GRAND RAPIDS — For Adrianne Reiners, collaboration has brought more success than competition.
“I grew up watching Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears pitted against each other in the
media, and that taught me the only way for me to be successful was to compete against other women," she said. "[But] I would say I've had the most success in partnering with other women."
Reiners said this is the approach of her group Unbound, which she discussed in a recent KAXE Morning Show interview.
"We're unbound from these old mindsets, and we're unbound from being considered abrasive or rude when we're setting boundaries or holding a firm no," she said. "That's a conversation that many women in the room have grown from and we have all been able to connect from.”
Unbound was formed in March 2024 in Grand Rapids. The group describes itself as "a community of sassy, stubborn, kick-ass womxn fearlessly pursuing growth."
It was initially focused of women entrepreneurs, but has since evolved.
“We realized all of our conversations were really related to all women, regardless of whether they had a business or not," Reiners said. "When we talk about sales, we're really talking about confidence and when we talk about establishing boundaries, that's something that can apply no matter what space in life that you're in.”
The group meets monthly, and in honor of Women’s History Month, they are hosting a Women in Leadership panel at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 11, at Old Central School in Grand Rapids.
It will feature Tasha Connelly, mayor of Grand Rapids; Kim Brink-Smith, executive director of United Way of 1000 Lakes; and Rawan Elbitar, board chair of the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce. There will be time for mingling before and after the panel.
Look for Unbound MN on Facebook or Instagram.
Editor's Note: Adrianne Reiners is a member of the KAXE Board of Directors.