Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kaleidoscope Affect. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kaleidoscope , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?

Kaleidoscope was created (and named) very intentionally. Neither one of us was looking to create THIS when it all went to seed. When we first decided to pursue this endeavor it was actually because of a series of events with a different business concept, and it included a mutual friend of ours. While that original concept was beautiful (and much needed), we realized quickly that something big was brewing below the surface, so we created the company in a way that left room for us to grow into it (on a huge level). But let’s back up a little bit before we share more about this piece.

(Alicia) We both come from completely different backgrounds and lived experiences. I come from a corporate background and spent a lot of time at a huge international company. My time here exposed me to a lot of incredibly diverse experiences – I was able to travel the world and explore other cultures. It was through this that I opened up to how vastly different people and spaces can be from one another. Which helped me realize that the unique and quirky things about me that were sometimes (okay, let’s be real here, more often than not) unacceptable in a corporate space were exactly what made me feel the most like myself. It was hard finding ways to reconcile who I truly was with who these corporate spaces expected me to be. So often I felt like there was something wrong with me, wrong with my approach, that I needed to conform to find my way, but also recognized that doing things “their way” contributed to something that felt like my soul breaking.

(Rebecca) My experience is so completely different from Alicia’s, and I LOVE how our combined experiences create a contrast AND an appreciation for doing things in a way that feels authentic to us. While I’ve done a few things across the span of my life, I was never in a formal space that forced me to conform in order to make my stay welcome. While Alicia’s path felt more like shedding the rules and expectations that didn’t suit her, as far as I can remember I had the ability and the permission (either from myself or others) to disregard the status quo. Add on that I was incredibly stubborn, you can imagine how that guaranteed that any pressure to do things that didn’t align with who I was meant brushing off the “shoulding” implied by others. I refused to participate in spaces that didn’t leave room for the real me, because compromising who I was just to live life on their terms never added up for me.

(Alicia & Rebecca) The common thread for both of us was yearning for a place where we truly belonged. Both of us felt like outsiders for not wanting to conform. We had both arrived at the conclusion there was nothing wrong with what we were looking for, for wanting to belong on OUR terms. And it was that common thread that eventually led to the creation of Kaleidoscope Affect. We wanted a space that embraced women for their *entire* being. Not just personal. Not just professional. Not just emotional. And not just objective. We wanted all of it to have permission to exist, in whatever combination of those things they showed up for the individual. Less “we expect it to look like this”, and more “come as you are” (and truly meaning it).

Our space is different because it focuses on acceptance of the individual, and accepts how and and where you are – personally, professionally, and everything in between. It invites the whole woman in, without pressuring them to leave the most important pieces of themselves out of the equation. We think the hardest parts about this are a) not many of these spaces exist, and we need these spaces to give ourselves the permission to be who are AND know that doing so contributes to the betterment of ourselves and others, and b) Women have a hard time trusting these kinds of spaces because of their past experiences with other women.

Once you attend one of our events, listen to and participate in the conversations and connection that take place, you can feel exactly how different it is, how much we truly accept the individual as they are (and where they are). Historically that hasn’t been the case in other areas of our lives. Whether it’s fighting the past standards that professional spaces set or feeling like there’s something wrong with you because you’re a feeling, caring, giving person, or your own lived experience of competitive and cut-throat exhibited by others (especially between women) that left you feeling scarred, defeated and like you could only find safety in doing things on their terms, we know firsthand how traumatizing all of those things have been and intend to do everything in our power to create spaces full of positive, supportive, and empowering energy. There’s no room for cut-throat or tearing others down in our community.

The feedback from our community is exactly what tells us we’re on the right track. We knew the intention and the vision we were building Kaleidoscope Affect with. But intention doesn’t always translate accurately in the operations of things. We’re several months into this endeavor. With every new event we hear another woman saying, “Thank you for creating this space”, “I didn’t know anyone and it still felt like a room full of friends”, “the space is so warm and positive”, “I really needed to hear that”, “I thought I was the only one that experienced that”. All of these testaments speak to the true connection and community that we crave, of how much we want to be in a space that makes us feel normal despite all the challenges AND successes. And THAT is what tells us that our business will be a success.

