Topknot: A personal development club

A letter from our CEO

When my cofounder Brook and I started Topknot, we did so with a singular goal: to move women forward. Growth is a lifestyle, and we want to support you to get to where you want to be.

A big part of growth is realizing what’s working, what’s not, and being willing to make big changes — and that applies to us, too.

I’m incredibly excited to announce that Topknot is now a personal development club: a space to learn about yourself, make plans, and take action alongside others doing the same. Our mission hasn’t changed, and our structure will be even more supportive of turning our vision into reality. Read on to learn more.

Why this change?

We listened to you! This decision — two years in the making — has been informed by conversations with hundreds of people who have used Topknot, participated in groups, and shared their feedback.

Here’s what you shared:

• You want your Topknot experience to be purposeful and action-oriented. You want to address a specific topic and leave with tangible next steps at the end of an hour.
• You want flexibility. Instead of meeting at the same time each week, you want to engage with coaching around your own schedule and at your own pace.
• You want to focus on you. Your time is valuable, and structuring each session to spend as much time as possible on your growth will make the experience more meaningful.

Topknot is about self awareness, action, and accountability. You’ll meet online, and feel the impact in real life.

Shifting away from peer coaching

In the past, Topknot focused heavily on peer coaching, and members were asked to take on three different coaching skills: deep listening, powerful questions, and authentic acknowledgment. We realized this structure asked people to wear too many hats and take on skills that professional coaches spend years developing.

In this new version of Topknot, our professional coaches will develop the powerful questions and weave them into the structure and activities of each session. You’ll still receive coaching, without having to do the coaching yourself — which means you get to spend more time focused on creating the action and accountability you’re looking for in your own life.

We see this shift as a continuation of Topknot’s values of equity, intentionality, and growth. In order to be equitable, our process and structure needs to be intuitive, accessible, and easy to engage with.

When Topknot coaches provide the powerful questions to guide the conversation, it allows you and your partner more intentionality and space to focus on what matters most.

The more time you spend working on yourself and your own priorities, the more growth you’ll get out of the experience. When we provide the powerful questions and you show up with deep listening, you can be a conduit for your partners’ growth and accountability — and vice versa.

So what is a personal development club?

I’m so glad you asked! A personal development club is a space to commit to actions that spur growth over time. It’s a space to explore your goals, understand why they’re important, and get the accountability you’re seeking — and work alongside others who are doing the same.

Think of “club” like a club sport: it’s a group of dedicated people who have a lot going on, show up regularly, and don’t take themselves too seriously. Our personal development club is open to women and non-binary people interested in learning and growing in community.

What’s next?

The core activity of the personal development club is Topknot Time, an hour-long session offered multiple times a week. You’ll sign up, share a specific topic you want to workshop, and leave with tangible next steps to move you forward.

If you have a challenge you’re navigating, a decision you want to make, or a change you’re trying to make sense of — and would like to explore it as one of the earliest members of this new personal development club — join us here. We’re intentionally crafting each group as we roll out this new structure, and we’ll welcome more people off the list as capacity increases. The earlier you sign up, the sooner you’ll be able to participate.

Become a Topknot member and make progress on your terms. Click here to join.

Claire Shorall
Cofounder & CEO, Topknot