Aalyiah Heath (00:00)
Being a woman, being emotional, these are not weaknesses. are strengths. Listening to your intuition as a leader is not a weakness. And you should lean into that and be proud that you're a woman.
Heath Fletcher (00:10)
What happens when women stop shrinking themselves to fit the spaces that were never designed for them and start building spaces of their own? That's exactly what we're unpacking today. And if you ever felt overqualified and overlooked at the same time, this one's for you.
My guests today are Aalyiah Heath and Naomi Cosman, both founding members of Club Mamabee, a movement built on one powerful idea, the hive. Their mission is to help women build the networks, the visibility and the collective power that don't just level the playing field, they change the game entirely. Later in this conversation, we're to be talking about something that doesn't get discussed often enough, and that's why community isn't just a business strategy, it's actually a health intervention. You're to want to hear this.
Aalyiah, Naomi, welcome to this episode of The Healthy Enterprise. ⁓ Why don't you take this minute here and introduce yourselves and your roles with Club Mamabee
Aalyiah Heath (01:14)
Okay, well, thank you for having us, Heath. I'm super excited to be here. I am Aalyiah Heath. I am the director of editorial and community curation at Club Mamabee. ⁓ And outside of Mamabee, I do so many things, which also attracted me to being a part of this club in general. I'm a community builder. I live here in France. So I work with artists, women, creating spaces for people to connect. And that's like my superpower. I love people and I love...
getting people outside doing something that you usually wouldn't do on a random Monday night. Like that's, that's who I am as a person. So yes, that's a little bit about myself and yeah, thanks for having us.
Naomi Cosman (01:55)
I am Naomi Cosman. I joined Club Mamabee as a founding member and CMO. ⁓ Outside of Club Mamabee, I am the head of marketing of Koning Health, a breast CT manufacturing company. So Helping Woman is a part of my DNA. I'm very passionate about it. I'm very excited to be a part of this group of badass women who are trying to make a platform for more women like us and very happy to be here, Heath.
Heath Fletcher (02:25)
Awesome. Great to have you both. who's not with us today is Meghna Deshraj, who is the founder of Club Mamabee . So tell me a bit about her vision and what your intentions are as you take on these roles.
Naomi Cosman (02:42)
Sure. ⁓ So I believe that Meghna started Club Mamabee because she saw that too many women are working in silos and that she believed that ⁓ we can get more done. There will be much more success and more entrepreneurship if women can work together. And if we provide a platform for women who have a voice, who want to amplify their voice ⁓ and become a group of something bigger than themselves. So that is
I believe her vision and ⁓ why she brought us on to help make that a reality.
Aalyiah Heath (03:18)
Yeah, in addition to that, ⁓ the name mama bee in general, when you hear bee, the whole hive mentality, it's not the hive thinking, but more so we lean on each other to succeed. And I think that was also one of her missions is that instead of hoarding information, we share it and pollinate to each other so that we could expand our knowledge, network with each other and grow as women leaders in different fields.
Heath Fletcher (03:43)
And that whole hive ⁓ theory about the community or the working together with collective efforts and collective goals is really conducive to that environment building. ⁓ As you start spreading the word about this, what is your response from people when you sort of mention what Club Mamabee is about?
Aalyiah Heath (04:05)
I find, I don't know for you, if you might agree, but people are excited. Like I didn't realize because I work and of course, usually my job is with men and women and others. So it's not just focused on women per se. So you get a mix of everything. But when I say, okay, we're leading something for women so that we can work together, everyone's like, okay, how do I sign up? Where do I sign up? What does this look like? And how can I be involved? So I've been met with a lot of excitement and
people just wanting to help us and be involved and also share what they're working on as well. I don't know if it's the same for you, Naomi.
Naomi Cosman (04:40)
Yeah, I think the hive idea really resonates with people. ⁓ I think that everybody has a story of how they were supported in some way or somebody that believed in them. And it's really about doing things together and women doing things together, becoming more successful for that. I think people are really excited and they believe that that's what leadership should look like.
Aalyiah Heath (05:04)
Mm-hmm.
Heath Fletcher (05:06)
Was there a shortage of these types of groups out there or is it mama bee has a sort of a different approach to it?
Naomi Cosman (05:14)
They exist. ⁓ It's more so that we believe that they're a little bit more passive. So you see a post on LinkedIn and you get inspired by that woman. We are more about you join, you contribute, you mentor, you get visibility for something that you're working on. So it's that holistic collaborative effort instead of like, you know, and I'm not belittling anything about the other groups. I think it's really important to have
that kind of content out there, especially for younger women who are just starting out or who are trying to find their place. But we're trying to put it all together and ⁓ provide that platform for the voice, for everybody's, every woman's voice.