By the way, that logic piece? That’s not how we qualify things around here. We dream big and we live big. And we encourage others to do the same. So doing things logically isn’t our baseline, and it sure as hell isn’t our way of doing things. What we do is help women leave room for the magic, to create goals and plans from the mindset of expecting it to work out, to qualify their actions and decisions against who THEY are and what’s important to them, not the other way around (how everyone else is doing it or how they expect us to).

Kaleidoscope , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Setting yourself apart from the others….. Let’s dive into that a bit.

(Alicia) If there’s anything that’s obvious to myself or others about me, it’s that I’m a super connector. When I look back at all the lives I’ve already lived (in this one, humble life, so far), I can see how that’s been true – through every single one of the companies I’ve worked in AND built. I weave connection through experiences, people, and spaces. I love learning more about what’s out there, how “you” tick, what lights you up, and geeking out over “all the things” WITH you (wine, business, great food, tattoos, you name it). And it never sat well with me that, whether it’s networking or natural conversation, or personal spaces, I never felt like there was a space to build ourselves as women in a way that wasn’t forced or restricted or limiting. I wanted a space that would allow women to show up in their entirety, to approach things holistically, and find a safe and empowering way to facilitate the same for others.

(Rebecca) We just talked about this piece at our WINter Bask Event! A couple of years ago I was browsing through Instagram when I landed on a post by some virtual mentors-from-afar. At the same general time I was listening to “Atlas of the Heart” by Brené Brown, and coming to a deeper understanding of our lived emotions and how they’re defined. This is important because part of what she dives into is the difference between jealousy and envy. When I saw that post from these Women I looked at as mentors, there was an immediate reaction of envy. And that envy really threw me off because I do a really good job of holding myself accountable, and envy is “when we want something that another person has”. I realized I was basically telling myself two things – a) I wanted what they had in that picture (but did I really), and b) I couldn’t have what they had (talk about complete BS). Now, if you know anything about me you know this – I will always sit with the uncomfortable thing that comes up until I get to a place of acceptance and/or understanding of it. With that post, with the envy, I was so confused (and curious) about WHY I felt that way AND what I truly wanted. So I sat with it, then I sat with it some more, until I had this epiphany – I was supposed to create the type of community these women were exhibiting in that post, but in my own way AND in our area (They’re West coast. We’re Mid-West.). As soon as that hit me I KNEW it was true, and I called my good friend that very moment to share my vision with her AND to get the accountability I needed to do this big scary thing.

(Alicia and Rebecca) That’s the “how” leading up to KA (Kaleidoscope Affect). On the other side of that is the amazing structure we created around our business and the services we offer. We offer 4 types of events curated for and only including Women. Each type of event provides a different type of opportunity to connect with one’s self, and with others. From monthly Feeding Stations (what we lovingly refer to our connection events as because, knowing people more NOT knowing more people) to Quarterly Cocoon/Metamorphosis Retreats to Annual Migrations and once-a-year Basks, all of these events create opportunities for 5 things, Inspiration – Empowerment – Connection – Celebration – Education. We use these events to help women explore who they are and where they’re going.

As for the problems we solve, it’s this – We provide a positive, supportive, empowering space for Women. And it’s not just about our spaces and events. We also connect our community to existing spaces with similar intentions. We create a space to feel, play, and have fun, and take life less seriously. We facilitate and encourage having vulnerable conversations focused on solidarity and growth (something we do at EVERY event we hold). We normalize and allow space for women to explore growth in the way they need/want it, encouraging them to push through the barriers and explore limitations in an empowering way, on their own terms, and at their own pace.

