Quick Win: Events are Magic
Events Don't Just Build Buzz, They Build Your Business
I have a confession.
After I sold my first company, Bump Club and Beyond, an events-based business I grew from zero to seven figures, reaching 3MM people per month, I swore I would never host another event again.
I’d hosted 2,000+ in person and virtual events over the course of a decade.
But when I started my second company, I quickly realized that sentiment was a lie.
Because here’s the truth I couldn’t outrun: events are magic.
Soon after I launched my podcast, listeners were asking me to create opportunities to meet and connect with other women business owners in person. They wanted this, I knew I had to give them this chance.
Whether IRL or virtual, when you create an opportunity for your community to show up and engage with both you and one another LIVE, something happens that no Instagram post, no email, no carefully crafted reel can replicate. People go from following you... to feeling like they know you. And that shift? That’s where business happens.
Why Events Matter More Than You Think
In my SWEEP framework, the marketing system I created and used to grow two businesses, the second ‘E’ stands for Events. And there’s a reason for that.
Here’s what I know to be true after years of building communities:
• Followers scroll past you. Community members show up for you.
• Social media builds awareness. Events build connection and trust.
• Email converts. But events are often what gets people on your list in the first place.
In fact, I’ve consistently seen more sign-ups for my networking community, the Dear FoundHer... Forum, following live and in-person events than almost anything else I do. Events create momentum. They create stories. They create the kind of connection that makes someone hit “reply” on your next email instead of deleting it.
And the best part? Events don’t have to be complicated. I’ve built businesses off everything from giant Target-sponsored events to tiny coffee shop meetups. Both matter and more important, both work.
Today’s Quick Win: Host One Micro-Event This Month
You don’t need a venue. You don’t need a budget. You don’t need to wait until everything is perfect.
You just need to show up, live, for your community.
Last Friday I went to a coffee shop meet up that my friend was hosting with her real estate team. People came in and out, we hung out and we talked to one another. It was simple, but effective.
Why? For starters, for a whole week I’ve been talking about how I started off last weekend by having coffee with this amazing group of women and sharing that Glickman Levy Realty hosted it.
Here are three ways to create the same kind of connection this month:
• A 20-minute Substack, Instagram or LinkedIn Live answering your audience’s most common questions
• A free Zoom coffee chat open to your email list and social media community, 15 people max, totally casual. BONUS if you create a registration to get people. from your social platforms on to your email list.
• A coffee meetup with 5–8 local customers or followers. Simply say: RSVP and come meet me for coffee. (Again, create a registration to drive people on to your email list.)
The One Rule
Whatever format you choose, end with a clear next step. Tell them what’s coming. Invite them somewhere. Give them a reason to stay close. The magic of an event is only as good as the momentum you build after it.
When I hosted Dear FoundHer...’s first networking event, over 50 women showed up. By the second, it was 60+. But here’s what I did before that first one even happened: I already had the next three planned. Because I knew that if I created something special, I couldn’t let the energy die.
You have something special to offer your community too. Give them a chance to experience it live.
This Week’s QUICK WIN Action Step
Pick one micro-event format. Set a date. Announce it and follow through on it.
That’s it.
Done is better than perfect, and your community is waiting.
So now, you’ve got your first event on the calendar. Maybe it’s a Live. Maybe it’s a Zoom coffee chat. Maybe it’s something small and scrappy and perfectly imperfect.
Good. That’s exactly where it starts.
But here’s what I want you to think about next: what if you didn’t have to build the community for that event from scratch?
What if someone else, someone who already has the trust of the exact community you want to reach, showed up alongside you?
That’s where events stop being a marketing tactic and start becoming a true multiplier. And it’s exactly what we’re going to talk about in this week’s Deep Dive on Thursday.
If you want to take this further? Join me LIVE Thursday at 12pm CT for my monthly Forum Workshop: How to Build Community Through Simple Events, where we turn this strategy into your actual plan. Forum members, you're already in for free, login for your code.
And on a side bar, I want to share that this past weekend I got to spend some amazing quality time with my Ultimate Bestie, my BFF of 35+ years when she came to visit Chicago with her kids. All weekend long, I was reminded of just how lucky we are.
Which brings me to today’s podcast episode, truly a special one.
My guest today is Elyce Arons, Co-Founder and Best Friend of Kate Spade. Elyce shares her real founder story, from how they grew a brand before the internet existed, to the publicity strategy that put Kate Spade on the map, to what it took to start over after unimaginable loss.
If you’ve ever wondered whether there’s a chapter two waiting for you, this one is going to hit different. I can’t wait to hear what you think of it.
Have a great week,
Lindsay Pinchuk, Host + Founder of Dear FoundHer…
FoundHer Faves
Here’s a SHOUTOUT TO SOME OF THE WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES + PRODUCTS WE LOVE… Make sure that you check them out and show them some love by giving them a follow and sharing them with your friends!
Prequel Skincare Gleanser + Glycolic: I’m obsessed with this face wash by Dr. Samantha Ellis. It makes my face feel clean, but isn’t sticky. I’m looking forward to trying some of their other products. FIND IT HERE
Versed Lifting and Defining Mascara: This is what I’m using now, I love it. Check out my obsession here.
ROLLER RABBIT x Target: Launches this weekend, Saturday March 7th. Get the iconic pajamas, beach items pillows and more. If this launch is anything like Missoni, you’ll want to be in line at your closest location, or you can simply log online.
Huephoric: Judy Lee, Founder of Huephoric helps you discover and understand the colors that make you look and feel your best in your wardrobe, makeup, hair, and accessories, so your style feels intentional, effortless, and confidence-boosting. Connect with Judy.
Nicki Perchik is a 2x author (non-fiction business/self help and a tween action/adventure fiction)and founder/CEO of boutique executive search firm, started in 2008, The NLP Group, that works with companies of all sizes across a broad spectrum of industries find, evaluate and recruit top talent for key positions within their organizations. If you’re in Glenview, stop by her book signing with Tails Together animal shelter on March 5th at Twisted Trunk in Glenview, IL from 5-8pm. Connect with Nicki.
Today on the Podcast…
Today, Elyce Arons sits down with Lindsay and shares one of the most grounded real founder stories about building Kate Spade and later launching Frances Valentine. She shares stories of meeting Katie in college, how the business really started, and how getting press created credibility and momentum for the handbag company, especially in a pre-social media era.
Elyce reflects on motherhood and entrepreneurship and how her priorities evolved as her business grew. This episode is for founders who want stronger visibility, are navigating expansion, or are thinking carefully about how to build something that lasts well beyond early recognition.
This is also a story rooted in lifelong friendship and legacy.
CONNECT WITH THE DEAR FOUNDHER… COMMUNITY
March 5, 12pm CT VIRTUAL FORUM WORKSHOP: Building Your Community Through Simple Events, How to instill connection and growth by showing up live (virtually or in person). (Forum members login for your code, this is FREE for you). REGISTER HERE
March 19th, 10am CT CHICAGO AREA Dear FoundHer Live Networking Event: Legal 101 for Small Business Join us for this month’s networking event to learn all about the MUST HAVES when it comes to protecting your business. Forum members login for your code. REGISTER HERE
Dear FoundHer On Tour with Sunny + Jenn is BACK ON THE ROAD! Join us with our favorite BFFs this spring as we learn: How to Navigate Your Post-40 Pivots during a girls’ night out you’ll be talking about for a LONG TIME.
April 16th, 7pm ET, ATLANTA, GA AREA REGISTER HERE
April 22nd, 7pm ET, ROSLYN, NY AREA REGISTER HERE