Aalyiah Heath (05:58)
and build that ecosystem like Will said, Naomi, because even all of these groups are important, not just Club Mamabee but I think what we really focus on is building an ecosystem where, you know, even though I'm in Paris, Naomi is in New York, and we have other members in other places around the world, and we're able to build this connection in different places, in different spaces. So I think that's really powerful. Actually, we have our first event on Monday, the 23rd. So we're excited about that and just looking forward to seeing
how we can build from there.
Heath Fletcher (06:29)
What's that event going to be about? What are you going to be doing? What's the focus?
Aalyiah Heath (06:33)
So this is our first event. We've actually, so I started before I joined Club Mamabee. I have these things called Girl Boss Happy Hour. And it's so funny that, you I think that's what makes our founder, I think that's also what makes Club Mamabee Club Mamabee are the people that we have because Meghna, she has this vision where she sees something in you and she's like, okay, I want to help you push that forward. And I think that's something we all have in common, Naomi as well, Paige and our other club members and team members.
we're all excited to hear our vision. So Meghana was like, okay, club, Girl Boss Happy Hour, what can we do to help this and magnify this and help as many women as we can? So on a Monday night after work, women come together to decompress with a drink or a mocktail and we get to share like some Girl Boss hacks. How can we help each other succeed? What's something that we always should remember as Girl Bosses? And you know, you'll be surprised because some things like, dang, I know that, but I didn't remember like.
It's just those reminders to be surrounded by women, especially on a random Monday night. So it's quite special.
Heath Fletcher (07:37)
I love the girl boss. It's great. It's a great statement. It says a lot. And I mean, it's really interesting to hear, you know, you're all working doing your own thing. And then you come together, you basically come back to the hive and get re energized and learn something and get filled up and then go back into the world. Because sometimes, you know, whether it's business or being a mom, you know, it can be a lonely
it can be a lonely place. It's like you get this lone wolf syndrome. So tell me about that. Is that something you come across or that people seem to suffer from?
Aalyiah Heath (08:16)
Yeah.
Naomi Cosman (08:17)
I think
everybody that I know, all of my...
women friends, I think, ⁓ could attest to how that can be lonely. ⁓ Ideally, everybody has a helpful partner. But from a woman's perspective, especially if you're a mother or if you're an entrepreneur, which, you know, like if you're like Meghna and you start your own business, that's motherhood in itself. You're starting something from scratch. That is, you know, a unique experience, I believe. And not everybody can understand it. But that's why having a community of people that do
understand it, like you said, can make it less lonely and, you know, bring to bring this feeling of like, a feeling of fullness. Like I feel fulfilled because there are other women like me who are trying to achieve something like me and they have things that are in their way. And so that is, you know, something that I think is really important about Club Mamabee is being able to provide ⁓ this community for women who might feel alone in their endeavors originally.
Aalyiah Heath (09:19)
the same quality that makes a woman a great mother is the same one that makes them a great leader. So it doesn't necessarily mean you have to separate yourself as a mother. And it's like, that's the same path you take to oversee everything in life. Because for me, I'm not a mom yet. But I feel like for all of the beautiful moms out there who I know, my own mom, that's what makes her a great leader is that she knows how to wear many hats at once while taking care of an entire human being.
Shout out to the moms. I know it's not Mother's Day, but I think they deserve all of the praise because that's the hardest job in life is to be a mother. So you shouldn't have to separate that in your job because you don't have to mother people, but that leadership quality still stands true in everything you do.
Heath Fletcher (10:05)
Yeah, I agree with that. I was raised by a single mom and I saw the power of one woman who could raise a child, go to work, have a career, come home, look after that kid, me, and you know, teach them, teach me how to grow up and be a man that's respectful of women and understands that imbalance that actually exists. Let's talk about some of the women that are attracted to Club Mamabee
Who are they and what are they doing out there? What maybe attracts them to the group?
Naomi Cosman (10:39)
Yeah, I mean, we're finding across the board, across industries, you there are founders, there are investors, there are educators. These are people who are passionate about what they're doing, and they just want something a little bit deeper than a surface level networking group. And, you know, those are the people that we're talking to. Those are the people that Meghna has brought in, you know. So I think that it's a very special kind of person that is attracted to Club Mamambi.
Heath Fletcher (11:08)
Aalyiah, you talked about something about a woman who brings on a business or takes on a business. There is a nurturing quality, right? It's innate. Maybe is that ⁓ a byproduct? Is that something that they're infusing into their organizations, into their professional roles?
