Peer-Driven Support Community Takes Root in Brooklyn
by Emily Wenner
The Park Slope, Brooklyn Soloist Collective chapter meeting convened last week at the Bond Collective in Gowanus. Twenty Soloists — professionals who work for themselves, using their expertise to serve clients — from a variety of fields came together to connect over bagels and coffee, and to hear from fellow Soloist Colleen Davie Janes from Ace Your Video.
Janes shared insights about the importance of video for growing your brand, such as that video gets 60x the attention as text does online. “I geek out so that you don’t have to!” she said as she shared stats on using video for content engagement and marketing. Janes provides video services for entrepreneurs, Soloists and small businesses. She shared her expertise with the group in an thoughtful and actionable presentation.
Soloists took time to introduce themselves to the group and to make asks from the community. Fitness professionals, health coaches, real estate agents, music teachers, interior decorators, and others exchanged cards and made plans to deepen their connections and support one another’s businesses.
The meeting closed with Soloists mingling and creating organic connections while making plans to meet again in November. Chapter members shared their sense of relief at having found a professional community to belong to. “I’m kind of lonely sometimes,” one Soloist shared during the introductions portion of the meeting, and many nodded their heads in agreement. But as phone numbers and e-mails were shared and plans were made, the sense of loneliness faded and the seeds of community were sewn.