Last Tuesday night was a pretty amazing evening, to say the least! It was my first #TuesdaysTogether, an incredibly inspiring, educational, community-building movement and gathering.

The founders of The Rising Tide Society can sum up what, exactly, Tuesdays Together are better than I can:

“It is our hope to cultivate a society of creative entrepreneurs who believe in community over competition and have a desire to lead with love. From this dream, #TuesdaysTogether was born. A meetup on the second Tuesday of every month where creatives + entrepreneurs gather together for coffee and conversation. An open space for idea sharing and goal building. Separated by distance, but beautifully united by a hashtag and a shared desire for community… Tuesdays Together meet-ups are gatherings for small business owners who have a desire to share their knowledge, learn from their peers, and grow together. The meetings, coordinated by local industry leaders, are designed to be approachable, authentic, and uplifting. Each month, we’ll be releasing an overarching topic to kickstart the conversation and allowing the gathering to flow from there!”

I joined up with the Bethesda group (just outside of DC), and it was a pretty spontaneous decision to attend! I had been following along with the DC group, but they were meeting out in the suburbs of Northern Virginia during the work day, so I knew I wouldn’t be able to attend. I happened upon the Bethesda group details that Tuesday afternoon (when my new friend Alyssa of Lovely & Bubbly Events RSVP’ed to the event on Facebook), and made the instant decision that I’d rearrange my Tuesday evening plans to be able to make it. And it was SO worth it!

The lovely Jamie of Marigold & Grey, an artisan welcome & gift basket boutique, hosted about twenty-five or thirty local creatives in her home. It was so gracious and inviting of her to have us over, especially with such a large group. I rarely am in Maryland, even though it’s really not too far from me, and it was fun venturing to a new part of town and meeting so many wonderful creative entrepreneurs! Everyone was truly so friendly, talkative, and full of energy and excitement. There were fellow wedding planners & designers, photographers, bloggers, calligraphers, florists, jewelry designers, and more in attendance. After some great mixing and mingling, we got down to business and had a great discussion on best Tools of the Trade, this month’s topic. It was such a great discussion, and I loved how candid, open, encouraging, and helpful everyone was! I think the entire point of The Rising Tide Society truly shone during our Tuesdays Together — that it really is about building community and not competition. That “a rising tide lifts all boats.”

You can read many more details (including what we chatted about and learned from each other!) on Jamie’s Marigold & Grey blog. She even sent us home with an adorable make-your-own trail mix bar! I’m already looking forward to July’s meetup, and it’s been so fun connecting with so many creatives I met last week. And please let me know if you’re interested in joining us, or if you want to find a gathering in your area!