Rising Together: The Impact of InspireHER Collective

Success for women has too often been defined by impossible standards – balancing careers, families, and personal dreams without missing a beat. The pressure to be everything to everyone can feel relentless.

In a world that often tells women to “do it all,” InspireHER Collective offers a powerful alternative: a trusted circle where ambition and authenticity can sit at the same table. Launched in 2024 by Colleen Hungerford and Cheryl Medeiros, InspireHER is an all-women’s mastermind group for business owners, leaders, and women pursuing professional and personal greatness. There are no dues – only a commitment to show up, share honestly, and invest in each other.

“As women balancing entrepreneurship, leadership, and family, it can sometimes feel isolating. InspireHER is about reminding women they don’t have to do it all alone,” Colleen shares.

Colleen, a California native now rooted in the Midwest, has worn many hats: 13 years in sports medicine, bakery co-owner, founder of a construction and design firm, podcast co-host, and six-figure real estate entrepreneur – all while being a mom of three. Building her real estate business from the ground up in a city where she had few connections was anything but easy. But her ability to build authentic relationships became the foundation of her success. “I wish I had earlier in my journey a space where women could come together, not just to network, but to truly support, collaborate, and celebrate one another,” she reflects.

Cheryl’s journey has been equally shaped by challenge and determination. An entrepreneur and real estate expert in San Luis Obispo County, California, she spent years in corporate America navigating a pregnancy loss and three high-risk pregnancies in an environment that left little space to be human. That experience gave her a clear vision: women needed a healthier model of success.

“In 2023, I found myself thriving in two very different communities – a casual BUNCO group and a national mastermind for moms in real estate. Those connections became the highlight of my year,” Cheryl recalls.

“They reminded me that even as leaders, entrepreneurs, or high achievers, we often carry a quiet loneliness in our work.”

Together, Colleen and Cheryl transformed their vision into InspireHER Collective – a growing community designed to remind women that success doesn’t have to be lonely.

Beyond the Hustle

Both founders knew hustle culture well – the long hours, the endless striving, the belief that success could only be earned through sacrifice. They also knew the toll it takes; “hustle culture glorifies burnout, and it leaves women feeling like success requires sacrificing health, family, or joy,” Colleen explains.

Instead, InspireHER champions a different model: gentle success. For Colleen and Cheryl, gentle success doesn’t mean avoiding hard work. It means creating careers and businesses that are sustainable, aligned, and abundant. “Gentle success honors you as a whole person,” Cheryl says.

“It’s recognizing that rest fuels growth, unapologetically setting boundaries, and defining success on your own terms.”

This philosophy is the heart of InspireHER. It acknowledges that there are seasons of hustle, but hustle can’t be a permanent state of life. Gentle success allows ambition and well-being to co-exist, reminding women they don’t need to burn out to achieve their dreams.

The InspireHER Blueprint

The strength of InspireHER isn’t only in its philosophy, but also in its structure. Designed with intentionality, the Collective blends in-person and virtual meetings to ensure members stay connected throughout the year.

Each month, members meet twice:

• In-person luncheons (one hour): Each member will take turns leading, selecting a topic, curating resources, or even inviting guest speakers.

• Virtual roundtables (45 minutes): These sessions offer a space to problem-solve timely challenges together.

Additionally, members are added to a shared Google Space for everyday connection and resources – with email intentionally minimal for your inbox’s sake.

There is no membership fee – only the cost of your lunch and the currency InspireHER values most: time and participation. Confidentiality is key, ensuring women can speak freely about the struggles and triumphs of their professional and personal lives.

The topics covered range from strategy to self-care, reflecting every corner of women’s lives: financial planning, stress management, personal branding, maternity transitions, emotional intelligence, and more. Each meeting is a blend of strategy and support.

“Our last meeting had quite a few members getting emotional as they shared their work on a creativity project,” says Jen Miller, who leads the Denver chapter. “The smaller, intimate group makes it more valuable and close.”

More Than Networking

Unlike traditional networking events, where the goal is to exchange business cards, InspireHER focuses on depth over transactions. From the moment members walk into a meeting, they’re invited to be authentic and vulnerable. “We set the tone by being vulnerable ourselves, which opens the door for others to share honestly,” Colleen explains.

