YOU CAN SIT WITH US: Small Biz Meetup by Troublemaker Collective

A playful, creative gathering for the bold, the curious, and the self-employed.

If you're a freelancer, creative, or small business owner in Salt Lake City, you're invited to join the October meetup of the Troublemaker Collective: a community space for connection, collaboration, and rethinking what it means to build a business on your own terms. But this time with a Mean Girls twist. Why? Because October 3rd is Mean Girls Day, October 8th is a Wednesday (so…we wear pink), and honestly, we just couldn’t resist.

We’re gathering at Botanika SLC, a woman-owned NA bottle shop and bodega. Drinks will be available for purchase, and we’ll have limited-edition stickers + merch for sale to support the Collective.
What kinds of business owners will be there? Expect a mix of freelancers, entrepreneurs, small shop owners, artists, coaches, and service providers — mostly people who’ve built businesses around their skills, passions, or values. Most of us work solo or in small teams, and many are women or gender-expansive folks in their 30s and 40s who got into business to do life their way and make an impact. If you're navigating the challenges of working for yourself, craving community, or looking to grow your network with like-minded people, you'll fit right in.

• Craving real connection with people who get it
• Running your business solo and want to be around others doing the same
• Looking to share/recieve resources, stories, referrals, or just some laughs
• Excited to start an annual tradition of celebrating wins together in our "Burn Book"
• Down to wear pink or Mean Girls cosplay and quote the cult classic all evening (don't worry, we'll make fetch happen.) 💖

“On Wednesdays we wear pink.” Wear your best pink fit or channel your fave Mean Girls character or reference. It's completely up to you how far you wanna take it!

$6 entry
Includes a high-quality Troublemaker Collective sticker.

P.S. We believe in accessability — if $6 is a stretch right now, just send us a message to [email protected] or via DM on Instagram @troublemakercollective.co or @paperpantherstudio. No one eligible to attend is turned away due to financial limitations.

Every attendee automatically receives one free entry just for showing up.

• Bonus entries can be earned by supporting the event. Each drink, snack, or vendor table purchase earns you a bonus entry!

Please note:

No purchase necessary to enter or win. Every attendee receives one free entry upon arrival. Additional entries are optional and may be received by purchasing goods from participating vendors. Void where prohibited. Must be present to win.

Troublemaker Collective is built on mutual support, not sales tactics. Our meetups are not the place for list-building, cold pitching, or collecting contact info without consent.
We’re here to connect, not convert.

If you’re offering something valuable to the community, amazing — lead with generosity, not agendas. We ask that you respect the spirit of the space and focus on genuine conversation over transactions.

Troublemaker Collective is a community-powered initiative founded and hosted by Genevieve Bryan of Paper Panther Studio. It is co-hosted by my biz besties Brie Pereboom of Opal Hour Photo and Natalie Hancock of Hancock Social Media.

This event's gracious venue sponsor is Kate Riser of Botanika SLC. We are so grateful for her energy and support.

We’re not just networking — we’re building a local ecosystem of mutual support for small business owners, freelancers, and creatives doing bold work outside the 9–5.

Each event invites aligned sponsors to bring intentional community offerings to share their skills, insights, or tools (not to pitch, but to support). Get in loser, we're going to support fellow babes in biz.
This winter, we will be planning next year's calendar full of educational events, casual hangs, excursions, and more. Follow us on social media to stay in the loop at @troublemakercollective.co

Host or Publisher Genevieve Bryan