Aalyiah Heath (11:27)
Yes, I think like to Naomi when she was describing the club Mamabee Woman, nurturing is a part of that because a lot of these women are starting projects, businesses, ideas from the ground up. So in order to nurture a seed, you have to plant it, water it, take care of it from the vision states to actually seeing it come to life like the Girl Boss Happy Hour. You start a little shaky, I think.
you're a bit nervous, when you continuously do it, builds that confidence. Like, okay, I've done it once, I can do it again. And then you have that support of the Hive. Like, yeah, you can do it again and I'm gonna show up with you and show up for you. And that makes, it makes everything so much better and easier to manage when you have a support system.
Heath Fletcher (12:13)
There was something I read was interesting. was researchers found that companies with gender diversity strategies report that 31 % noting a culture where all employees feel equally treated, 23 % seeing increased innovation and 20 % improved attraction of clients and investors. So that's an improvement. That's showing an improvement of having gender diverse cultures. mean, that's what we're talking about here is empowering these people to
get out there, work in there, ⁓ get out of their silos, get out of their lone wolf cultures and build these communities. So from the hub and hive that you guys are creating, they're learning these techniques and finding that courage to go out and infuse that into their own organizations and their own workplaces, right?
Naomi Cosman (13:03)
Yeah, I mean, it's not surprising to me that that statistic exists because, you know, women being half of the people that exist in the world are going to bring different points of view to their workplace as well. So and why wouldn't you want that as an enterprise? You want to be able to build on.
multiple ideas, you want to test things out, want, you know, like it's all about trial and error when you're starting a company. So why would you want to one silo people and two only have the same ideas floating around that gets stale, that is not the recipe for success. And so yeah, it makes sense that that that's the statistic out there.
Aalyiah Heath (13:46)
Yeah, and I find like when you are included, I don't know if this is for you guys too in the office space or at work rather, but when you are included and people value your opinion, you wanna put more input in. It's like, I'm valued. So you wanna share your input. If someone doesn't respect what you have to say or kind of like shun your ideas, like, well, maybe it's not a safe space to share. And sometimes I know work can feel like that for many people, especially women when you might be the only woman on the team. It's like.
All right, no one's listening to me. So when you make that space, of course, innovation is going to increase because people are sharing the ideas that are worth sharing.
Naomi Cosman (14:21)
And I will say also another thing that I love about Club Mamabee is that I think that women in the workplace, especially if we're one of very few women in the workplace in our companies, have to work that much harder to be heard and to get our ideas across and to not be seen as emotional and all these, you stereotypes of women in the workplace, which frustrates me to no end. ⁓ You know, like we exist so that there isn't that.
mentality. We exist so that women can have their voice without having this judgment put on them and have a safe space to be able to build and grow and succeed.
Heath Fletcher (15:03)
That's a great point. There is still so much stigma around that. I mean, there's still much even disbelief. were talking about this earlier about there was another stat I found that was like of the $289 billion invested globally in venture capital in 2024, only 2.3 % went to female only founding teams, $6.7 billion out of that $289 billion, while 83.6 % went to all male teams.
I mean, some people are still surprised by a statistic like that. But you guys are very familiar with it. It doesn't surprise you, you said.
Naomi Cosman (15:42)
and
I are just here rolling our eyes. It's like, like that is what we know. And it's so unfortunate. And it's like, you know, if even a portion more of that was given to female entrepreneurs, you know, imagine what we could achieve with that. That's just, it's insane. It's frustrating.
Heath Fletcher (16:01)
And have both of you come across that in your own professional lives? Your own experiences?
Aalyiah Heath (16:08)
in regards to funding.
Heath Fletcher (16:11)
funding or I guess you could call it funding. That was more specific. I guess those are opportunities, maybe, know, opportunities where, ⁓ even I even read this other one about, about people who are women that are asked, female founders that are asked prevention questions focused on risks and losses more than twice as often as male founders who receive more promotion questions focused on aspirations and potential. I guess what I'm asking is,
Do you feel that coming from from men in the workplace where you've been where it's like, okay, you have to prove yourself. That guy doesn't have to prove himself, but you do.
