We had the good fortune of connecting with Alyssa Evans and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Alyssa, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I grew up loving to read for fun, but like many of us unfortunately, the love for reading dwindles in college because there’s so much reading for class to the point where reading outside of class was pretty much the last thing you want to do. Then it wasn’t until 2 years ago after I graduated college, when I picked up a book (I believe it was The Silent Patient by Alex Michelides, which is one of my favorite books even now) and it reminded me of how enjoyable reading was for me. Eventually it got to a point where I was reading like an average of 4-5 books a month and I started giving book reviews on my instagram story at the end of each month. And to my surprise, I got a great response, people found it helpful and wanted me to keep going with them. But what I really noticed from the engagement was that there was a whole community of people who loved reading, but I had no idea there were so many!! And that night God gave me this vision to start the book club. And it just made sense, I was always very involved in community building from having a book club with my friends in elementary school, being UNICEF president for my high school, to being the youth and mentorship coordinator for my college, and then even in my full time career, I had experience coordinating events, helping to create welcoming spaces. The Atlanta Book Club almost feels like my child, because it encompasses so many parts of me.
As much I love God and trust Him, after getting that vision, I still was like ” hold on, let me double check to make sure” haha. So I sent a poll to my instagram followers asking if they would want to join if I were to start a book club. And I got about 30 responses in 24 hours, and was shocked by how many people were interested. So then The Atlanta Book Club was born just a couple weeks later, with our first meet up at Le Bon Nosh in Buckhead.
Community building has and is something so important to me, more now than ever especially after the pandemic. Unfortunately, mental health has declined for a lot of people with such a craving to build friendships and feel that they have a space in community. It’s so important that there’s space where people can feel seen, and feel the love they deserve (especially for those who feel like they don’t deserve it).
With The Atlanta Book Club, yes, we talk about books, but that’s probably the least important thing about this club. The books are just a platform for conversation and for meaningful relationships to be built. We try to keep it light, and have fun, while also leaving space for deeper conversation. Currently at over 120 members since starting in November, we have book discussions and silent read meet ups in incredible, beautiful restaurants throughout Atlanta. We also have wellness activities, like audiobooks group walks on the Beltine, and do volunteer work with local organizations.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
It has been so exciting to see this club grow these past couple of months. I try to be very intentional about making sure it is a welcoming environment that people feel comfortable in. At the beginning of our meetups, we all introduce ourselves to each other so that no one leaves without feeling acknowledged and there is a space to connect with someone who may have common interests. Another part that I get excited about is the FOOD! The club is such a great opportunity to try new restaurants and experience Atlanta, and not have to do it alone.
As far as challenges, I would find myself getting nervous before every meet up because I would have this small fear that no one would show up. But I would remind myself that if it was just one person that showed up, it was a success. Because this club is not for the hundreds, it’s for the one. For the one who showed up to the meet up that day that has been looking for people like them, for the one who just needed someone to talk to, for the one feeling alone after moving to Atlanta by themselves. It’s for the one, who’s been depressed and got enough strength that day to get out the house. It’s for the one who is trying to find their place in this world. And if that person is that only one that shows up, then this club has fulfilled its’ purpose.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Ooo let’s see. Whenever I have a friend in town, we always end up in the Ponce City Market area. You can really spend a full day there, with so many amazing food options and a nice walk down the Beltline. Also, I encourage literally everyone I know to join the Atlanta Run Club, we meet at the Nike store at Ponce City market Mondays at 6:30pm. I joined over a year and a half ago and it was one of the best things I’ve done since moving here to Atlanta. My running has improved so much, I started with barely being able to do 3 miles to running my first half marathon last November with ease. So huge shoutout to my ARC running community. I’ve met so many amazing people and have made lasting friendships from it.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Besides God, I thank my friends and family. They have all been so supportive from the get go, giving me words of encouragement, and showing up for me however they could, even if it was just reposting our posts. I’m always in awe of the community I’ve been blessed with, truly thankful!
Instagram: theatlantabookclub
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa-evans-3b1337169/
Image Credits
Abigail Adeleke