All too often, women are juggling life, work, children, and everything in between, with little time to explore a sense of self and to meet other women. Because of this, Gina Anguiano and Inger Hiller, inspired by the men's group BOB (Business Over Beverages), wanted a space for women in business to meet, promote their businesses, and find inspiration in each other.
"What we liked about the group [BOB] was that it was very free-flowing," Inger says. "It's a place where we can mix and mingle, get to know each other, give each other business cards, and build each other up."
And so, WOW, Women in the Work Force in Castle Rock came to fruition. While there were many groups for moms, not everyone is a mother. Gina wanted to create something that encompassed all women.
After talking with Inger about her idea, it was clear they were onto something where women could get together for free to collaborate and make friends.
"I'm telling you, it snowballed," Gina recalls when she first pitched the idea to Inger. "If I have an idea, she has an idea, and it just gets bigger and bigger and better. It's such a cool thing."
Inger adds, "We thought there was a niche and a place for WOW because we wanted to do something more centered and focused on women, allowing them to be around people who were of their audience."
Gina and Inger were right. Women wanted this sense of community, and the group quickly grew to over 5,000 members. They meet on the second Tuesday of each month to connect, and the location varies throughout Castle Rock.
"At first, we just would purchase appetizers, drinks, and stuff like that," Gina explains. "And now people are coming to us asking how they can get involved. Right now, we are pretty much full for the year!"
In April, the ladies met at Buff City Soap in their brand-new building on Wilcox Street. Gina and Inger love helping local companies gain exposure so people are more aware of what they offer.
WOW meetings are free to anyone who wants to attend. While the group centers around women in business, one of the biggest differences is that the women get to know each other on a personal level.
"As a women's group, we get to know each other, like, tell me about your family and the neighborhood you live in and things like that," Inger explains. "We get to know each other [first], and then we talk about our businesses. So it's just kind of a different style than starting with business right away."
Gina continues, "Women can come from wherever they want, but our goal is to stay here in Castle Rock for the meetings. We just want to connect women, and we want to see women succeed."
For the ladies of WOW, Gina pitches them about the different run events she promotes for Run to Change Lives so they can showcase their business. "I give them a discount if they want to have a booth to promote their business," she says.
In the end, Inger and Gina wanted to create a space for women where they felt welcomed, no matter what they were looking for in the evening. Whether they were new to the community, constantly bogged down by life's pressures, or just hoping to make new friends, they wanted to ensure that every woman who walked through the door would find a sense of belonging at their WOW meetings.
"Let's stand up and move around and kind of rotate so that everyone gets to meet each other by the end of the night," Inger says. "I've seen over the years, Gina and I with WOW, so many great relationships that have been built through the group."
At the helm, it's always about women supporting women. It never fails, and WOW is a prime example of that.
"As a women's group, we get to know each other, like, tell me about your family and the neighborhood you live in and things like that," Inger explains. "We get to know each other [first], and then we talk about our businesses. So it's just kind of a different style than starting with business right away."
Gina continues, "Women can come from wherever they want, but our goal is to stay here in Castle Rock for the meetings. We just want to connect women, and we want to see women succeed."