One tradition in San Luis Obispo that sets the tone is the “beyond the resume” story. Each month, a member shares something personal, going deeper than professional titles or achievements. Cheryl recalls, “As the leader, I went first and chose to lead with vulnerability. That set the tone, and since then, those shares have become the heartbeat of our meetings.”

This intentional vulnerability builds trust quickly, transforming InspireHER into a safe, supportive environment where women don’t just strategize together – they empathize, encourage, and uplift.

“We intentionally design gatherings to be less about handing out business cards and more about real connection and real workable tools to help support both business and personal,” Colleen says.

Moments That Matters

The beauty of InspireHER is how collaboration turns into collective breakthroughs.

Colleen recalls a moment when she felt stuck in her marketing; “I felt like I was doing all the things.” A member named Veronica stood up, grabbed a marker, and started mapping out Colleen’s ideas on the whiteboard. Before she knew it, the whole group was helping her refine her messaging and mapping out the next steps. “It was wonderful to have a whole team of women from different backgrounds helping me take my business to the next level,” Colleen says.

This dynamic repeats every month. A restaurant owner might share a challenge, and she’s surrounded by the brains of a home healthcare founder, a parent-and-young adult coach, and a chief of staff. “When you bring it to InspireHER, you invite a room full of women who aren’t in the weeds with you,” Cheryl says. “They expand your vision and remind you how much possibility exists.”

In Denver, Jen has seen collaboration take deeply personal forms. In one exercise, members created inspiration boards for themselves and shared the meaning behind their choices. “It was powerful to hear everyone’s stories – and so many of them connected,” she recalls.

Whether brainstorming marketing strategies or sharing personal milestones, InspireHER members consistently show that uplift happens when women pool their wisdom.

Impact That Lasts

The impact of InspireHER is felt both professionally and personally. Cheryl reports on seeing her business grow through referrals and collaborations with members. But beyond the numbers, it’s the friendships that matter most. “I now have an incredible group of high-achieving friends across the country – women who get the entrepreneurial highs and lows, the leadership challenges, and the juggling act of life,” she shares.

Jen echoes that sentiment, “It’s been a lot of fun to create this group and meet strong, inspiring women who will support me and each other for years to come – whether they stay in the group or not.”

And for Colleen, she has been pushed to grow in ways she never imagined possible by providing her with the support and collaboration she needed;

“it’s given me a group of women who cheer me on, hold me accountable, and remind me that I don’t have to have it all figured out to be worthy of success.”

A New Model of Success

InspireHER isn’t just for the women of today who know the demands of hustle culture and are searching for another way. It’s a model for the next generation, so they don’t have to face the same struggles.

Human beings crave community and support; it takes a village, but so many of us are trying to do it alone. “Just like we say, ‘if there’s no seat at the table, build your own table.’ If there’s no village, then we need to build it,” Cheryl says.

InspireHER is that village – a model of gentle success, where collaboration replaces competition.

Colleen adds, “I hope InspireHER becomes a blueprint showing women that leadership doesn’t have to look one way. You can carve your own path – with confidence, creativity, and compassion.”

This group is about our daughters, nieces, granddaughters – the next generations who will benefit from seeing new models of leadership, success, and community.

Let's Rise

InspireHER’s mission names what so many women already know to be true: the perfect balance of work, life, and family is a myth. What’s possible, however, is meaningful harmony with humor as an ally and growth as a shared goal.

InspireHER uplifts women by designing intimacy through small groups and real stories, centering usefulness with practical tools, honoring boundaries by validating rest, rotating leadership so every woman has a voice, and making success shareable by celebrating wins and saying others’ names in rooms where opportunity lives.

Cheryl reminds us, “We’re better together and a rising tide really does lift all ships.”

InspireHER Collective is more than a mastermind group. It’s proof that success doesn’t have to come at the expense of joy, family, or authenticity. It’s women creating spaces where ambition is welcomed, vulnerability is honored, and collaboration is celebrated.

Colleen sums it up best: “I’ve had to hustle. But the future I’m fighting for is gentle success – one that supports women entrepreneurs and invites everyone to rise.”

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Written by Sarah Oliver

Images Courtesy of InspireHER Collective Indiana, Denver, and California