Mount Pleasant Magazine May/June 2018

www.ChsWomenInBusiness.com | www.LCWomenInBusiness.com | www.LCwib.com 16 - WIB W hen I moved to Charleston back in 2016, I knew how important finding an entrepreneurial community to connect with would be – and, lucky for me, I just so happened to stumble upon Hatch Tribe fresh into its first six months. Founded by Hilary Johnson in January 2016, Hatch Tribe is a live and virtual community for female entrepreneurs to connect and inspire one another. Two years later, it seems that Hatch Tribe was destined from the beginning to be successful, but, if you ask Johnson about her background, you might be surprised that this wasn’t the plan all along. “Prior to moving to Charleston, I lived in five cities in eight years for my corporate job, with Chicago being the last. Eventually, I began to wonder, ‘Is this ever going to stop?’ It made me realize that I wanted more control of my own life. I spent two years brainstorming, building business plans and figuring out what made sense, and, then, two years to the day of moving to Chicago, I resigned from my job with plans to move and open a business,” she said. Upon relocating to Charleston – ultimately settling in as a resident of Mount Pleasant – the Hickory, North Carolina, native opened the Gusto Group, a festival and event production company that specialized in creating events from start to finish. “About a year into it, I was having major doubts about the company making it and realized I would love to know other people going through the ups and downs of owning a business. But I lacked that community, especially with other women,” she said. Feeling isolated but determined, Johnson made the Gusto Group successful, only to decide that her heart wasn’t truly in it. “I recognized that everyone needs to have a solid network in their community, to have people on speed dial for advice, referrals, access to resources and support. Plus, there’s so much information to digest, but we need to learn it fast because time is always scarce for business owners. I wanted to help other women launch their businesses and teach them how to be successful, too,” Johnson explained. And she has. In the last couple of years, Hatch Tribe has held trainings and meet-ups for local female entrepreneurs, helping them to learn, network and grow their businesses, By Krysta Chapman Hardworking and Like-minded Women Hatch Tribe