Naomi Cosman (16:50)
100%. I mean, you I think that as I'm hoping that as time goes on, that, you know, gets less and less. But that's definitely something that women, you know, and I personally have handled in the workplace as well. And, and going back to your point about the funding to like, I work for a women's health company, and it is a brilliant revolutionary technology. And even a technology like that can have trouble being funded.
because it's women's health. And, you know, like, I don't want to get all bitter on us in this conversation, but like, if it was for men's health, how much easier would it be to get funding? You know, like, if you think of it like that, and we're trying to make a difference in people's lives. Everybody knows women, everybody, like, you know, everybody has a mother, everybody has a friend that's a woman, hopefully, you know, like.
or a sister or a daughter. And so it's like, why are we making it so hard for these people, for 50 % of the population to succeed? It's ridiculous.
Heath Fletcher (17:53)
talking about business, is this a how you know, is this a really, is this a great place to talk about business as well? I mean, we're talking about motherhood and other things and maybe other aspirations in the workplace. But if, if coming together, you can support each other in your business ventures as well, you know what, know, in what in what ways can you do that?
Aalyiah Heath (18:14)
Yeah,
just to start, although we're called Club Mamabee, our club is open to women with businesses. That's our target. Our target is women with businesses. And of course, if you're a mother, because women are mothers too, a lot of us are out here. So I think we do offer opportunities. Majority of our opportunities is the sharing what it's like in the workplace, what it's like to own a business. I know here in France, like when I do my Girl Boss happy hours,
I'm seeing some women who come to these events and they're sharing like, okay, this contract, don't know, you know, talking to the lawyer across the room and helping, okay, how should I approach this? Because I feel like I'm being taken advantage of. So it's not necessarily, okay, we're focusing on mothers, even though that is a part, I mean, that's quite natural, but we're also focused, okay, how do we share, like how to run a business? Or when you're a leader at the office, how can you go about this? As we know that if it's a men led office space where,
the 90 % of the leadership is men and you're the only probably woman there, you can talk to these women and say, I need advice, I need practical steps. And that's what we offer as well. Not just, okay, not just networking because that's part of the solution, right? Networking is great, but what are the actionable steps that you can take in order to be a better leader and showcase that in every way. And you do the same for us. You share what you've learned out in the field and bring it back to the hive so we can grow together.
Naomi Cosman (19:43)
hopefully that can change the trajectory for all women who are, you know, trying to get something done or, you know, want their voice heard. I think that this hive mentality can help accelerate that and accelerate the success for these women.
Heath Fletcher (19:59)
Yeah, because in your club, you'd remember your membership would probably have quite a wide diverse of roles, positions, experiences and professions. And that would be a wonderful place to share that knowledge and support each other in ways that you couldn't get if you were just sort of floating around out there and trying to manage that on your own. Wow, amazing. ⁓ So ⁓ with you two leading the way right now,
Naomi Cosman (20:21)
Absolutely.
Heath Fletcher (20:30)
How are you approaching this to get this to as many people as you can to attract new members to the group? What ways are you going about doing that?
Aalyiah Heath (20:41)
So first, of course, we're starting with our 100 founding queen bees, which is a big deal because this is free. It's no, we're not charging our community. We're sharing with our friends. We're sharing with our networks. And also, of course, people outside of our networks because the more the merrier. But we're starting with our 100 founding queen bees. And with that comes, of course, we want to highlight you. So we call them the honeycomb spotlight.
where I have the pleasure of interviewing you and getting to know your story. I sent Naomi the questions over and she had the pleasure to answer them. And I was so happy to hear her response. Like, wow, like just being able to reflect on her journey, me as well, cause I answered the questions too. And I was so like, wow, I did ask some really great questions. I was happy to answer them and just think about my journey and that reflection period was really important for me for the next, you know, sometimes that's the step you need to go to the next.
level and like you just have to reflect and take stock. So we're opening the door for 100 founding queen bees. We're connecting through LinkedIn, of course, all social media platforms. And for me, I'm a IRL girlie in real life person as well. So our team members, we host events in different cities here in Paris, New York, one of our team members, she's a sound healer. So we're connecting in real life as well. Like we're not closing the door on that. So
We'll be sending out information. If you see me in your inbox, promise we're not bots. We're bees, busy bees just looking for you to join our community.
Heath Fletcher (22:09)
That's amazing and you're there's no membership fees. There's nothing to pay to be part of this
Aalyiah Heath (22:14)
So at the beginning, no, we're starting just with a free tier for the founding members. And then after, of course, we're going to have different paying tiers, of course, because as we grow, there's going to be different teaching courses, including us, how to run events, how to own a business, et cetera. So it's just going to take some more to get the business and the community growing bigger and bigger. But at the beginning, initial stages, free and amazing opportunities.
