A love letter to my Impactful Community members…

I want to take a moment to publicly say thank you to my Impactful Community ❤️.

We’re just approaching our one-year mark (Tuesday next week is our ACTUAL birthday, in case you wanted to send a card 😜), and instead of focusing on growth, metrics, or anything that could be turned into a spreadsheet, I’ve been thinking about something else entirely - but you'd expect that from me, wouldn't you?!

Why people choose to show up here, and what it takes for them to do so.

Through our conversations, it’s become clear to me that nobody comes to this space out of obligation. They come because it feels safe enough to be themselves.

That doesn’t happen by accident - and it’s what I want to talk about.

The courage it takes to show up 

I’ve watched people arrive who openly say they hate groups, hate the concept of networking, and feel awkward or unsure to begin with.

One member shared they usually avoid spaces like this altogether yet felt so at ease after just one session that they impulsively booked to come to our Christmas in-person lunch and travelled 4 hours to be with us. 

I’ve seen people dial in at 7am, in the dark, joining from places where it’s minus 16 outside - choosing connection anyway.

I’ve watched people arrive on days when home life has been heavy, energy is low, or grief is sitting quietly in the background - and later say how much they needed that hour spent in our community.

These aren’t small choices.

We all live busy lives. And when you add in illness, loss, family pressures or sheer exhaustion, spaces like this are often the first thing to (understandably) slip. 

So it matters that people don’t come here because they have to.  

They come because, in those moments, this feels like a safe place to sit - without fixing, explaining or performing.

What makes this different

Inevitably, I’ve thought a lot about why women still show up, why they join from different countries, time zones, cars, trains, and kitchens. 

And it all comes down to this: 

There is no performance here. 

Absolutely no ego, no pressure to be articulate or impressive. 

Sometimes people speak, sometimes they don’t. Sometimes just listening that month is more than enough.

It’s not a networking group.

It’s a space people come to because it feels safe enough to be honest.

You - my community members - are the reason this works

To my lovely members reading this, please know this community does not work because of how it is designed.

It works because of YOU.

Because of your courage to show up. 

Because of how you listen

Because of the care you extend to one another - without needing recognition. 

Every single month, without fail, I watch introductions being made without being asked.

Support being offered without expectation in return.

Space being held for people going through things that don’t fit neatly into a traditional business conversation. 

Our community supports individuals, but individuals are what make the community what it is.

So thank you. 

For choosing this space

For showing up on hard days as well as the good ones

For trusting each other (and me!) with the real life stuff thrown at us.

Holding this space is a responsibility I take seriously, and it’s a privilege to witness what happens when the right people are given room to be exactly who they are.

And if you’re reading this from the outside and thinking, “I wish I had a place like that” - this is me telling you it exists.

The community is here when you’re ready to explore it.

You’re very welcome to step inside and see what it feels like, and we’d love to have you.

Find out more about my - no - OUR - Impactful Community here: https://go.racheldunfordconsulting.co.uk/impactful-community-membership