We’ve all heard stories about how some of the greatest ideas have started out on a napkin. Well, that was certainly the case for Talking Heads GNV. Sara Emmanuel with Scherer Construction and I, Ginny MacKoul with Front Street, found ourselves meeting regularly for lunch or coffee, just brainstorming ideas on how to get everything done! Both self-titled “Directors of Doing” for our companies, we found ourselves in the constant situation of “wearing many hats” for our organizations; everything from marketing to web design, graphic design, social media, branding, advertising, client relations, customer service, company culture, organizational growth, employee on-boarding & training, processes & procedures, blogging, communications (and the list goes on).
We knew there were other peers in our community facing the same issues and challenges, and we thought what a better way to make an impact, than by starting our own group? And so we did.
Not a networking group, per say, but more of a support group; an #ideaclub if you will. One filled with friends, and peers, all helping each other grow and be better! This rings true to our mission, which is to create a thriving local network of forward-thinking professionals who join together in pursuit of growth, learning and development. To expand on this, our vision is to establish meaningful relationships and to create an environment of trust and openness to support one another. Together, we can create solutions to problems, think big, and generate new creative ideas to better one another. Our values are to always think big, invest in growth, learning & development, create trust & friendships, share what you know, be inspired & take action, uplift & encourage, be adaptable, give back, believe in diversity, and never stop trying. We held our very first meeting on Friday, January 22nd, 2016 and we've been going strong ever since!
This group is not for the purpose of trading business cards - there is certainly a need for those groups and valuable networking opportunities, but ours is aimed more at forming relationships, building trust, and sharing what we know with one another. Some meetings we’re the teachers, others, we’re the students. But at the end of each meeting we hope our fellow thinkers leave feeling as if they spent their time wisely, sparked some great ideas, and got in a little #brainfood.
We truly believe in this group, and in our community. We have received such support from the great city of Gainesville and we only hope to continue to grow together and for the betterment of our great city. For more information on us, our meetings, membership and more, please visit our website: www.talkingheadsgnv.com