Heath Fletcher (22:18)
founding members.
for the first 100 Queen B's. Love it. That's great. Very cool approach. And so this ⁓ in-person, so in-person in certain cities around the world, and then will those events also be virtual so that you could attend either in-person or virtually if you're not in that town or city?
Naomi Cosman (22:45)
Yeah.
We definitely will have virtual events too. think the ones that Aalyiah is talking about right now are the ones that are, you know, like a happy hour, for example, where it be little hard to set up a video. ⁓ absolutely, we want the virtual aspect as well, because like she was saying, you know, like there's women around the world already as part of MAMABEE, Club MAMABEE. So like we want to make this platform available to every single woman that's out there that, you know, has access to a computer and is interested in amplifying
amplifying their voice. ⁓ So virtual in real life, ⁓ it will all be available.
Heath Fletcher (23:41)
Now story, you're both really good storytellers. is how, what's the story you're telling to people to attract them to join and be part of this?
Naomi Cosman (23:53)
I think for me, it's a personal story. It's about, ⁓ I'm over a decade into my career. ⁓ I went through my own troubles and tribulations when I was younger, trying to figure out what I wanted to do. And I had mentors along the way that helped me get to the place where I am right now. And I truly believe in that. ⁓ That is...
why I want to bring in women to this group because I'm not alone in that. I know I'm not. And so that's the story I'm telling is that if you were ever a young girl who had a big dream or didn't even know what they wanted to do, this is for you. We're here for you. And ⁓ I think that can be really impactful.
Heath Fletcher (24:41)
Yeah, I love that.
Aalyiah Heath (24:42)
Yeah, I just love that. We're in alignment. We're so in alignment.
Naomi Cosman (24:45)
haha
Heath Fletcher (24:51)
How about you, Ilya?
Aalyiah Heath (24:53)
I think for me the same, but just my own personal story because for me, I'm the editorial director, which means I am the storyteller of the brand. I'm telling the story and we're working together to build that story. Of course, she's the CMO and we're working together to build that. And I get to do the honeycomb spotlights where I get to learn about all of the women and their trials, tribulations, and not just that, but their victories. And for me, I've been a community builder.
since I could remember, honestly. I've been bringing people together in many different spaces surrounding art, culture, and I tell my personal story just by showing up. And also, I've been working in these spaces and seeing, okay, it is hard to get an event space. It is hard to connect with people, especially living abroad. I've been in Paris for 10 years now. So, I understand what it's like to build a chosen family when you're so far away from your actual family.
how that's what made me stay in Paris even longer because I didn't feel disconnected from the core of who I am, which is family and community. It's just something that I've built and I stand strongly on that in my personal life. And I want that to exude through Mamabee and the things that we're building because that's special. Our personal stories are special to Club Mamabee, honestly.
Naomi Cosman (26:11)
I got chills from that.
Heath Fletcher (26:12)
Yeah, that was good.
That I mean, that I mean, that's what's going to resonate with other women is like, they'll hear your stories and then feel like, well, I'm gonna share my story because I got one too, you know, or I'm building my story, you know, that's part of that as well. I kind of sense a podcast coming on.
Aalyiah Heath (26:28)
Yeah,
it's happening. It's happening. Honeycomb first, you know, the goal, because I know it takes a lot. I'm one of those people, know, Naomi also helped me with this. Like, we don't have to just jump out there and be like, we have to do it all. But I think small steps can impact greatly. And that's why we're starting with the Honeycomb Spotlight, also showing up on your platform so that we could share what we're doing, but also share in our own way as we grow. Because hopefully, you know, I really want us to be able to do
Heath Fletcher (26:31)
Thank you.
Aalyiah Heath (26:57)
virtual podcast as well as in-person podcast because as you guys clearly know, I love to meet people in real life. I'm a people person. So we're working on that. That's a part of our plan for this year. And we're really looking forward to that.
Heath Fletcher (27:14)
Can either of you speak to Megna's story just so that people can hear ⁓ where she came from and how, what maybe planted the seed for her?
Aalyiah Heath (27:24)
I think we got into it a bit early. I don't want to be premature about saying her whole life story, but I know this. No. Yeah, of course. I know, I know. But the little part that I do want to share is when I think of her origin story, like when we joined the team, she basically told us one of the key things was about her being a mom and that leadership, like we said earlier, is not a liability and being a mom is not a liability. It's the core to your leadership. And I think that is what helped her come up with this idea of the hive.
of being a queen bee and of mama bees. Like, okay, this is not a weakness. Being a woman, being emotional, these are not weaknesses. These are strengths. Listening to your intuition as a leader is not a weakness. All of the things that people say are weaknesses, like, oh my gosh, you're too emotional to lead. That's actually a strength and you should lean into that and be proud that you're a woman. And I'm honored to know Meghna. You know, I've worked with her in many different projects. So it's great to see.
that not only is she working in marketing and building, being growth partners for companies, but she's also taken the time to use her platforms with her great internet understanding to really boost women's stories. And I think her story is a testament of why Naomi and I are both here because we believe in her. And you know, her story, just like her story attracted us, we hope that our stories attract more women because together we're stronger.