When we think about the things we’ve done to date, there are a couple of things we are REALLY proud of. Before we share those we want to share something else that feels unique about KA – We encourage women to pause and honor their wins, to bask in the culmination of their efforts before rushing onto the next thing. It’s important to recognize and acknowledge where your efforts have gotten you to AND to make sure we’re focusing on more than the day-to-day and the negative. So this is what WE are most proud of – Our 2023 WINter Bask AND the creation of Kaleidoscope.

(Alicia) This takes me back to that plane ride home after the amazing Powerhouse Women event last year. Before that conference, at one of our meetings we assigned ourselves the task of putting together a list of spaces that felt like what we were creating, that had certain elements we were focused on, whether that was community, female focused, branding, any of it, anything that resonated with our vision. Rebecca shared the Powerhouse Women event and I was SOLD. I had to go. It looked inclusive, and incredible, and diverse, and amazing, and was community focused (just like we were building). So we bought our tickets, booked our rooms, got our flights, and went.

Can I just start by saying how EPIC and mind-blowing the first night was?!? We bought VIP tickets that included a pre-conference party titled (gah, I LOVE this) “Pajamas and Proseco”. We walk into this room full of literally hundreds of women, all in varying styles of pajamas. Unicorn themed, tye-died onesies with fluffy tail and ears? Check. Nude bodysuit with lacy robe overlay accompanied by a sign that says “I sleep naked”? Check. Teams of women attending in their (branded) silk pajama sets? Check. You name it, it was there. How did I not know a place like this existed?!?

So there was that whole mind-blowing experience, with a full day of conference and presentations the following day. The speakers were all amazing, but it wasn’t just that. It was that, and the diversity in the room – age, race, style. It was the warm, inviting energy of the crowd. It was geeking out over each others outfits, and the “oontz oontz” of the hype squad (yes, a HYPE squad AND there was a full on twerking breakout). I’d never been in a space that felt like this, that had this kind of energy and acceptance and permission to live life BIG, like REALLY big.

So we’re both there, Rebecca and I. We attend. It’s mind blowing. Like, can’t wrap my head around how amazing it all is. The whole weekend was a dream. The resort where we stayed was beautiful. The staff was warm and charismatic and authentic. Everything was just….. perfect. Then the experience is over and it’s time to go home. Time to get “back to normal”, or so I think (big laugh here!). We get to the airport and our minds are both going a million miles a minute. We start channeling what we experienced, felt, and learned over the weekend into the structure of our business. We went from having a name and a basic idea of what we wanted to do to downloading the entire structure of our business on the plane ride home. We’re talking over the course of a few hours!!! Who does that?!?

(Rebecca) I have to interrupt here for a second because not only is there a piece of this that’s one of my favorite parts, it’s also something that I think so many struggle to experience, let alone embrace. Alicia and I have all of these ideas, all this language, this structure just coming through us at lightning speed. We’re on the plane and she makes a comment about how we’re mind-mapping it all (in an almost exasperated, frustrated way) that had me confused for a second. I looked at her and had this realization, then asked her, “have you ever experienced FLOW before?”, and her resounding response was “NO!!!”. Sometimes we forget that our experience and what’s possible isn’t the same for others. In that moment I realized how much she was experiencing for the first time and literally said, “Welcome to what creation CAN look like when we’re aligned and open to receiving WHILE creating”. I was SO ecstatic that this was her new reality. Okay, Alicia, back to you.

(Alicia) I mean, that was pretty much it. We downloaded the entire structure on our plane ride home that day. At one point we were sitting in the Denver airport, ice cream in one hand, notebooks in the other, spitting out all this random butterfly language like “Flutter up, Buttercup” and “Flutter Down” (like settle down), and “What’s the Flutter” (what’s the buzz), “Embrace the Cocoon” (embrace the stillness/space/growth…. just all kinds of ridiculous AND beautifully brilliant phrases and ideas that were a perfect fit for Kaleidoscope. By the way, I’m pretty sure that everyone around us thought we were high on something because it was giddy and ridiculous and flurried and it just did not stop. We didn’t doubt any of it for a single, solitary second. That day the foundation for everything Kaleidoscope is came to be, and we never looked back.

