Our vision: Festival ー think threads of Coachella and Burning Man mixing it up!
The location: Al fresco at Lennox Gardens.
Our party partner: The Pop Inn ー the moving wine bar providing nibbles and liquid love.
and
Our mission, as always, to consciously connect and advance Canberran women and amplify their businesses.
At each of our monthly events, our aim is to create an inviting and fun environment for you to make new connections and reconnect with gals from previous gatherings.
Our third birthday was to be no different and we were brimming with excitement and anticipation; It would be the sweetest way to seal the year that was 2021!
Unfortunately, an unexpected guest, the weather, gatecrashed our party before we could even pop the first bottle of bubbles!
The only palpable POP was the sound of deep disappointment as we reluctantly cancelled.
No sunshine.
No festival fun.
No gals ー over 50 of you were about to get to KNOW each other.
No in-person third birthday celebrations, and NO selfies!
That’s a lot of ‘No’ for a community of gals who are more aligned with “Hell yeah!”
So, it got me thinking.
Heck no! This is not the full-stop! This is not where it ends!
If there is one thing I’ve learned in life, of which the CBR Gals is now a big part, is that the Universe only ever has three answers:
- Yes
- Not right now.
- I have something better for you.
While we couldn’t collectively celebrate our third birthday, we can still celebrate, wherever we are right now ー we must.
If this was your inaugural CBR Gals event, you said yes! If it was your fifth, you said yes! If you happen to be a devout attendee and this is the first you have actually missed (!) you said yes! If you’ve raised your glass at all three or this was to be your first CBR Gals birthday party, you said yes!
And that says a lot ー about the CBR Gals and YOU!
My appreciation compounds with each new day of my involvement with The CBR Gals Network.
I put my money where my mouth is, and more importantly, I put my energy where my heart is, and I’ll tell you why.
When I first messaged the CBR Gals, Rae concluded her prompt response with, “Can’t wait to KNOW you!”
I had never before heard this expression, and as a Word Warrior, I was smitten.
Words carry so much weight. They can hurt you or they can hug you, and this was indeed a koala-quality embrace ー and timely, too, given that we had been in the first-grip of the then unfamiliar lockdown phenomenon!
These words opened the door to the CBR Gals and since then, three more have joined the fold ー and how apt for birthday number three!
I know these words will resonate with those of you who have already enjoyed one or more of our events, because as it is my heartfelt sentiment, so it has been your heartfelt feedback.
I have been with the CBR Gals Network for nearly two years, and whenever anyone asks me why this community? Hands down, these three words pop up ー non-hierarchical, (an) experience, belong(ing).
Non-hierarchical
As a Canberran woman or non-binary person, you can be in any season of your life. Any age ー two or five decades in! You can be proudly wearing your corporate cape, simply being the best employee you can be or running your own show. Heck, you can even be unemployed! It doesn’t matter, because we do not require you to tick any of these boxes as a prerequisite. We simply want you for you ー a like-spirited gal who relishes in connection and camaraderie over competition and having to have the shiniest title as a reason to come together.
As a categorically anomalous soul, this was magnetic, for me.
An experience
My first CBR Gals event was especially memorable because not only was it fun, leaving me absolutely invigorated, it was also our first online event ー yes, lockdown wanted in on the fun!
I was impressed ー an online event is not an easy feat especially at a time when online anything was not yet a thing.
And that’s just it, while there can be so many variable, external elements of a CBR Gals event, the heart is always the same and hence the feeling is good and we always seem to come away with an experience. One that is memorable because we felt included and celebrated ー which beautifully segues into my third and final word.
Belonging
It is such an unvoiced human longing, the need to belong, and it really is wonderful that it comes with the territory that is the Gals.
Whether you are born and bred in the Capital and have a coterie of friendships and family, or you’ve just moved here; Whether you come in a pair, group or are flying solo, that sense of belonging is a beautiful blanket that covers all.
I’m in the latter and I fall far right of our core demographic and I can attest to this energy. It’s why I am still here and putting up my hand to become more and more involved.
Even if you don’t want to get too deeply enmeshed and you simply just want to hang out every now and then ー or often, that is perfectly fine, too.
The CBR Gals Network is here to create a space for you to join us, in whatever capacity, as we build each step of this grand staircase that enables upward and forward movement, for all of us ー together.
This third birthday is pretty special because we are thriving ー and continuing to do so through an omnipresent, global event that has been catastrophic for so many.
It is always a privilege and pleasure being in the company of like-spirited gals and I cannot wait to KNOW you!
Author: Liesl Gordon
Liesl is a Canberra-based creative and CBR Gals Network board member. Her forté is relationships, her soul-speak is sacred connections and her bliss, words. You can find Liesl on Instagram @guguletugirls — she’d love to get to KNOW you! @guguletugirls