As the days to Kaleidoscope Affect’s 2nd annual WINter Bask counts down to March 1, we sat down with founders Alicia James and Rebecca Thomas to understand all things Kaleidoscope—why it started, where it’s headed, why they’re so passionate about supporting women in business and what they say sets them apart from other groups in West Michigan.
WMW: What does a Bask have to do with celebrating women?
KA: When we say we celebrate, we mean CELEBRATE. There’s nothing we love more than seeing women win—in business and in their personal live—and not in a traditional sense. We don’t just want to celebrate the big moments, like promotions, new jobs, changing family dynamics and hitting new levels in business; we want to celebrate it all. Sometimes that looks like big steps forward, and sometimes that means just making it through challenging seasons.
We’ve always lived up to the mantra “Collaboration Over Competition,” but it felt like, for all the great spaces to collaborate in West Michigan, most of the traditional avenues for connecting felt … inauthentic, like it only allowed a part of you to show up. Events and networking felt about taking and forcing, rather than true connection—and it felt like outside of amazing events like the Brilliance Awards, we weren’t celebrating the thing we owe the most honor to: ourselves. It almost felt like an underlying message that our wins weren’t big enough unless we were nominated for something or that survival wasn’t a win in and of itself, even when it’s the thing that gets us through.
And we deserve to celebrate, don’t we? We’ve earned that—and we as women tend to undermine and belittle our own successes. To wait for someone else to speak our praise or shine a light on us. We wanted to give women permission to claim their own accomplishments, which is where the idea for our annual WINter Bask came in. How could you not want to celebrate at an event like THIS:
Each attendee, from the time of registration to long after the event is over, is given the opportunity to share, reflect on and revisit the pivotal moments from their past year. From unique (and top-secret) photobooth experiences that highlight what they’ve shared in theirname, their self-proclaimed win, and their smiling face, allowing them to revel in their own amazingness. It brought more than a few tears (as you saw) and huge smiles to those that experienced this amazing event. We’ve heard from many of our attendees that they’ve never felt celebrated quite like that before!That’s why we want as many women as possible to join us at The Golden Age (above Creston Brewery) on Friday, March 1, 2024 from 5:30-9:30 p.m. as we inspire and celebrate ourselves and one another. Talk about a perfect way to jumpstart Women’s History month!
WMW: That looks amazing! Tell us more about this year’s event.
KA: We have new surprises, ways to celebrate and new conversations - all starting at 5:30 on March 1! Tickets are still available and we even have some sponsorship slots available!
We also can’t thank you all at West Michigan Woman enough for all of your support and your sponsorship this year! We’re so excited to feature your team from our stage!
WMW: Tell us about the mission driving your creative journey.
KA: If there’s something we’d love for women to understand on a deeper level, it’s that life and business do not have to be a constant ride on the struggle bus.
So often it feels like we’re trying to “make things fit” or do things like others think we should, without giving much attention to what’s important to us and honoring who we are as we navigate all the things. We’re more than happy to send ourselves (and others) the message that it has to be hard, that we have to struggle, that we need to earn time, space and relaxation, when that’s not the case at all.
You can create with ease. You can witness the culmination of your efforts, and see all the pieces that had to be true to make those things happen (minus the second guessing).Part of our mission is to help women realize they can take things a little less seriously and they can build alongside other women, without the competition. It doesn’t have to be difficult. It doesn’t have to be lonely. And you can have fun. Making space, creating from flow, and trusting can lead you to the exact solution you need and what you’re supposed to build.
WMW: How can we connect with you and stay up to date on your events and happenings?
KA: You can learn more, and follow us at our website. You can also find us as at @kaleidoscopeaffect on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. And, make sure you follow us on Eventbrite to stay up to date on all of the details about this year’s WINter Bask and our other events. Make sure you mark your calendars for March 1, and find an amazing outfit—it’s all about embodying that future version of ourselves that will propel us into the actions that can create her.
Courtesy of Kaleidoscope Affect.
Photos Courtesy of Bri Eslinger, The Unfiltered Collective.