(Rebecca) It’s just all SO good. And it’s funny because I think we could have easily believed that the flow and ease and alignment we had that day were a one-time only thing. But it just KEEPS happening. That’s another thing that tells me we’re doing exactly what we’re designed to do, in the way WE are meant to do it. So the second big example of finding our rhythm in curating our experiences was our WINter Bask. This event made zero sense, logically, for a business just starting out. We had already considered a large-scale event before our August trip, and vetoed it for several reasons. So to circle around and decide we were going to make it happen seemed slightly ridiculous. Add on top of that the fact that we reverse engineered just about everything for the event AND we never created a budget (because we trusted it would work out AND every element we created was imperative to the vision of the event) – none of it “made sense”. But it was exactly what we were meant to do AND it was a huge success.

The vision we had for the Bask had so many moving parts – “Flutter Stations” (think mini-glam stations) with local stylists, a full bar with bubbly, catering that included heavy appetizers and glittery desserts, a dance floor. But the real impact came from our registration and photo opportunities. See, when you registered for the event you had to submit a “win” to celebrate (because we’re basking in our wins, ya know?). We took your self proclaimed win (which, by the way, was entirely up to YOUR interpretation and included surviving, thriving and everything in between) and created individual, personalized graphics featuring your name, and a condensed statement of your win.

So the event went something like this – You arrive, in the dress code (“Wear what you win in”). Once inside the venue you go to the registration table where you get your name tag with a brief description of what to expect, lay of the land, and itinerary for the evening. After this you enter into the main room where you’re faced with fun, warm, and unique decor like the Hollywood Retro feel of the venue, uniquely curated butterfly wings made of pampas grass that you stand in front of and (while pretending to be a butterfly) take photos with. You grab a glass of bubbly, then graze the appetizers while mingling with other amazing women. It feels like being in a room full of old friends. When you’re ready you wander over to the styling stations for your fix of glitter, foil tattoos and butterfly clips. But here’s the real kicker – there’s a super secret photo experience tailored to each guest. In order to get into the super secret room you have to write a letter to yourself, expanding on your win, how proud of yourself you are, what to remember as you celebrate this and move into the next chapter. That’s your ticket into the room.

When you enter the super secret room, you let the gatekeeper know (yes, a gatekeeper because we know some people will want a private moment for themselves and others will want to share their win) your name, and turn in your letter, at which point we put it in an envelope, and apply a wax (butterfly) seal. (so we can send it back to you later in the year to remind you of your inspiring words to yourself). Now you get to see the super secret element – a full length mirror booth that digitally captures the photos of the person standing in front of it (after, of course, walking the literal red carpet up to the mirror). So you’re standing there, wearing what you win in, getting ready to bask in your win (in the form of a digital graphic overlay of the captured image), and really honoring the culmination of your efforts around your win.

When we tell you that part of the experience, the capturing of the individuals standing IN their wins while pausing to celebrate themselves, was impactful and emotional and even shocking for our attendees……. you can’t really fully imagine it. We had a videographer capture some of the women that were willing to share this part of their evening, and the video she put together shows how beautiful and moving it was, and how it really drove home the experience of pausing to acknowledge our personal efforts.

That night was so beautiful. It was a grand (and BOLD) vision. And I think the only reason we really pulled it off was the fact we qualified every single aspect in a way that would tie women to the experience and build an emotional connection WITH THEMSELVES in a way that honored their authenticity AND the meaningfulness behind celebration (in a room full of cheerleaders).

