Meet Jess Lindsley + Heather Bahlmann | Flock-Finders

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jess Lindsley + Heather Bahlmann and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jess Lindsley + Heather Bahlmann, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?

When our youngest daughters were in preschool and the newness of motherhood was wearing off and the monotony of our routines were settling in, we stood on the playground with a mutual friend and out loud said, “is this it?” We knew we needed each other to extend the invitation to not let it be. We have found that women often won’t follow through on what they need, what they are most curious about, and what they are craving unless they are being held accountable OR doing it for someone else. We created a closed group of women that met once a month to explore topics from meditation to reducing our carbon footprint to exploring our sensuality. This group has been going strong for over seven years now.

During the pandemic, we felt that there was an undeniable and truly palpable societal need for connection and that our ritual needed to be shared with others. Yes, we absolutely laugh out loud every time we share that we started a business based on human connection in the thick of a global pandemic. Hey Birdie took flight in 2021.

Our initial intention was to launch it as a podcast, but we couldn’t get comfortable with it. Once we realized that it was the tangible connection that everyone needed, we shifted. We moved forward slowly with Flights (bird term for Events) like Power of Pleasure, Mother + Daughter Self Image + Discovery Workshops, Equinox + Solstice Rooftop Celebrations, Donation-based flights for Reproductive Rights and Girls Leadership, and many more. We then evolved in launching Flight Clubs. Our flight clubs are closed groups of 10-14 women that meet monthly for a personalized, surprise adventure. In 2022, we soared with our bi-annual Migrations which are immersive programs including aspects of self-development, authentic connection with yourself and others, ancestral healing, the shadow of the feminine, and more.

People often ask us how we came up with the name Hey Birdie.  We wanted our name to encapsulate the human experience as it relates to the great outdoors and the natural cycles of life.  We stumbled upon a scientific publication about  migrating birds flying in a V-formation. Flying in a formation provides both efficiency and safety, and these flocks would not be able to complete their journey without the support of one another. Birds innately sense when the lead bird needs to fall back and allow another to take the lead to continue onward. Communication and coordination throughout the flight are imperative for all.

This resonated so deeply with us and our essential need for connection.  There are chapters and events that will occur for all of us that are simply impossible to manage alone or should be celebrated and shared in a community. We believe in + repeat endlessly, ‘no solo flights’. We are fascinated by birds and the countless ways their symbolism relates to what we intend to share with our flocks from freedom, independence, strength, and wisdom and so much more.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

In every experience Hey Birdie curates, we create the space to see + honor the individual and the community. To acknowledge that everything we need is within ourselves, we simply need the collective energy and support of our flock to bring it to the surface. This practice comes from allowing yourself the time to explore your curiosities, a consistent, self-pleasure practice, being open + honest with yourself + others, practicing gratitude, expressing compassion and connecting with your community.

We are most proud of the women that come to our events and the connections that take flight. We are continuously inspired by the women we surround ourselves with – partners, attendees, + providers – and their commitment to living the fullest expression of their life.

As we soar into 2023, we are excited to continue flipping the narrative on so many issues from taboo sexual subjects to how to celebrate Mother’s Day to creating connection-based spaces without alcohol.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
When our best friends visit they better be ready for all of it! Our itinerary would like something like this: We would book our wellness retreat at Pacha House – @pachahouse_denver
Shower her upon her arrival with flowers from the brilliant, Breigh – @blackandblossomed
Learn more about our clitoris and pelvic floor with Sydney Zwicker – @zwickerhealingarts
Nourishment from Nest + Rewild at Nurture as well as a neighborhood favorite, Potager – @visitnurture, @potagerdenver
Each meal would conclude with a piece of chocolate from Moksha Chocolate + Toute Douceur Candy – @mokshachocolate, @toute.douceur.candy
In between meals, we would move our bodies with Kalo, Hot Mamas, Fly Kickbox or Fire + Root Collective – @kalofitness, @hotmamasexercise, @flykickbox, @fireandrootcollective
Our outside adventures would include a full moon photography session with Maggie – @coloradoastrophotography
We would spend a day with Tina Friedman re-working our wardrobe – @styletm
Re-fresh our accesories game with Marianne – @ritualbrass
Followed by an Aura photography session with Corinna Lander – @rememberyourvoice
In the evening we watch the talented birds at Miss Monroe Burlesque shake their tails feathers – @missmonroeburlesque
Tap into our intuition and spirit guides with Jupiter House – @jupiterhousedenver
Level up our self-pleasure practice rituals with new toys from Awakening Boutique – @awakeningboutique

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We would like to dedicate our Shoutout article to:

Our daughters for being our source of inspiration and awe and for their enthusiasm for our commitment to the Hey Birdie adventure.

Our own women’s group, The Whole SheBang, for showing up, trusting, laughing, cursing, and challenging each other.

Michaela Boehm’s book, The Wild Women’s Way, for guiding us in honoring our femininity and living an embodied life.

Website: www.heybirdie.co

Instagram: @hey_birdie_co

Facebook: @findingyourflock

Image Credits
Photos in dresses: Corrina Lander – Remember Your Voice Photos at the outdoor event: Elizabeth Torres Photos at the indoor event: Kelly Shroads