Naomi Cosman (28:50)
Yeah, I mean, I see it exactly the same way. And I met Meghna through the other company that I work for. And I just saw her her passion immediately for helping women. And so and that resonated with me. And, you know, if if one woman brings in another woman who's passionate about it, who brings in another woman, you know, that's how we build this hive. And, ⁓ you know, she's she started something great. And I think it's really going to be a movement.
Heath Fletcher (29:18)
you
Well, for those who don't know, Magna is also my CEO. And so I can completely concur with what both of you said about Magna. She is that kind of person. She has a passion for business. She has a passion for investment. She has a passion for seeing other people succeed and supporting them through that success movement. And, you know, she's on the Forbes council. She shares her knowledge through that. ⁓ You know, she does a lot. And with Club Mamabee,
it's a it's actually a great embodiment of everything she's done and I think she's chosen two great people to lead the way on this. You're welcome. ⁓ let's switch a little bit to ⁓ some of the real outcomes that you hope to see from this. You're starting with this hundred hundred queen founding queen bees. Let's
Aalyiah Heath (29:56)
Thank you.
Heath Fletcher (30:15)
project into the future and what do see as some of the outcomes that will kind of represent the success that you hope to accomplish?
Naomi Cosman (30:25)
I would say tangible outcomes, period, because we're bringing in women who want to speak, who want to invest, who want to help other women. so with all of that, I assume that there will be a lot of tangible outcomes. will be more companies started and funded. There will be more women speaking their mind about certain topics. So that's something that you'll be able to follow truly the growth of.
That's my hope for it.
Heath Fletcher (30:58)
And of course, membership growth will, and as that grows, then so will the things that you can offer, the things that you can collaborate on ⁓ as a community.
Naomi Cosman (31:10)
And I
would also say, just add to that, less competition amongst women. think that there's, ⁓ people love to see a cat fight. I know that that's, know, that's great for the content on social media. Everybody loves a drama, but that's not what we're here for. We're for collaboration, inspiration, women supporting women. And we really believe in that.
Heath Fletcher (31:21)
That's just in the movies.
Aalyiah Heath (31:22)
Thanks.
collaboration over competition for sure.
Heath Fletcher (31:41)
Yes, 100%. The competition factor, it sure it's there. It's a, it is a bit of a motivator in some senses when you're talking about competing with, you know, another business that you are offering similar services to, but not in this environment. think you're absolutely right. It's a collaboration is going to, you know, propel people much further. Can we talk a little bit about, I mean, all these things are amazing. The, you know, the creating this community.
the sharing, the caring and and the building up of each other. But let's talk a little bit about how ⁓ how community is also about the belonging effect of human well being. Because there's a lot of things that can happen here. We have, you can have reduced burnout, faster recovery from setbacks, stronger mental resilience, psychological safety. Are there some other things that
that people will benefit from this collaborative experience.
Aalyiah Heath (32:44)
⁓ think, ⁓ Keith, I think you're hitting like everything on the head with those steps. Like all of those bullet points, yes, 100%. In addition to those bullet points, it's just the, I think for me personally, when I connect with someone else, it's like, know how you have seasonal depression in the winter time, but then when the sun comes out, I think for me, that's what community is. It's like when the sun comes out and when the spring is here, you feel it's an instant change when you're around good people in a good community.
like where Naomi said, it's not a competition thing. We're not athletes. We're not playing sports. We're trying to learn, grow, and benefit from each other's knowledge. And I think it's just like motivation too, as well as a woman who has all of the resources or who knows many things and able to share what she knows. So I'm looking forward to seeing how women grow in that way and able to stand next to strong and powerful women like herself.
Naomi Cosman (33:38)
100%, I would say like the motivation aspect is just for that's for me very personal as well. Like when I see a woman specifically succeeding, that makes me want to achieve more. And so I think, you know, when we can see more of that, you know, we don't need to be the lone wolf. That's such an outdated concept, I think from, you know, like 100 years ago. And that's it's
very passe, we don't want that anymore. We want to be in this group, be motivated, and then, you know, we're human beings, we're not meant to be alone. So, you know, with that comes, you know, happiness and fulfillment and ⁓ family, sisterhood.
