We’re looking forward to introducing you to The Hive. Check out our conversation below.
The , we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
We are Middle-Stage made fun and we are proud of building a community where women can connect and build community. There is a ton of work that goes on behind the scenes to create all of the social, educational, travel and service opportunities for our members.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
The Hive Women was started in 2021 by six women from Overland Park, Kansas, to help women in the “middle stage” of life connect while also giving back to the community. Our unofficial tagline is “social with a purpose,” we seek opportunities to support charities through social activities, service projects, and education. When we started in 2021, we had a very small group attend our first meeting, but word about the group quickly spread, and women in our demographic were eager to connect with other women. Now, more than 300 women have joined The Hive (in our Overland Park KS, Eagan MN, and National chapters). We have a blog, buzzfromthehive.com, that is available on our website and has lots of great topics for women in the middle-stage. We have had many new experiences, including KC Current stadium tour, KC Pink Warrior dragon boats, local Taco Tour, yard yoga, Purple Meadows lavender farm, white water river tubing, and so much more. We traveled together to some really great destinations including Mackinac Island, Albuquerque air balloon festival, Jamaica, Cancun MX, Asheville NC, Octoberfest in Herman MO, just to name a few. The Hive has given more than $32,000, over 1500 volunteer hours, and donated over 16,000 items to local non-profits. Middle-stage made fun and Social, with a purpose in action!
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
There are many factors that break bonds between people – big life events that change our focus and priorities, a physical move to a new city/state, change in life stage (empty nester, taking care of parents, retirement, etc) and many other factors. We know from research and life experience that creating bonds between women comes from building a welcoming community where women can connect to form new friendships and have new experiences together. The Hive is all about bringing women together to do just this. We strive to create an environment where women can be themselves, laugh together, serve alongside each other, and build friendships. We have a lot of fun together!
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
The Hive is now four years old and we have had a huge learning curve along the way. One lesson we have learned is “don’t wait for the right time to start something new or entertain a new idea.” Sometimes you have to learn as you go and make adjustments accordingly. The fear of trying something new is a huge barrier to growth and making your business the best it can be. We were fearful of starting The Hive Travel, there were so many “what ifs” and it was a big leap to go from hosting local events to traveling abroad. There were so many new logistical and financial issues to work through – BUT The Hive Travel has been so amazing! We have had so much fun, had many exciting adventures, and Hive members have really connected during the trips.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
The Hive is committed to connecting middle-stage women through social, educational, service and travle opportunities and make a positive impact in the community. We are known as an inclusive group that enjoys trying new things while giving back to local charities.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you retired tomorrow, what would your customers miss most?
The Hive is not going anywhere – we are here for the long haul! However, if we retired tomorrow, The Hive members would definitely miss all the fun times we have together, the ease of getting together of friends (you just register and show up) and the impact we make in the community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thehivewomen.com
- Instagram: @thehivewomenOP, @thehivewomen
- Facebook: @thehivewomenOP, @thehivewomen
- Other: The Hive blog – buzzfromthehive.com
Image Credits
none – all personal iphone photos
