Imagine a group of women small business owners that all come together to share ideas and network. Welcome to the Landmark Collective, created specifically for this reason. I had the opportunity to chat with the collective’s founder, Sidney Roth. She is an impressive twenty-year-old, yes twenty! She has her own social media marketing business along with the Landmark Collective, both of which are less than a year old and flourishing. To learn more about the Landmark Collective, check out the interview below with Sidney! Read to the end to learn about the New Year Challenge, which involves an amazing prize package.

What is the Landmark Collective?
Landmark collective is a networking community for Alaskan female innovators and entrepreneurs. We are not specific to just business owners, we want to create a community of women who want to support each other. We want women to share their experiences and help others starting out in similar situations. Landmark Collective is essentially a connection, we want women to mingle with other women and get to a place where they can collaborate. We have people with years of experience and people who are just starting out.

How did you come up with the idea of creating a collective?
I went to Grand Canyon University and graduated with a bachelor’s in entrepreneurial studies. While I was there, I worked for a wedding planner and learned a lot about running a small business. The wedding planner was a part of a networking community in Phoenix and she invited me to come and check it out. I went every month and decided Alaska needed something similar. The community in Phoneix was very business oriented but I thought the Alaska collective needed to focus on business and personal development. The difference between Landmark and other collectives is that we sell an experience. I want people to leave every event feeling inspired and ready to take on anything.

What are some of the events you host?
We have been doing 2-3 events a month. Every month we do a first Friday event at different locations across the valley. They are open to everyone across Alaska, whether you are a business owner or not! We use our office (which is freakin adorable) to do workshops and community gatherings every month. For our events, we have three panelists from different industries and we focus on their experiences. In January we are going to talk about taxes; join us on the 8th in-person or online (you can buy tickets here). So far we have had events on public relations, social media marketing, knowing your worth, and finding your target market. Our community gatherings are just fun for everyone, they are not business-related at all.

Who can join the Landmark Collective?
Any woman can join the Landmark Collective! You do not need to own your own business or have years of experience. We are truly for everyone, and we want to help you reach your full potential. We have options for virtual, monthly, yearly, and drop-in memberships.

Why did you choose the Mat-Su Valley community to flourish in?
I grew up in Palmer, and so it only felt fitting to begin the collective near my hometown. The best space available for our headquarters was in Wasilla, but we like to think of the whole valley as Landmark Collective’s first home. The Mat-Su Valley is just the beginning though, eventually, I would like to see Collective locations across the state!

How has COVID affected the collective?
I purchased our business license in January and our first event was planned for April, then COVID hit… so that was an interesting way to begin the collective! I think if we can make it through starting in a pandemic, we will do just fine with future obstacles. Although COVID has brought some big struggles, it had also created lots of opportunities. I love Rachel Hollis and she always says, “Think about how something can happen for you, instead of to you”. Getting out of the victim mindset is such a perspective changer. I feel like at this point there is nowhere to go but up!
What are your future plans/goals for the collective?
I would love to see Landmark headquarters to be more of a community workspace. It would be wonderful to have community gatherings and workshops at the headquarters as well as creating a cozy and inviting feel for anyone who enters. We also want to expand and go into different communities. I really think that Southcentral Alaska has a lot of people who are bringing new and unique perspectives into an Alaskan business. Being able to join those people with others across the state would be amazing.

What is the Landmark Collective New Year Challenge?
The New Year Challenge is a 90-day challenge starting January 1st and ending March 31st! The prize is terrific; it includes a photoshoot with Theresa McDonald, a hydro facial with Miracle Workman, and a month-long social media coaching with Forge Media. Participants will complete our daily checklist and weekly challenges. Once completed, they will post the graphics on their Instagram story. We do not expect perfection! Landmark just wants to help participants form healthy habits and routines. Below is the daily checklist, good luck to all who participate in this awesome challenge!

To learn more about the Landmark Collective head to their website or Instagram or Facebook. Live Breathe Alaska loves seeing Alaskan women working together to create thriving communities! We are excited to see where the future takes this lovely collective.