Today we’d like to introduce you to Brigitte Boots.
Hi Brigitte, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I spent more than 15 years in corporate marketing, mostly in B2B, financial services, and healthcare, before starting my own marketing consulting business, Lost My Boots. Along the way I earned my graduate degree at Southern Oregon University and worked at the Small Business Development Center, so I’ve been close to local business owners for a long time.
Most of my biggest career moves came from sitting next to people who were a few steps ahead of me, often in rooms where I didn’t quite feel like I belonged yet. Those relationships turned into referrals and introductions, and that’s still how most of my consulting work comes in today.
In late 2025, I hit a wall in my own business. I’d proven the model worked, and somewhere along the way I’d become the bottleneck for everything running through it. I went looking for local support and kept finding groups built for women just getting started, or groups for CEOs with big teams and revenue to support them. Nothing fit the stage I was in. I ended up hiring a coach out of New York. It was transformational, but it bothered me that I had to leave my own community to find that kind of help.
In early 2026, a few of my projects were wrapping up, and I was trying to figure out my next move. Rogue Valley Women in Business was changing leadership at the same time, so I applied, mostly out of curiosity. I didn’t expect to get it. In the interview I was really honest about my frustration that there wasn’t a local group for women at my stage, and when they called to offer it to me, I was (pleasantly) surprised.
I took over in March 2026. The Facebook group had about 800 women in it then, and it’s grown to over 2,000. Our founding membership filled its cap of 100, and we’re launching our next membership tier at the end of this year. A lot of that growth came from listening to the women who were already here and building what they told us they needed.
Now I’m building the local version of what I went looking for, so the next woman in the Rogue Valley doesn’t have to go far to get support.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Honestly, it’s had some bumps, and most of them came from growing faster than our systems could keep up.
As the group grew, some of what worked at a smaller size stopped working. Our Roundtable used to be one long table, and once more women started showing up it got unwieldy, so we piloted a breakout format. We also moved it to a different day after members told us the old time wasn’t working for them. We’re always listening so that the group can evolve to support our members.
My own capacity has been the biggest thing I’ve had to learn to plan around. It’s easy to keep adding programming when the energy is there, and that’s a real risk when one person is holding it all together. I recently brought on additional support and I’m building guardrails into my calendar. Two things that I resisted, but now can’t see me ever going back.
Pricing has been a lesson as well, so for 2027 we’re moving to a mix of annual and per-event sponsorships to help offset expenses while keeping the events and membership accessible.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Rogue Valley Women in Business is a local community connecting women through events, trusted relationships, referrals, education, and membership. It’s built on a simple belief that no woman should have to grow alone.
Our members span throughout Southern Oregon, including Medford, Ashland, and Grants Pass. Most own businesses, and the rest are women in corporate roles or women working toward something of their own. We welcome women at every stage on purpose. A newer business owner sitting next to a woman who’s much further along is where some of our best conversations happen, and nobody has to perform to earn a seat.
Our mission is to put women’s collective wisdom to work by turning insight into action and connection into opportunity. That shapes how we run everything. Our monthly mixers are hosted at local venues, and each one starts with a 30-minute talk from a local speaker. There are no slides and every talk ends with a takeaway women can use the next day. After that, it opens up so women can meet, share what they know, and make introductions. Members also get access to a monthly Roundtable, where women take turns to share any business challenges, moments for celebration, or requests for connections.
What sets us apart is intention. We want every gathering and every introduction to be worth her time. Our 2027 calendar covers things like reading your numbers, sales, AI, scaling, funding your growth, and walking away on your terms, skills women can put to work right away.
I’m proud that we celebrate ambition out loud and take women’s ideas seriously, while still making room for joy alongside the work.
Our vision is a future where women lead with greater influence and create impact beyond their own success. If that sounds like you, come to a mixer or check out our free Facebook group. You don’t have to feel ready. Our next cohort of members launches in December 2026, and you can find everything at RogueValleyWomen.com.
How do you think about happiness?
Connecting people makes me happy. When someone tells me what she’s working on or stuck on, my first thought is almost always, “You should meet this person.” Making that introduction is one of my favorite feelings. One woman gets help, another local business gets support, and I got to be the bridge between them.
I’m the same way with resources. If I read a great book, hear a podcast episode, or find a new restaurant, I’m telling someone about it that week.
I also love a conversation over a cup of coffee, cocktail, or walk in the park. So much of how we work and learn has moved behind a screen, and sitting across from someone who understands what you’re building just hits differently.
And I love watching women celebrate each other. Someone else’s win doesn’t take anything away from you. When I see women in our community cheering each other on, sharing referrals, and making introductions without being asked, that’s when I know what we’re building is working.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://roguevalleywomen.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roguevalleywomen/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rvwib
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/roguevalleywomen/
