Anyone who has ever belonged to a traditional business networking group knows that those meetings can be a little, well, staid. It was at one of those meetings last February that Seattleites Darnell Sue and Samantha Lawton met and struck up a friendship.
A little bored by the current roundup of networking groups, they decided to create one that better reflected themselves and their savvy peers. So last September, Sue, a local blogger and self-proclaimed "girl about town [1]," and Lawton, who works in the environmental industry, launched Girl Power Hour [2] as a place where "social circles collide."
The first event last September, at the Shilshole Bay Beach Club, was attended by 100 movers and shakers from Sue's and Lawton's respective social and business circles. Just six months later, the duo has around 900 women on their mailing list, gathered solely by word of mouth.
Held the third Thursday of the month, Girl Power Hour is an ever-changing networking experience for women. Each month brings a different theme, a generous swag bag for the first 50 women through the door, giveaways, door prizes and advice from guest speakers, such as spring fashion tips from ClosetFly [3] or tips on how to de-clutter your home from A Logical Mess [4].
In addition to the "no boys allowed" rule, what makes Girl Power Hour unique is its ambiance. Sue and Lawton hand-pick the event space, customize drink specials for each event and set the mood with lighting and music in an attempt to create a stylish, fun environment. They also select a charity to benefit from the event. In February, they collected 150 pairs of gently worn shoes for Soles4Souls [5], an organization that distributes shoes to those in need.
The next Girl Power Hour, with a theme of "Spring Cleaning" is March 20 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the W Seattle Hotel. The event will feature a clothing drive for Dress For Success and fitness demos by personal trainers from Sassy Fit. Admission is $10 at the door and you must RSVP at www.girlpowerhour.com [6]. A donation of cash or a new or gently used "interview-ready" article of clothing is requested but not required.
If you have a shop, sale, event or great product tip you'd like to share, e-mail seattleshopping@nwsource.com.
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