Heath Fletcher (34:23)
It sounds more like a health intervention than a business advantage.
Naomi Cosman (34:28)
Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, there's a business advantage also, but you know, I think that it all plays a part and a huge part of it. mean, like, for me, if I am working with an organization where I don't feel like I'm comfortable or part of a group as a whole, that doesn't make me motivated to do well. You know, I want to feel like I'm part of something, something bigger. So and you know, that's what Mama B is for.
Aalyiah Heath (34:54)
Yeah, and also just breaking down those outdated beliefs of what community, not even necessarily community, but what leadership and business should look like. Because if women are leading those rooms and leading those spaces, it's not that outdated belief that independent woman of, mean, independent, yes, understand in that terms of like, can stand on my own two feet.
but you can stand on your own two feet. And you can also lean if you need support on another woman if you need to. And I think that's what's special about Club Mamabee is like, yes, you are an independent woman, you don't have to take, being isolated is not the way to feel independent. Togetherness is independence in a way. So it's just like the leaning towers, perfect symmetry.
Heath Fletcher (35:40)
amazing. And you know, that this is this substantiates that, you know, other stuff I read was these kinds of organizations and groups lead to higher professional confidence and risk tolerance, plus greater career longevity for women in leadership in general. So, you know, the benefits just seem to just keep piling on.
Naomi Cosman (36:03)
the question why doesn't this why hasn't this existed before you know
Aalyiah Heath (36:08)
Literally, I think a lot of success that I had in my career or have had is because of women. Like my first time as a curator selling an art piece, a woman, a friend bought that from me because she loved the art, but she also was like, my friend is doing this and this is great. Meghna, for instance, she saw, Aalyiah, this is her wheelhouse. I want to work with her. I don't even need an interview because I know she's great. And a lot of success in my career is because of women. And I hope the same for our community.
When you meet someone that's like, yes, just success, just because off the strength, you know this person and this woman. So, you know, shout out to the women out there. Like, we're amazing.
Heath Fletcher (36:49)
Hey, yeah, I concur for sure. ⁓ That's ⁓ I love that. I mean, there's just so much. There's so much to to talk about, you know, ⁓ what, what, let's talk about what excites you most about this potential over the next few years for the two of you.
Naomi Cosman (37:08)
I mean, I just think that it's gonna be kind of like a compounding effect. you know, the more women that join, the more we'll hear about it, and then the bigger the hive will get, and then the more success women as a whole will get. And so if we're able to make that impact, little by little, woman by woman, you know, like Leah was saying before, baby steps, but I think it's truly gonna be exponential, and that's really exciting to me.
Aalyiah Heath (37:32)
And I'm really grateful that I get to do what I love. This is what I love to do. And when you do what you love, it shows and it exudes to the people you touch. So I hope that Naomi and I, Meghna, our team, we're able to just show that we love what we do. We're excited to build this community and that it's infectious. I think just being good.
In love with what you do is infectious and the knowledge you just want to share it. So I hope that's something I'm looking forward to is just exuding that and hopefully pass it on and grow on the hive.
Heath Fletcher (38:05)
and creating that safe ecosystem to present it and grow with it. Yeah, very exciting. Naomi, you said a question earlier about, why hasn't this been done before? You know, you think it's been attempted before and maybe not sort of, you know, made it to where they want to go. And what do you think would have prevented that from happening?
Aalyiah Heath (38:11)
Exactly.
Naomi Cosman (38:29)
I mean, I think it's about the right people starting it. So kudos to Magna. You know, I think that it's about ⁓ making sure we're getting in touch with the right people. So it's about the network. It's not about numbers. It's about how
⁓ strong are those relationships that we're building and you know are they meaningful? Do they make an impact? ⁓ Do they do the people we're talking to believe in the cause as well? And I think you know I can't speak to other groups like this that have tried to start similar things but I know that that's why we're going to be successful is because these are real connections that we're making and women who are really interested and passionate about being heard and helping others.
Heath Fletcher (39:14)
You think
timing has something to do with it? Or could have?
Naomi Cosman (39:17)
I
that can be. mean, like timing is also that's from a startup perspective, think timing is always key, right? You know, like you can have everything in place, but if the timing is wrong, you know, it's, it's not going to work out. So yes, I agree that that's part of it. We've seen other organizations like this that are successful, but that might have a little something different to them, you know, and we're just adding, you know, we're judging it a little bit, making it a little bit more special. And I think the timing is right for that because we have seen.
success from other organizations that are trying to support women.