See, it’s not just having a fun event (we do like fun though), and it’s not just doing something cool. It’s designing experiences that allow vulnerability, create community, and connect women to themselves AND others in a way that proves there IS room at the table for all of us. THAT is what we’re building with Kaleidoscope. There is a space and a community that will accept you for you, a space where you can bring the things challenging you, bring your wins, and all of them are received with support, empowerment, and solidarity. AND it doesn’t have to all be “so serious”.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

If there’s something we’d love for Women to understand on a deeper level, it’s that LIFE, Business does NOT have to be a constant ride on the struggle bus.

We mentioned earlier how we were so in flow when we created the business structure for Kaleidoscope. That wasn’t an accident, but it IS something you need awareness and intention behind in order to access. So often it feels like we’re trying to “make things fit” or do things like *others think we should* without giving much attention to what’s important to us AND honoring who we are as we navigate all the things. We’re more than happy to send ourselves (and others) the message that is HAS to be hard, that we HAVE to struggle, that we need to EARN time and space and relaxation, when that’s not the case at all.

You can build things with ease. You can witness the culmination of your efforts, and look to see all the pieces that had to be true to make those things happen. Minus the second guessing AND while having fun, and feeling light and frivolous and things feeling a little bit scattered (in the sense that maybe you can’t see how it connects YET, but letting go of the need to know and control that piece). When we created our vision WE WERE GIDDY, AND it is everything it was supposed to be.

Part of our mission is to help women realize they can take things a little less seriously, they can build alongside other women (minus the competition). It doesn’t have to be difficult. It doesn’t have to be lonely. And you can have FUN. Making space, creating from flow, trusting can lead you to the exact solution you need AND what you’re supposed to build.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

Lol, we LOVE how we met, and how our dynamic continues to evolve.

(Alicia) Looking back, I realize how out of touch I was with coaching and understanding it that when Rebecca and I first met (through another amazing, mutual friend) I didn’t grasp nuch of what she talked about. We were introduced over a casual girls night with dinner, wine, and light conversation. I wouldn’t say Rebecca’s prone to using big words, more FEELING words and THAT is not something I used to be comfortable with. That first evening there wasn’t a real connection between the two of us. It was more of a, “Okay, I see you. I don’t really get you, but I see you”, followed by a willingness to get to know each other better. We started to touch base here and there, and through those connections and conversations I started to understand myself and coaching. I eventually ended up hiring Rebecca as my Life Coach and was able to embrace my own power and individuality. The more I found out about who I TRULY was, the more I wanted to create spaces where others could also be their authentic selves.

(Rebecca) If there’s a common theme around the amazing friendships I have with some of my closest friends, it’s this – It’s never obvious how close we’ll be the first few times we connect. I didn’t like my bestie when I first met her (it took a WHILE, and we laugh at that now). My other best friend and I had several interactions before we realized how much we had in common. And Alicia and I? It was kind of “take it or leave it” in the beginning. What I think is beautiful about all of this is that we built trust and connection over time, which meant that eventually we CHOSE each other vs. trying to make it work and having a superficial friendship. We already knew what to expect, knew who were getting into business with, and knew we could have the hard conversations that would inevitably come up at times.

The Universe qualified (“The Universe doesn’t call the qualified. It qualifies the called.”) Alicia and I for this lived experience. We’re close friends. We’re co-founders of this amazing company. We’re mentors to each other. Advocates for one another. And I’m sure this isn’t the end of the Universe preparing us for what’s on the other side of this. We have deep, personal conversation and check-ins. And we easily separate that from our “this is business” conversations.

We met. We kept connecting. She hired me (as her Life Coach). I hired her (as my Social Media Manager). We had hard conversations on a personal AND professional level that taught us how to exist as business partners before that was ever even a thought in our minds. I couldn’t be more grateful for having Alicia in my life, and being able to share this experience with someone I believe in so much. It’s a beautiful thing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kaleidoscope-affect.com/
• Instagram: @kaleidoscopeaffect
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KaleidoscopeAffect
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kaleidoscope-affect-inc/
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/zwHlxYykAR8

Image Credits
The Unfiltered Collective (Brianna Eslinger)