My Journey from Scrappy to Scaleable

I've always loved this Steve Jobs quote. Probably because I found it extremely relatable in my non-traditional career path.

“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things. And the reason they were able to do that was that they’ve had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people. Unfortunately, that’s too rare a commodity. A lot of people in our industry haven’t had very diverse experiences. So they don’t have enough dots to connect, and they end up with very linear solutions without a broad perspective on the problem. The broader one’s understanding of the human experience, the better design we will have.”

―Steve Jobs

I'll never forget the time I was on my fifth interview at a Minneapolis ad agency and they finally just looked at me and said..."I'm sorry but you're an entrepreneur."

I wasn't sure how to feel about that because I didn't want to be an entrepreneur. I wanted a job. I've produced fashion shows, created social media campaigns, created art, worked with artists, worked with CMOs, worked on documentaries, designed clothes, studied engineering, worked as a waitress, a receptionist, and dabbled in pretty much anything related to community, art and story.

This has taught me a lot about people which is why I'm comfortable (I used to be too much of an imposter to say this) in my role as President at Haus of Sonder. I have a deep understanding of people, culture, and drive so much of my work by empathy and the drive to bring people together from all walks of life.

It’s time to tell a personal story I’ve been mulling over for a while now. I call it “My Journey from Scrappy to Scalable,” and it ends with a big announcement.?

Here goes …?

I’ve always operated on instinct. When I moved to Minneapolis and saw the incredible fashion, arts, creative and entrepreneurial communities we have here, I thought to myself, “Why isn’t anyone celebrating this?”?

I didn’t just think about it, I did something about it. I got a whopping $250 loan from my mom. I launched “I Am MPLS” in 2010. And just when I worried that no one would show up, it sold out.?

I was hooked. I had gotten an idea. I had somehow made it happen out of thin air. And it worked. It felt so good to bring people together and elevate a community (and a city) I love. I wanted more of THAT, please.

That basic pattern repeated itself over the next 14 years, leading to Fashion Week Minnesota, Sonder, Some Great People and so many events, social media campaigns, influencer and ambassador campaigns, I can’t even count them.?

Along the way, brands from Bumble to Porsche to Stella Artois have contacted me and said, “We love what you’re doing, and we want to tap into it.”

WOMEN IN BIZZ: Sponsored by Bumble

They’ve also said “When are you going to build this thing out more?” “When are you going to bottle this?” “When are you going to grow?” I avoided answering those questions, because I’ve always had that scrappy, solopreneur mindset. In some ways, I always will.

But then something changed.?

I realized that the world was moving in the wrong direction. I saw more loneliness and isolation, less community. More people getting attention by being judgmental than by being curious. More people wanting to segment, sub-segment, divide and conquer people, instead of bringing them together.

When did we stop all talking to each other? When did we we stop asking questions? When did showing empathy somehow become unfashionable??

We crave connection, belonging and to be seen, heard and celebrated.

Everyone wants that.

Viral video from a day I orchestrated a team of volunteers to surprise a group of women at Mount Olivet with a day of pampering.

I decided it was finally time to go from “scrappy” to “scalable.” I met Tracy Call, the incredible woman who started Media Bridge and grew it into one of the biggest ad agencies in the state. And when I learned that her manta is “The Best Strategy Is To Care,” I knew I had a partner.

Read the Minnesota Monthly article here:

https://www.minnesotamonthly.com/lifestyle/people/redefining-sarah/

We joined forces last summer, and since then, our teams have been busy getting the new Haus of Sonder ready to unveil to the world.?

Guess what? It’s time!

I’ll be honest. What I do has sometimes been hard to define — especially for me. But now I want to shout it from the rooftops.

What is Haus of Sonder??

We’re the place you go when you want killer events, influencer or ambassador campaigns, or social media campaigns. There’s no team better when it comes to tapping into, building and activating lasting communities around your brand.

What do we do better than anyone else??

Help companies build awareness, launch new products and services, attract talent, and bring cultural relevancy to their brand.?

With Haus of Sonder and our partnership with Media Bridge, I finally have the freedom to do what I do best, because I have the financial, operational and creative infrastructure to scale it. I can finally execute on every idea, no matter how big. And I can finally bottle the magic that merges brands, creativity and communities.?

Now what? We are hosting our launch event at Saturday, February 3rd and will soon be launching our new website, services, clients and employees!

As of today, there are no limits.?

Welcome to our Haus!