A love Note to the SheHive

Sometimes I need a trusted friend to look me straight in the eye and tell me something I already know about myself. ​

Can I take a moment to tell you how I feel about the SheHive?

Wait a minute - NO.

I’m not going to phrase that as a question.

Let’s try that again.
​
I’m going to take a moment, right now, to tell you how amazing this SheHive is and why it matters to me.

Let’s start from the beginning of my SheHive story

I first heard about the SheHive on a bleak January day two years ago.

That winter had me feeling stir crazy. I’d been working hard and taking too little time for myself. I as ignoring everyone around me and acting like a recluse.

Now, being the social creature that I am, this was not a good feeling.

So, in the dead of winter I signed up for any and all local events that caught my eye. Painting class? Yep. Wine night - Sign me up! Business Networking events? Sure, why not?

At one of those events, I lamented to a new friend about the lack of women-led spaces in the area. Then someone in the room mentioned this place called the SheHive.

For a moment I wondered if I had willed the SheHive into existence. Did I speak out loud about a hypothetical thing and then the universe was like “I Gotcha Girl”, easy as that?*

​I didn’t even ask questions. I was on board with this “SheHive” from the moment I first heard of it. It could have been a cult, I would have joined willingly. Boom. Done. Sign me up.

Human Growth Chart

Fast forward to today. I’ve been attending one or two events a month for a solid two year streak.

​I feel like a walking talking growth chart - where you can plot the lines of progress and watch them go up and up as the months go by.

• I made a bucket list and started checking off items, thanks to the Badass Ladies Supper Club.
• I learned about my strengths from Ursula in her StrengthsFinder class.
• I sought the business advice of my unofficial board of directors - my SheHive Masterminds Group.
• I found women who understand what it means to live with an invisible illness and who support me and care about my wellbeing.
• I painted a pretty cute self portrait at Crafting and Cocktails - just for the fun of it.
• I learned to stop eating like an asshole. A class where Corinne managed not to shame us, but instead helped make food a positive part of our self-care strategy.
• I partnered up with women who inspire me and hosted some fun co-working events.
• I found out just how much support I had in this crew, when I once broke down crying when it came to my turn to introduce myself. It was a hard week that week, and I needed to hear that I was not alone. And I did.

As a SheHive KeyHolder I now have a stake in what happens at the SheHive. I’m responsible for keeping things running smoothly and helping out wherever my skills apply. And it’s totally a labor of love. No doubt about it.

I lead a Laughter Yoga group on Sunday. It brings me so much freakin’ joy I can barely contain it. And it checks off another one of those bucket list items.

...And I’m running into my SheHive friends all over town.

Everywhere I go - we’re out there.

SheHive women are giving each other secret nods across crowded rooms and not-so-secret bear hugs in grocery store aisles. We’re looking each other in the eye and saying, sincerely, “How are you – for real?”

The best part of the SheHive is that it isn’t just a place - it’s a whole community.

I’m so damn proud to be a part of it.

Laura Eagin,
​SheHive KeyHolder & Owner, ellell & co.

P.S. If you have a friend who hasn’t been here yet - I made a video tour she’ll love. Share this with her, and invite her to come see for herself what’s so special about this SheHive thing.