Emerge Development Solutions

You hold so much for everyone else.

**You deserve to be held, too.**

I think this is the part of growth we don’t talk about enough.

Sometimes what we asked for finally arrives, and it comes with both the gift and the weight. The excitement of what’s opening up…and the quiet realization that you can’t walk into it exactly as you’ve always been.

That can feel like grief.

Because the old version of you wasn’t wrong. She carried you. Protected you. Got you here.

But maybe becoming is learning to thank her for how far she brought you…without asking her to take you where you’re going.

The gift and the weight can exist at the same time. And maybe that’s the messy middle we need to talk about more. 🤎

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Did you see *Why Did I Get Married Again?*

There were definitely some parts of the movie that had me raising an eyebrow, but this was one of my favorite scenes.

Just women sitting together. Talking. Laughing. Being honest. No pretending. No need to have it all together.

And I remember thinking, we need more of this.

Because even when we have good women in our lives, there are still things we carry quietly. Getting older. Starting over. Relationships changing. Motherhood. Outgrowing people and places. Becoming someone new while still trying to understand who we are now.

Sometimes we don't need advice. We don't need someone to fix it.

Sometimes we just need a table where we can say, "Can I be completely honest?”

And be met with listening, compassion, understanding and maybe even a little, Sis, me too!

That feeling is a big part of why I created HELD.

A space for the conversations already happening in our heads and hearts, but that we don't always have a place to say out loud.

The table is officially open. 🤎

For the past few days, I’ve been sharing little pieces of something that has been on my heart for a while.

Today, I finally get to invite you to the table.

HELD: A Dinner & Conversation Series for Women is an intimate cohort experience created for women who are ready for something deeper than small talk.

Good food. Real stories. Honest conversations. Laughter. Reflection. And space to feel seen, heard, supported…and HELD.

We’ll gather once a quarter around thoughtfully curated topics that touch the seasons many of us are navigating, from letting go and stepping into what’s next, to rest, the stories we carry, and even breaking down some of the walls between men and women.

Our first table opens November 4, and we’re starting with:

Stepping Into What’s Next
Letting go of what no longer serves us and creating space for what’s next.

✨ Only 18 women around the table
🍽️ Dinner + drink included
💬 Facilitated conversation + activities
🤎 Authentic connection
🎟️ $65

And because some women said “I’m in” before I even opened registration, only 13 seats remain.

If something about HELD has been speaking to you this week, maybe that’s your sign.

Come take your seat at the table. 🤎

Registration is officially OPEN!

HELD: A Dinner & Conversation Series for Women Come as you are. Share what’s real. Leave feeling seen, heard, supported and HELD. Good food, meaningful conversation and connection.

If you know my Mommy, you’ve probably heard her say this in her Jamaican accent a time or two:

**“Two hands clap better than one.”**

I’ve heard it my whole life. And the older I get, the more I realize **Mommy knew exactly what she was talking about.**

Research keeps confirming something human beings have known forever: **we are wired for connection.**

We do better when we have people. We navigate hard seasons differently.

We learn from each other’s experiences. And sometimes, someone else has the words for something we haven’t even been able to name yet.

But I’ve been thinking about how easy it is for women to lose that.

We’re working. Parenting. Building. Caring for people. Navigating relationships. Reinventing ourselves. Chasing dreams. Healing from things. Starting over.

And somewhere in all of that, **we can get really good at carrying things by ourselves.**

I know I have.

Some of the most meaningful moments in my life haven’t come from figuring everything out alone. They’ve come through conversation.

A friend telling me the truth. Another woman sharing her story. Somebody saying, **“Girl, I’ve been there.”** Or simply sitting beside me while I figured it out.

Maybe Mommy was right all along.

**Two hands really do clap better than one.**

Maybe we were never meant to figure all of this out by ourselves.

And that’s a big part of why I created **HELD.**

Tomorrow, I’m finally opening the table.

**18 seats. One table. Four gatherings. Real conversations.**

Registration opens tomorrow. 🤎

**Come take your seat.**

I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to really feel **seen and heard.**

Not just having a seat at the table. But actually feeling like there’s room for your voice once you get there.

Because we’ve all been at *those* tables.

The one where one person dominates the conversation.

The one where you start to share something real, then decide it doesn’t feel safe enough to finish.

The one where everyone stays on the surface because nobody wants to be the first person to go a little deeper.

Or maybe you’re the woman who spends so much time listening, supporting and making space for everyone else that you leave realizing no one ever asked how *you* were doing.

I know that woman. I’ve been her.

One thing I’ve learned from years of building and facilitating cohorts is that meaningful connection rarely happens by accident. You have to create the conditions for it.

In my programs, that often means making the room smaller. Breaking people into intimate groups where everyone has space to speak, listen, reflect and be heard. Then we bring the wisdom from those smaller conversations back to the larger community.

And I've watched the room change when we do.

So I started wondering…

**What if we brought that same intention to the dinner table?**

Not networking.
Not small talk.
Not one person holding court while everyone else listens.

A thoughtfully designed table where there is room for every woman’s voice.

Where we can laugh, reflect, tell the truth, listen to each other and maybe leave knowing we’re not the only ones navigating whatever season we’re in.

That’s part of what I’m building with **HELD.**

Because sometimes being seen and heard *is* the thing we needed.

More on Friday.