Meet Sharon Kotsonas of Weekly Collective in Gilbert

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sharon Kotsonas.

Sharon, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Reporter: What inspired you to create Weekly Collective?
Sharon: The love I feel for others – and my desire to help others achieve wellness; physical, emotional, spiritual and social wellness.
Reporter: Why did you choose the 4th of July as the inaugural date?
Sharon: For two reasons; the first, it represents hope – particularly, hope to be free from things that oppress us and dimmed our happiness. And the second reason is that it represents freedom – freedom to pursue our dreams. We all have dreams for ourselves and our families and sometimes we need help and support from others to make our dreams come true.
Reporter: Where did the idea for the name and logo come from?
Sharon: The name Weekly Collective is two-fold. Weekly because that is how we divide our school/work week. We think repetitively and mostly plan our lives in weekly increments. For example, my week translates into work, household chores, family and friends’ connections, entertainment, faith-based activities, volunteerism, Pilates exercises and rest. These events repeat every seven-days, hence the Weekly part. Collective represents friendship, love, support, information, help and encouragement, from those around. It is through this collective that we are strengthened and well. My goal is to connect the community in collective efforts and contributions for all to be well.

The logo features Rudy, the rooster. While Rudy is a metal décor piece in my kitchen, to me it represents a new day. It is a new day every day we are awakened, whether by Rudy or by an alarm, we open our eyes and greet a new day in which we can achieve wellness and happiness. The wood grain represents a tree. I love trees, they offer so many benefits and support our wellbeing. The red-white-blue colors go back to our launch timeframe – aligned in observance to the independence holiday. A side note, our colors are gender-neutral because WC is a community that supports all people and all sexual identifications.

Reporter: What do you hope to accomplish through Weekly Collective?
Sharon: I want to offer encouragement, information, tools and resources to help others achieve their physical, emotional and spiritual wellness. I also want to facilitate learning and training opportunities for people looking to become volunteers, mentors and group leaders. Collectively, we can make a positive impact in our communities through Charity Drives, Fundraisers Events, and Volunteer Work.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
When I made the decision to launch Weekly Collective I had no funding to get it off the ground. The cost of applying for a business license, launching a website, designing a logo and order marketing material all came out of my pocket. I used all my savings and a loan from my husband to kick off this program. I don’t regret it in the least. In the last 60 days since the launch, we have accomplished so much and helped so many people that make it worth it in my eyes. We have booked a great number of charity events for the Holiday and I just get so excited thinking about it!

Tell us more about your organization.
Who Are We? We are a two-fold community liaison.
• Connecting people experiencing economic adversity, mental health challenges and/or homelessness with community programs that could offer some assistance.
• Connecting volunteers with local organizations where they could share their time, gifts and resources to help and support various community programs.

Our Mission
Connecting people and resources to build and promote emotional, mental and spiritual wellness in our communities.

Our Vision
Inspire charity, inclusiveness and human care for better living. Engage in wellness activities, initiatives and training programs. Combine our strengths and our generosity for the greater good.

Our Values
We believe that education, coaching and mentoring can empower others for success. We believe that people deserve a helping hand, a second chance, sometimes a third. We believe that our human spirit transcends our diverse set of beliefs and opinions.

Our Social Responsibility
To create opportunities for people to engage in using their unique skills and resources to enhance our collective human experience.

Our Promise
To do our best to walk in faith, love and peace, performing acts of kindness, promoting good-will, supporting friendships and respecting our differences.

Our Position
We seek to act with love and compassion, safeguarding animal rights, human rights and our environment for a better future.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
No luck, only love Pure love for all persons and a genuine desire to help those in need. Being a cheerleader of people, believing in them and rooting for their comeback!

Contact Info:

• Address: Weekly Collective
  Coronado Ranch Hub
  Gilbert AZ 85297
• Website: weeklycollective.com
• Phone: 480-223-7863
• Email: info@weeklycollective.com

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