P L AY
COACHES
Meet the inspiring women who are leading grassroots groups for female empowerment.
MEGHAN BOODY: GIRL POWERED
ALISON CHACE: SHARING WISDOM
MARIKA FRUMES: AUTHENTICITY CHAMPION
During a walk on the beach in Southold, life and business coach Ellie Gordon and artist Meghan Boody, who’d met only the week before at a New York City gallery event, realized they were both passionate about female transformation. They launched Gang of Girls right then and there. Six years later, GOG, a powerful community for women to share experiences through storytelling and teaching, has blossomed to over 100 members. “We often roll up our sleeves and get into the nitty-gritty with members who present specific issues,” Boody says. “We tend to focus on inner peace, gratitude and nonreactive strategies, so no matter what happens, our members stand strong.” Gang of Girls hosts an annual weekend-long summer extravaganza in Southold, featuring guided meditations, collaborative meals, tarot readings, an in-house exercise routine, and, of course, lounging around the pool and beach—“everything you would imagine at a self-respecting pajama party,” says Boody. To attend a GOG intro meeting in June, contact mboody@lookingglasslabs.com.
For actress and entrepreneur Alison Chace, part of personal growth means creating spaces for others to flourish. Chace, who frequently performs with the off-Broadway theatre company The Barrow Group, and recently joined the cast of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, launched the advice website Pink Wisdom two years ago. “Little did I know how much I needed to learn about what I planned to teach,” Chace says. Today, Pink Wisdom brings together 55 women—life coaches, entrepreneurs and relationship experts—to share information with other women online through short videos. Chace also hosts salons where authors, therapists, female founders, life coaches, bloggers, spiritual practitioners and executive coaches mingle with like-minded individuals. “I don’t think of myself so much as the expert,” the Quogue summer resident says, “but rather an expert who is really good at gathering the experts who offer advice and support. Someone once told me I was like an entrepreneur of entrepreneurs. I loved that.” pinkwisdom.com
Too often networking can feel like a chore, devoid of meaningful conversations. HER NYC requests that you leave the business cards at home when attending their events. Hospitality maven Marika Frumes, co-founder of the HER USA, helps gather together groups of 25 women of all different ages leading the way, in a variety of industries, at curated dinners. “Women are finally acting on the idea that together, we are stronger,” Frumes says. “When we strip away our masks, we quickly see that everyone has a struggle, everyone has an ‘ask.’” Dinner guests are invited to share moments of personal growth they might not own up to at a more formal gathering, and take inspiration from and support each other along the way. So far, thanks to Frumes, HER NYC has brought together more than 1000 women. Larger monthly gatherings offer other opportunities for connection. “It’s nice to see that regardless of whether you’re 25 or 50, no one has it figured out,” says Frumes. “Life is a constant lesson, and we hear that at the table.” herglobalnetwork.com
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