There is nothing better than finding a magical group of friends that supports you, makes you laugh, and inspires you to be a better human. I’ve found that it’s not only nice to have a group like this, but essential when you work for yourself! There is an abundance of magical people here in Charleston, and somehow they are always interwoven. What better way to get together with people you love than an outdoor dinner party?

If you didn’t hear, I was a guest on my very first podcast, The Pondcast, started by my friends Shannon and Lanie (you can listen to my episode here!). Before we met, Shannon and I had emailed about work but finally met in person at our friend Markey’s watercolor class at West Elm. I was photographing, and both Shannon and Lanie were taking the class. I overheard them talking about how they had gone to the Jojo concert the night before (you KNOW I was there). After that, we quickly became fast friends!

Shannon and Lanie started a dinner party series called the Pond (which later inspired The Pondcast!). The series is meant to bring creative women together for great food and great conversation. They were tired of the default “let’s grab a drink” mentality and wanted a more intimate environment for connection. Thus, the Pond was born! We celebrated the 1-year anniversary of the series last month with an outdoor dinner party at The Harbinger Cafe & Bakery! I took a few photos to commemorate the dinner and to celebrate all of these amazing ladies I’ve met this year!

Outdoor Dinner Party at The Harbinger

Creating Your Own Connections

Tell me in the comments: how do you cultivate true connection and conversation in your community? If you find it tough, reach out to at least one person you’ve been wanting to meet or admire. Although my introverted self always finds this hard at first, I’m always glad I took the leap and met someone new!