A post-Summit love letter to the community that made it all happen.
Sidebar IRL: Still feeling the magic.
Hi, everyone!
Last week, something extraordinary happened. This platform—built on connection, curiosity, and courage—came to life in the most beautiful way at our very first Sidebar Summit. And even now, I’m still processing the magic we created together in person.
Over two days, Sidebar members from across the country gathered not just to learn, but to truly show up—for ourselves, for each other, and for what’s next. We explored new ideas. We got out of our heads and into our hands—kayaking on the Pacific, blowing glass, molding clay, racing through the Hiller Aviation Museum. We dove into big questions in our roundtables and workshops, and we reimagined what leadership, success, and community can look like.
Everywhere I turned, I saw sparks: joyful reunions, brave conversations, new friendships forming in real time. And woven through all of it were a few powerful themes that kept surfacing—like the courage to walk away from paths that no longer fit. The strength it takes to ask for help. The clarity that comes when we stop chasing someone else’s definition of success and start living into our own.
At a time when many of us are navigating uncertainty, change, or reinvention, these moments of clarity and connection felt even more poignant. We weren’t just attendees at a conference—we were co-creators of something rare and meaningful.
And while the programming was incredible, the true power of the Summit came from you. Each person brought something real: wisdom, vulnerability, presence, perspective. You listened deeply. You lifted each other up. You reminded me—and each other—what’s possible when people gather with open hearts and a shared purpose.
To everyone who made the trip and poured their energy into this experience: thank you. You made it unforgettable. And to those who couldn’t make it this time—please know this is only the beginning.
If the Summit lit a spark in you, don’t let it fade. Reach out to someone you met. Offer to teach a member led workshop. Host a Supper Club in your city. The magic wasn’t in the place—it was in us. And it still is.
You are the heart of this community. Let’s keep building something meaningful—together.
With so much gratitude,
Ha Nguyen
Sidebar Head of Community
P.S. - Want to relive the magic and hear powerful insights from Summit conversations? Here are just a few reflections from fellow members that capture it beautifully:
Our facilitators kicked off Summit with a dance party!
Made possible by the Sidebar team. Made meaningful by all of you.
Relive the magic through our Summit photo gallery