Heath Fletcher (39:52)
And timing, you know, globally too. We're in a very strange time, a time we've never, you know, we've not experienced this before either. So perhaps the hive theory is what we really need as ⁓ you know, as a planet. Some would have said, I have heard this too, that if women were running the countries, we wouldn't be in the situation we're in today. So.
Naomi Cosman (40:09)
I agree.
Amen.
Aalyiah Heath (40:23)
I don't know if can admit.
Heath Fletcher (40:25)
I believe that too. Actually, I'm to say it right out loud. What would you say to women who are wanting to build more meaningful networks like this and their own careers, ⁓ even before they find their hive?
Naomi Cosman (40:39)
I mean, like I said, I think it's about the quality of the network, not the quantity. you know, if you know, I knew one person in my early career who believed in me and she was the one that took me under her wing and she saw something in me that I didn't see in myself. And I totally credit her for getting me to where I am now. That little...
push is very important. So I think like that's that's the role that I think that Mamabee can take. You know, we are going to be bringing in a lot of those kinds of women like, you know, powerful leaders, but we're also going to hopefully be attracting women like early 20s Naomi who needed somebody to help guide her in the right direction. So
I think if we can normalize this new way of leadership, that will be really impactful and just making sure that women are well connected and visible and collaborating, that's the goal.
Aalyiah Heath (41:41)
Yeah.
Heath Fletcher (41:41)
Well hey there's another awesome statistic here that right now women aged 16 to 28 represent 45.7 percent of the workplace.
Aalyiah Heath (41:51)
Nice.
Naomi Cosman (41:52)
That's crazy, very scary, but crazy.
Heath Fletcher (41:55)
So annoying that... Why is that scary?
Naomi Cosman (42:01)
Look, I'm getting old is what I'm saying. Not in that group anymore.
Heath Fletcher (42:07)
⁓ More of personal note, right? ⁓ So what would you guys say about, you know, how Mamabee could play a role in shaping the next generation of female leaders?
Naomi Cosman (42:20)
like that, you know? I'm sorry, Aalyiah, like just making sure that we're there for those girls, those women, you know, who are just starting out ⁓ because they're the future. So if we can be there for them at the early stages of them coming up with an idea or, you know, wanting to come up with an idea or having just a little bit of an idea of what direction they want to go in, like that's when we, if we can get a hold of them then, then we can have a huge impact on their lives. And on
our collective lives.
Aalyiah Heath (42:50)
and not closing them out. I think that's one thing the world does horribly is that we age people in the sense of like, you're too young to have an opinion. You don't know anything yet. You don't have experience or you're too old. I don't want to hear from you. And I think it's important that we must bridge the gap in ages.
Because if we don't, we're going to miss so much knowledge from the younger generations, mid, older. Every age matters because of experience, because of different eyes, different lenses. All of that matters. So I think it's going to be important for us to keep the door open. Listen without judgment. Teach without being held tight and so closed. I think that's going to be super important.
Heath Fletcher (43:36)
Yeah, everyone's got something to bring to the table. I like what you said about perspective, just your view of things, you know, how you whether it's culturally or, you know, geographically, everyone will have some kind of perspective on on what it is you're doing. So, yeah, that's great. You guys, I'm very excited to see what you accomplish in the coming weeks, months, years and follow along and I'm sure I'll know more. I'll get to know more.
Aalyiah Heath (43:38)
Everyone. Yeah.
Thank
Naomi Cosman (43:53)
Thank
Heath Fletcher (44:05)
as those times come by. ⁓ Anything you guys want to talk about that we did not cover that you want to make sure we get into this episode?
Naomi Cosman (44:14)
⁓ I mean, I guess if you're interested in being one of our 100 founding bees, please get in contact, apply. ⁓ We want to hear from you. ⁓ and you know, this is a great time to join because coming from the ground up, you will be helping shape the future of Club Mamabee as well and ⁓ having a huge impact. And ⁓ if you're interested, let us know.
Heath Fletcher (44:42)
and that's mamabi.com is the website, that's where they can register.
Aalyiah Heath (44:46)
Or if you want to follow us on Instagram to just hit the link in our bio club, Mamabee, you will see it and we have a really cool logo too. So you'll know it's us. So, and also on LinkedIn, you'll be able to find us. So all of these routes, you can just hit the link and it'll take you directly there or you can go directly via the site.
Heath Fletcher (45:05)
Thank you, Aalyiah. Thank you, Naomi, for joining me today. I really appreciate our conversation so candid and open, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what you both accomplish in the coming days, weeks, months, years.