We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful KENDRA GAUNTLETT. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with KENDRA below.
Hi KENDRA, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
At a young age, my parents graciously supported my curiosity and enrolled me in a few sports and hobbies that I had shown particular interest in. Little did I realize, how the lessons I learned from the countless practices, classroom time and workouts would evolve into some of my core beliefs. Believing that when things get difficult, I am capable of overcoming it if I really commit myself to it and taking one step ahead of the other.
As I’ve gotten older, self-esteem has shown itself like a sand castle built just a little bit too close to the water’s edge. Wave after wave of self doubt, unattainable beauty standards, others seemingly greater successes, the notion of ‘doing it all’ and countless other attacks threaten to erode the foundation of confidence built from our adolescent years. It’s only by continual rebuilding, healing, and a healthy dose of self-love does the sand castle continue to stand.
For all of us, I believe the basis for building confidence is the truth that we are all very capable human beings with great capacity for happiness, kindness, and achievement. Internalizing these truths repeatedly can help keep the self-doubt waves at bay.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Soon after college, I continued to be deeply curious about new hobbies, sports, and subcultures; however this time without structured teams or classes, I turned to my accessible peers. It wasn’t until later that I recognized that the peers that were most often available and interested in leading or teaching hobbies to newbies were men. One particular hobby that piqued my interest was outdoor rock climbing. I initially timidly learned under the guidance of a few competent and confident men, however I flourished as I began taking ownership over my full climbing and outdoor experience growing alongside a handful of female climbers.
It is a hobby I have dedicated thousands of hours to, and it has given me the tools to achieve several of my proudest physical and mental accomplishments – moments like those mentioned above that feed my sense of self. As I built up the skills and knowledge to teach other women the basics of rock climbing, I began to see the teaching and learning process as a powerful growth and empowerment cycle for myself and newly minted climbers.
When I started Comfort Club, it was with spaces like climbing in mind – male-dominated sports, hobbies, and activities that can offer a powerful feeling of achievement to take them on but don’t have clear entrance points. My goal is to make these spaces accessible to more women, and welcome them to be curious, trust their instincts and experience new things. Every workshop is taught by a female workshop leader and focuses on using the activity being taught as a catalyst for self-reflection, personal growth, and communion with one another.
In the past year we have held workshops on rock climbing, pottery, journal binding, and even composting. At each event, our goal is two-fold; for attendees, we want to provide them with a memorable, educational, and thought provoking experience that helps them build confidence in a new way through experimentation, play, and community building. For the workshop leaders, we aspire to reinforce a confidence in their expertise that cascades into their life outside of Comfort Club in the form of expanded business, future workshops, mentorship, etc.
In the coming months, we are planning a grilling workshop, a clothing swap, a cycle tracking workshop, and more to be announced shortly.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Along my journey, I have chosen to have endless curiosity, hold compassion for others’ experiences, and always been willing to always be a beginner at something. Of these, curiosity has been the core driver behind much of my decision making. This has influenced my travel philosophy, my approach to relationships, and has been a strong motivator behind my desire to start Comfort Club. Treating new experiences with humility, respect and levity can open you up to incredibly beautiful interactions, learning opportunities, and new perspectives on life.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I am! Comfort Club is looking for three things currently. A) spaces in and around LA where we can host future events, B) female founded food and beverage brands interested in sampling during these events, and C) new workshop ideas and leaders – if you are a woman (or know one) with a particular passion, unique skill, and willingness to teach, please reach out!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/comfortclubla
Image Credits
Kendra Gauntlett Photography, Nicole Min Photography.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
