Uncomfortable Community Conversations

Uncomfortable Community Conversations are where we tackle what some would say is the hard or taboo stuff, because growth happens in the uncomfortable, and that’s what we want for our community, small businesses, and you. It’s where we stop being nice and start getting real.

Reserve your spot at the next conversation.

Uncomfortable Conversations | The Pause

September 24 | 4:30–7 p.m.

Hosted by the SBAM Women's Business Council & 8THIRTYFOUR

8THIRTYFOUR Learning Hub | 1365 Plainfield Ave NE, Grand Rapids

Perimenopause is finally entering the chat, and it’s a wild ride for women and business owners alike; combine the two and you get our next Uncomfortable Conversation: The Pause, presented in partnership with the SBAM Women’s Business Council.

It’s long past time to address an issue impacting over 50% of our population, and 44.6% of the women-owned businesses in the state.

Perimenopause results in a brutal shift in energy, productivity, motivation, and mental clarity. Our bodies, brains, energy, priorities; it all changes in the blink of an eye, and women-owned businesses are ill-prepared to deal with it. We are leading companies, people, and navigating and holding up the world while the general public gets the ‘ick’ at the mention of our bodies, physicians hand out antidepressants as a solution, and there is little to no education or awareness on the subject.

Uncomfortable Conversations | The Pause will focus on the impact on our businesses, workplace policies, and improving access to education + resources.

Women are not only a driving force in Michigan’s workforce, they also own nearly half of our small businesses; that makes supporting women through every stage of their careers, including midlife, essential to the strength of our small business economy. Creating a more menopause-friendly workplace starts with awareness, empathy and practical flexibility – meeting people where they are so they can continue to lead, contribute and grow.

Kelli Saunders, Michigan Women’s Commissioner and Vice President of the Small Business Association of Michigan

Women own 44.6% of businesses in Michigan.

We make up 50.1% of the U.S. population.

4100 Certified Menopause Practitioners exist in the U.S.

The math, ain’t mathing.

Here are just a few of the ways The Pause impacts us as business owners.

Brain Fog causes delayed decision making, forgotten action items, and errors we can’t afford to make – finances, compliance, legal, and God knows what else.

Insomnia triggers chronic fatigue, leading to missed opportunities, low stamina, and rescheduled everything.

Anxiety and rage erase executive presence, straining relationships with employees, clients, vendors, and everyone else.

Get uncomfortable with us. Register now.

Find comfort in the uncomfortable.

You can sit around and complain about it, or you can do something to change it, and we’ve chosen the latter.

We all attend networking events. We exchange what we do. We share titles, companies, quick pitches. But rarely do we pause to ask: How could we do this better—together? And ahat can we learn from each other that actually changes how we show up in our work?

This space created that opportunity!

This conversation is exactly the kind of work our region needs: employers, young professionals, students, educators, and community leaders sitting at the same table to talk honestly about what is working, what is missing, and how we close the gap.

Thank you, Kim and 8THIRTYFOUR, for creating space for the uncomfortable — and necessary — conversations that help build stronger people, stronger teams, and a stronger West Michigan workforce.

Thank you for hosting another fabulous event!

It was exciting to see your new space, see some famous faces and meet many new ones.

Uncomfortable Conversation is a gem because it blends authenticity, networking and learning. Plus fabulous food, drinks, and energy.

What happens when you make a networking event uncomfortable on purpose? Productive conversations. That's what happens.

I had such a great time sharing my experience as a young professional, looking employers in the eye and talking about the unspoken tension between them and my generation.

Shoutout to Kim Bode for creating a space for these conversations and for being part of the solution.