babes,” Thurman said. “You don’t join with your businesses, you join yourself as a person. We stay true to that.”

Gandy said what she has loved about being a part of the group is that if she needs a service in town, the Boss Babes group is the first place she goes to ask for help.

“From this group I can get reliable sources and they can recommend who I need to talk to,” she said.

Wilk added that the relationships she’s made through the group have been immeasurable.

“We all have so much going on in our personal lives. We’re moms, wives, friends,” she said. “Women encompass everything in the universe that needs attention, so we need to connect with each other.”

In the near future, Ashby will be heading up a video series, called Business Talk with Babes, where local business owners will talk about themselves, their businesses and their best advice. Those will be streamed to the group twice a month.

Historically, the group has also held quarterly events for boss babes to mingle and get to know each other. The turnout for those events have been intimate, Gandy said, which has allowed attendees to get to know each other well. Through the in-person events, the group creates a community in real life, not just online.

“We are all here in town, and it’s nice when you are out and see boss babes around town,” Thurman said. “It lifts you up. I need these events to have a night out to connect with other women. It’s nice to find comfort in the group and be more casual. You don’t have to be the boss there.”

As Liberty Hill continues to grow, Thurman hopes the group will help to keep women in business centered and continue to feel the small-town community vibes the area is known for.

“I want this group to just continue to be available for people as they come to town, and continue to be a network of support,” she added. “My other goal is to continue to have a close relationship and personal connection with other female business owners as the economic scene of Liberty

The Liberty Hill Boss Babes group has grown organically over the last four years. In recent years, in-person events have been held for women business owners to get to know each other, like this event at Main Street Social held earlier this year. (Courtesy Photo) Hill changes.” For more information, visit the group online at https://www.facebook.com/ groups/408028306309807

Liberty Hill Chamber Women In Business

Sabrina Jordan started the Liberty Hill Chamber of Commerce’s Women In Business group in 2014 and continues to lead it. Jordan, who works as a Realtor, started the group because as a member of the Chamber, she saw a need for women to find a way to get together, share ideas and network. “At that time there weren’t any networking events in Liberty Hill at all,” she said. “For a while, some of the churches in the area put together meetings for men and women to attend, but there wasn’t anything for just women.” Today, the group meets monthly for a luncheon. Every third month they meet in the evenings to accommodate women who work during the day and can’t get away at lunch. The group has several goals, including raising funds to donate to area nonprofits. In the past, the group has donated funds to Operation Liberty Hill, the Liberty Hill Public Library, and awarded scholarships to area high schoolers. Another important goal for the group is to provide opportunities to learn and network, Jordan said.

“Sometimes we have a speaker and sometimes we have a fun networking event,” she said. “For example, in September, our luncheon was a recipe swap of easy weeknight meals. In October, we are having Whitney Brace, owner of Liberty Hill Pharmacy, come and speak to us about health and wellness and give our members a chance to ask the pharmacist their questions.”

Jordan said the monthly luncheons and events are geared toward women business owners to help inspire them through their businesses and personal lives.

“We didn’t have anything at all for women in Liberty Hill,” Jordan said. “I felt a need for myself, so I just discussed it with other like-minded women, and found that they felt the same way. I decided to fill that void and create a community with other women to discuss business ideas, problems, and what’s happening that’s good and bad.”

The Liberty Hill Chamber of Commerce Women in Business group meets monthly for networking and skill building. At this particular monthly meeting, attendees learned how to create charcuterie boards. (Courtesy Photo)

Jordan said the group has grown steadily over the years, with many of the members being women who work their businesses from home.

“We have a lot of women in this who don’t have storefronts, so it’s an important factor for those who work from home to have a group where they can talk with other business women. There are a lot of business women in Liberty Hill that you would never know unless they came to one of our events.”

Jordan said the group is beneficial for all its members because it allows them to share ideas and connections, and relate to other people who are in similar circumstances.

“We generally average around 20 different women at each event,” Jordan said. “It’s a different group every time. We definitely see different faces from the lunch to evening events.”

Jordan said because the Internet and social media have become the main ways people communicate, it’s easier for women to have a career and still be home with their children and care for their families.

“We have the opportunity to wear all the hats,” she said. “And that’s why these types of groups are important.”

Jordan said attendees to the monthly meetings don’t have to be a member of the Chamber to attend. The cost is $15 per person for members and $20 per person for non-members. The group meets the second Tuesday of the month at Rockpointe Church in Liberty Hill. For more information, visit www.libertyhillchamber.org.