The Coffee Date that Change It All
- Vanessa M
- Aug 8
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 12
About three years ago, I launched marketing masterminds for women. Big vision, collective learning, all that good stuff.
It flopped.
Maybe I wasn't in the right season of my own life, maybe I was too desperate to launch something, anything. But it taught me something important: it's not about reach.
It's not about hitting the most eyeballs or building the biggest group. It's about looking at what's right in front of you and trying to solve an actual problem.
So I started smaller
I started meeting with one person. Just coffee, just real talk about what we were both dealing with in our businesses.
Then we invited someone else we thought would get it. Now we're three.
This week? A fourth person joined us.
Not because I built some elaborate program or sent out mass invites. Because we were actually helping each other figure things out, and word got around.
Here's what I'm seeing with entrepreneurs who make it long-term:
They're not necessarily the smartest or the ones with the best business plans. They're the ones who will sit down with someone over coffee and get honest about what's not working.
We're all doers by nature. Most of us are also kind of loners (let's be real). And vulnerability? Yeah, that wasn't exactly covered in Entrepreneurship 101.
But the businesses that pivot instead of crash? Those owners are having the uncomfortable conversations. They're asking for help. They're admitting when they're stuck.
What happens when you actually follow through on those "we should grab coffee" texts:
You stop pretending everything's fine. You start talking through actual problems. Someone mentions they've dealt with the same thing. Suddenly you're brainstorming solutions instead of just complaining.
And here's the weird part - when you do this enough one-on-one, community just... happens. People start connecting with each other. Problems get solved faster because everyone knows who's good at what.
Your business gets more flexible because YOU get more flexible.
What This Looks Like in Practice: Last winter, we decided to test this approach with a small workshop pilot. Instead of trying to reach hundreds of people, we focused on connecting with the right handful who were dealing with similar challenges.
It was a successful program based on survey feedback.
Now we're taking everything we learned - about small groups, real conversations, and solving actual problems together - and building something even better. More robust content, more free support and the same focus on authentic connection over massive reach.
Registration opens soon, and I honestly can't wait.
The thing I keep putting off (and maybe you do too):
Actually scheduling those coffee dates. Actually showing up. Actually talking about the stuff that keeps me up at night instead of just the highlight reel.
But every time I do it, something shifts. Either I get a new perspective, or I help someone else figure something out, or I realize I'm not as stuck as I thought.
Who's that one person you keep meaning to grab coffee with? Start there.
Want to talk marketing strategy over coffee? Or figure out what's actually working in your business? Hit me up.
Vanessa
Vertical Marketing + Design
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