It’s hard enough to balance work with parenting, parent-tending, friending, and perimenopausal protein demands. But we would argue that passion projects actually help strengthen and sustain professional work and fend off creative burnout. The question is always: which ones? And mostly: when?

Please bring your own passion project to share, and join us for an open discussion:
- Rules for a successful passion project
- What’s the difference between a passion project and a hobby?
- How to make more time for your passions
- When (if ever) should a passion project become a side hustle? 

Laura Fitzgerald is a brand strategist and creative director with three (gulp) decades of experience across industries, and is responsible for naming brands like Clear and Aerie. She began her writing career in kidlit, with award-winning books on NYPL and ALA "Best of" lists. Her first work of historical fiction for adults, The Very Rich Hours, will be published by Union Square & Co. in January 2028. @laura_marx_fitzgerald

Meg Eplett is a New York City–based creative director and artist. She runs Pen Pal Studio, a creative studio specializing in helping playful brands express their creative marketing needs. Her client list includes Scholastic, KiwiCo, and Zappos.
In addition to her client work, Meg maintains an active creative practice in ceramics and collage. Her collages have been commissioned by Alex Proba and Dana Cowin. @penpal_studio / @meglovespaint 

Lyz Mancini is a copy consultant specializing in beauty and fragrance, having worked for brands like Clinique, MAC Cosmetics, Morphe, Bliss, NOYZ, and more. She is a two-time Pushcart Prize nominee and an alum of the Tin House Workshop, with short stories and essays in Slate, Shortwave, Salty, and Apocalypse Confidential and forthcoming in The Rumpus and an Eerie River Publishing anthology.  @lyzasterCafé Co-Lab's are small, weekly networking groups focused on specific topics. They are an opportunity for co-lab members to connect, share resources , and engage with other members.

All co-lab events are free to members. Zoom details will be posted on the day of the event in our private community Slack in the #cafe-co-lab channel. All questions can be directed to info@jointhecolab.com. To become a member and receive access to these exciting events, join us here.