Breathing Life Into A Big Idea
Ten years ago, I met an incredibly magnetic person, Debra Trappen. We were at a real estate conference and we were instantly drawn to each other. Not surprisingly, we became fast friends, fellow dreamers, and began imagining all the ways we could change the world. Her big idea stemmed from creating sacred spaces for the Divine Feminine energy in each of us to be nurtured, seen, and thrive.
Debra Trappen, Founder of Red Threads Collective
Over the years, Debra would daydream with me about what this idea looked like. She has a raw, real talent for creating community. She has done this numerous times throughout her life and career, and has mastered the art of drawing people together and creating value for them to stay. Every idea has its time, and the pandemic would start a groundswell of energy around Debra’s big idea.
Since 2020, Gen X Women Leading the Way in Starting Businesses
“In an inspiring shift within the business landscape, more women than ever are venturing into the world of entrepreneurship, with Generation X at the forefront of this transformative movement. As these women transition from seasoned professionals to innovative business owners, they are redefining what it means to be an entrepreneur and proving that mid-career shifts can lead to profound and rewarding new beginnings.”
There is a lot of science that backs up the truth that women are drawn to and thrive in communities of other women. With the explosion of women created businesses but a gap in our society for an affordable place for women entrepreneurs to learn, grow, and support each other, it was time for the Red Threads Collective to come together, infused with Debra’s unique and soulful way of expression.
Building An Intentional Brand
As is often true with founders, Debra could see the big picture, the value of the connections the women in the Collective would experience, but was struggling with taking the first step of movement from idea to creation. We started with a 1-day brand intensive. We walked through the unique exercises of this Redtail Creative service, identifying visually who the brand is and is not, pulling words that accurately represented what she wanted to build, and sharing experiences that gave insight into how she wanted others to feel inside the Collective. Through this process, our team captured the essence of the Red Threads Collective brand and of Debra as its visionary. Our brand designer Christie King breathed life into it with color palette, icons, brand mark, typography, and creating a visual roadmap for the brand. Once this foundation was in place, the path opened and the critical components fell into place–the website, the communications, and her vision were shaped into assets she could share with others so they would understand what she was building.
The Red Threads Collective empowers women in business through connection, collaboration, and intentional growth. It’s a special project for us, not just because we were part of Debra’s earliest musings of dreaming of a place where women could bring their whole selves to the table, but because we also benefit from being part of the Collective. We get to help, learn, and grow with the other members and are a recipient of the very space we helped pull out of Debra’s heart and mind.
“I live to ignite passion, infuse purpose, and inspire progress by connecting, engaging, elevating, and empowering the magnificent relationships and brilliant ideas in my world.””
Learn More About How to Create An Intentional Business
You can learn more about this process of taking an idea and shaping it into a viable business at the Red Threads Collective, members-only, Collective Conversation: Building an Intentional Business on May 16, 2024. Redtail Creative co-owner Shelly Leslie and I will walk through our intuitive discovery process and provide a workbook that can get you started on your unique path to breathing life into your big idea, too.
