Fort Lauderdale Tuesdays Together is lead by Vanessa Velez & Soco Alicea and it serves Fort Lauderdale and North Miami. Our group is very diverse with creatives, something that we love. We have bloggers, planners, florist, cake artist and makeup artist, shop owners, photographers and more. We love the community it has built, bringing together and growing together since the beginning. We went from a 6 people meeting on a Starbucks on a September Night to a 30 people meet up last month but we have managed to create a feeling of a home for creatives who believe in helping and lifting each other up. One of the things we try to do is host different activities and speakers for our meetings so that we always have a variety of learning experiences which is so needed in the South Florida community.
What does #communityovercompetition mean to you?:
Community over competition to me means supporting each other no matter what, being the hands to hold each other when it is needed. If we have to let go of our own boat to grab on and steady another we do so without question. There is no room for I, because we become we and in doing so we create a community of both supporters and supported.
What has been one of your favorite TuesdaysTogether moments?:
One of my favorite moments was definitely our styled shoot challenge. It was such an incredible project, of endless input and help from everyone. We brainstormed, we created and we became so much more bonded because of it. The day of the shoot we struggled against rain, wind and even smoke but we truly helped each other create something magical. Everyone pitched in and the result was stunning. I am so thankful for the beautiful day.
What has been your favorite monthly topic for your TuesdaysTogether gatherings? Why?:
I loved Social Media month because even though it was my first meeting ever that I wasn’t there to lead, my co-leader did an incredible job. I logged in through facetime to see all the amazing attendees and it was a packed house. We planned a night of q&a and a talk by a local floral designer who opened up about authenticity in Social Media and I loved that everyone had such great feedback on the night. I think it led to great conversations.
What is something that you do as a chapter that works well for you, and that you think would be helpful for other chapters?:
I believe in spreading the work, not only with my Co-Leader but also within our group when we plan events outside of our regular meetings we like to involve everyone who wants to help. Because it truly isn’t our group it is everyones group and we want them all to feel included and to have a space where they can also be involved. When someone is looking to raise funds for charities we always support and promote within our group so that everyone can help. If someone needs help in any way from us we are there to serve. When we do special events we always announce it to our sister chapter in Miami so they can join and we love that they are open to coming together. I am grateful for the community that has been built around our chapter, to me that’s just a blessing.
