Sip, Yap, and Celebrate.
It’s 8:45 a.m., the morning of my first social event. I checked the weather for the day, and, of course, there were heavy rain showers ALL DAY.
I thought, “Let me prepare myself for cancellations, or maybe I should cancel the event altogether.” Ten seconds later, I breathed deeply and decided to SHOW UP NO MATTER WHAT. Rain, snow, sleet—I’M SHOWING UP! (For myself and for those who will attend.) I knew someone would.
I put my phone down and headed to the bathroom to shower and get dressed for the day. A few hours passed, and I logged into Instagram to find two cancellations.
I didn’t take it personally; I replied kindly and wished each lady a wonderful week ahead.
Moving Forward with Purpose I continued the day. I had just wrapped the final segment of an ongoing demo with a client. The meeting went well, and now I felt too good to give up on the evening ahead!
It’s 4:00 p.m., and it's pouring rain. Another cancellation popped up. As before, I replied kindly and wished her a wonderful week.
Still unsure who would show, I was ready to take the first step toward walking in my purpose.
“I’M SHOWING UP, EVEN IF IT IS JUST ME AND MY PHOTOGRAPHER,” I thought. I had just paid my last retainer fee, and I was leaving there with something! (Denzel Washington Voice)
Arriving with Confidence At 5:30 pm, I arrived at the meeting spot early and checked in with the host. “Hi! I’m Micah B. I have a reservation at 6:00 for a party of 12!” Due to the weather, I adjusted expectations and asked for seating for half that. “Sure! No worries.” The hostess smiled. In the meantime, she invited me to grab a seat at the bar and get comfortable.
After checking my hair and makeup, posting a story about my latest lip combo, and sipping a 3 oz glass of cold Cava, it was 6:05. My photographer walked in. Still at the bar, I waved her over, and we greeted one another with hugs and smiles.
Making the Most of the Moment She’s a straight shooter! Her camera was out, ready to start our session. We took solo shots of myself and sat for dinner. We shared tapas, caught up on life, and simply enjoyed the moment.
I felt perfectly fine and honestly didn’t even notice that it was just her and me at first!
At 6:24, I looked down at my phone and received a text from an invitee. It read, “On my way, sorry, I needed to finish a project.” I felt instant excitement. I replied, “Okay! See you soon!”
Turning back to my photographer, I shared the good news. We both celebrated and continued yapping.
More Guests, More Conversations Attendee #1 arrived. I waved her over from the bar. “Hey, girl! It’s so nice to see you! I’m covering your first wine flight and tapa!” We embraced, and she joined us at the table. Introductions were made, and soon we were deep in conversation about social media, careers, relationships, and marriage.
An hour and a half later, I looked up at the door, and to my surprise, another invitee walked in! We had never met in person, and I was so grateful to see her. Waving her over from the bar, I hopped out of my stool to hug her and let her know how nice it was to meet her.
Switching seats, I got to know attendee #2 while informing her about the free tapas and wine flight. I couldn’t help but notice her beautiful hair and complimented her. I thanked her again for coming out, and she replied, “No, thank you! I needed this, and I absolutely love what you’re doing! We need these sorts of meetups. When you said, 'No agenda, just yapping,' I committed! And I’m so happy I came out.” We spent the next 45 minutes yapping, and it was a wonderful feeling.
Key Takeaway: The Power of Showing Up This experience taught me that great things start with small investments.
Whether one person or twenty show up, never underestimate the power of small beginnings. They have a way of turning into something extraordinary.
What’s Next? I left this evening not just feeling accomplished but inspired to keep growing this community. The Sip & Yap Sessions are only the beginning of what Wine & Woman will become. It’s about creating a space where women can share, laugh, and grow.