Find Your Comfort. Build Real Connections. Grow Real Confidence.
Grateful Connections is a community for women in business who genuinely cheer each other on-
through gatherings that build connection and workshops that build confidence.
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Upcoming Events
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Apply to be a Speaker
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Branding Photography
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Supportive Community
Collaboration Over Competition. Connection Over Isolation.
Business ownership doesn’t have to mean doing it all yourself.
The right people around you make every part of it easier.
Nervous to be vulnerable in a room full of strangers?
Tired of being just another name at a mixer, left to fend for yourself?
Wishing conversations went deeper than “So, what do you do?”
Worried about being judged instead of understood?
Stuck because you don’t know what you don’t know?
Grateful Connections Gatherings Are Different by Design
We are a safe space where no one is left standing alone, conversations are prompted to go deeper than small talk, and there is zero judgment for where you are in your entrepreneurial journey.
Grateful Connections is all about real connection, real support, and a community that celebrates your wins and shows up for you, not just your business. Through our workshops, we help close the gaps you didn’t even know were there, so you can find what your next step is.
Proudly rooted in lake county, illinois and built for any woman ready to stop building alone
More than events. A community that shows up for each other.
Gatherings that build real friendships, not just contacts
Workshops that grow your skills and confidence
Personal Branding Photography that helps you show up as yourself
A community that celebrates you- the wins, the setbacks, and everything in between.
Not ready for your first gathering yet? Join our free Facebook Community and start connecting today.
Transform your business and life
through genuine community and real support
Grateful Connections is here for every step of your journey- gatherings that build real connection and workshops that build real skill.
Branding Connections takes it a step further: small group of women, one photography day, and images that actually look like you- plus you get to make a few friends and connections along the way.
The Journey: From Comfort to Confidence
Comfort
Start where you are. Join a gathering- no pressure, no pitch, just a room built to help you feel at ease.
Connection
Build real relationships with women who get it, through gatherings, workshops, and Branding Connection days.
Confidence
You already believe in your skill. We help you build the business acumen- and the words to match it.
What members of our community have to say
about Grateful Connections…
Dr. Barbara Provost,
PURSE STRINGS
Walking into my first event in Grayslake, I felt it—warmth, energy, and a genuine spirit of connection. The room buzzed with conversation as an incredible group of women mingled over a glass of wine, getting to know one another in the most welcoming way. Then came the powerful panel discussion on women’s health—topics that were once taboo, now brought into the light with honesty, expertise, and compassion.
I was so impressed with Malinda—her vision, her ability to bring together knowledgeable professionals, and the safe, engaging space she created for real conversations. I left feeling inspired, informed, and completely in.
Grateful Connections isn’t just another networking group—it’s a movement. And I can’t wait to see it grow, offering even more women the information, resources, and community we need to move forward—personally and professionally.
A Moment of Connection
A thoughtful note from Grateful Connections, shared weekly, with tips, reflections, upcoming events, podcast updates, and community news.