What We Learned From Taking a Year and Half Off

The last event we hosted before our hiatus was the Self Defense Class, and honestly, it was a total success! Women showed up ready to literally and figuratively kick ass. Meanwhile, the entire time we were practicing our punches and kicks, I was also trying to subtly hide my growing belly. 

That event ended up marking the beginning of a completely new chapter for us. 

At the time, we had huge aspirations for another summer full of beer, events, community and chaos, but somewhere between event planning and our full time jobs, we had the very real realization: How exactly are we supposed to do this pregnant? And not because I was the first woman to ever get pregnant, but because, I wouldn’t call pregnancy and beer the best pairing ever. 

So, naturally, we slowed down. We slowed down the business. We slowed down life. We stepped away from constantly trying to “keep up” and instead embraced what was about to become the biggest changes of our lives.  

After giving birth, my very first meal was a medium rare steak and a Guinness, because obviously. 

Over the last year and half, while watching my son grow into this hilarious, tiny, human, we learned a lot about community. More than ever before, I leaned on the people around me, but especially the incredible women in my life. The kind of woman that showed up without hesitation and reminded you that you actually don’t have to do everything alone. 

To be honest, that changed the way we think about this community too. We’ve always loved beer, events and bringing fabulous women together, but stepping away gave us a chance to think about why we started this in the first place. It was never about just drinks. It was about creating spaces where women can show up exactly how they are, or just needing a dose of laughter with the women we love. 

We also learned a lot about teamwork and roles, both in business and life. When things get busy, you figure it out pretty quickly who thrives in chaos, and who keeps things organized. Turns out, I am neither of those people, but parenting is like the ultimate crash course in project management, crisis response, multitasking and operating under pressure. 

Taking time away also gave us clarity on what we want this next chapter to look like. We don’t want to come back trying to be bigger for the sake of being bigger. We want to build something meaningful. A genuine community of beer-loving women who support local businesses, support each other and create the kind of atmosphere where everyone feels welcome. 

So while we disappeared for a little “character development”, we never stopped caring about what we were building here. 

With so much love, 

~Scotia