In the Room: What Women Founder Events Are Really Teaching Us Right Now

There’s a specific kind of reassurance that comes from being in a room full of women building something from nothing.

This week, I attended two events centered around women coming together to connect, share, and grow. And what stood out wasn’t just the conversations. It was the clarity.

Being a solo founder can feel isolating. You’re making decisions in real time, building systems as you go, and trusting instincts that haven’t always been validated yet. Rooms like these remind you that you’re not off track. You’re in it.

The Founder Perspective: Building With Intention

On Wednesday, I attended the Female Founders panel at Mad Under, hosted by JECT and Monday Girl.

The setting was exactly what you’d expect from a well-curated founder event. Designer shopping, wine, and then a shift into something more meaningful. Real conversations about what it actually takes to build and sustain a business.

The panel was moderated by Kira Jones, Founder/CEO of Cacti Wellness, with insights from Gabby Garritano, CEO/Founder of JECT, Rachel Liverman, Founder/CEO of Glowbar, and Rory Tahari, former CEO of Elie Tahari

What stood out wasn’t just their success. It was how clearly each of them articulated the why behind it.

Every founder on that panel built or scaled something by identifying a gap and committing to solving it with consistency.

Rachel spoke about trusting your gut, even when things don’t immediately make sense. That “failures” are often just early signals pointing you toward something better.

Gabby reinforced something I think more brands need to hear.

Growth doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from understanding your client deeply enough to expand in ways that still feel aligned.

And across the board, one theme kept coming up: systems.

Not the glamorous part of building a brand, but the part that sustains it.

Systems create consistency. Consistency builds trust. And trust is what allows a brand to scale without losing itself.

There was also a clear conversation around capital. Not just raising it, but choosing it. There is money available, but alignment matters. The right partner will accelerate your vision. The wrong one will dilute it.

That distinction is where many brands either evolve or plateau.

One insight that stood out to me, especially from Rory Tahari, was the future of platforms like ShopMy.

She mentioned that what we’re seeing now is just the beginning, and I agree.

ShopMy has already been instrumental in connecting Triple Eight Creative clients to the products we recommend. It bridges the gap between service and retail in a way that feels natural. Instead of just suggesting products, we can create a direct, trackable relationship between experience and purchase. That’s where beauty is going. Not just visibility, but conversion through trust. And I’m paying close attention to how that evolves, because it aligns directly with how we’re building T8C.

Beyond Beauty:

Where Hospitality, Real Estate, and Experience Meet

On Thursday, I attended Money Matters: All About Real Estate, hosted by Tricia Lee.

This room felt different, but equally important.

Triple Eight Creative sits at the intersection of beauty and hospitality.

We partner with luxury residences, hotels, and spaces where experience matters just as much as service.

Being in a room with real estate professionals and founders in adjacent industries wasn’t just networking. It was alignment.

And I walked in with no expectations.

Which made the impact even stronger.

What stood out most was the emphasis on balance and self-awareness. Building a business isn’t just about revenue. It’s about knowing your value, understanding your lane, and moving accordingly.

Kayla Lee spoke about the importance of knowing your niche deeply. Not broadly. Not aesthetically. But in a way that allows you to lead with experience.

That resonated immediately.

When I relaunched Triple Eight Creative, I wasn’t interested in recreating what I had already done. I had owned a salon. I understood that model.

What I wanted was something more intentional.

Bringing beauty directly to clients. Integrating it into their lifestyle. Aligning it with hospitality, events, and real moments.

That’s where the brand started to make sense.

What This Means for the Industry

If there’s one thing these rooms made clear, it’s that we’re moving into a different era of business.

One where:

• Community is not optional

• Experience matters as much as product

• Systems matter as much as vision

• And founders who listen will always outperform those who assume

This is especially true in beauty.

The brands that are winning right now aren’t just selling products. They’re creating environments where people feel understood. Where they can learn, connect, and see themselves reflected in the experience.

That’s the gap I’ve always been interested in.

And it’s exactly what Triple Eight Creative is built to fill.

The Final Say…

Events like these aren’t just inspiring. They’re clarifying.

They remind you that building something meaningful takes time, intention, and a willingness to keep going even when things feel uncertain.

But more importantly, they reinforce something I’ve believed from the beginning.

Community is not a soft concept. It’s a strategy.

It’s how brands grow.
It’s how founders stay grounded.
And it’s how ideas turn into ecosystems.

And if there’s one thing I’m taking with me from this week, it’s this:

The brands that will lead next aren’t just building businesses.

They’re building rooms people want to be in.

And I plan to keep building those rooms, intentionally.