Networking comes naturally to Wendy Flynn — but it’s more than that. No matter how she devotes her time and energy, helping others is always at the center. For example, during her 16 years as director of MBA Admissions for the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University, Wendy not only successfully recruited students, she ensured their commitment by finding places for them to live. For the past eight years as a real estate agent for Keller Williams, she has developed unique ways to market homes and engage prospective buyers, such as clever contests with Texas A&M football or concert tickets as prizes and open houses that offer free snow cones as a reward for taking the tour on a hot summer’s day.
Wendy is one of the founding administrators behind the lively Facebook Group, BCS Meals and Deals, whose original purpose was to help local restaurants thrive during the pandemic. She spearheaded Meals for Healthcare Heroes, which delivered 14,000 meals to health care staff during the first three months of 2021. She also organized an effort to collect phone-charging cords to hospitals, which enabled COVID patients to communicate with their families through mobile devices.
“We can collectively do so much more together if we have a channel in which everybody's focused on the same thing,” Wendy says. “The phone chargers, the meals, and there's many other things I've done.… I like being somebody in the community that people know can facilitate things, can make things happen, can help support people, and help make our community a better place. I love what we have to offer here. And I want to continue helping and supporting the people in the community as we continue to grow.”
We sat down with Wendy to talk about her private Facebook group, Bryan College Station Women Connect, where members ask for recommendations of service professionals; seek job opportunities; promote their talents; and exchange a wide range of information with each other. The group has more than 6,400 members and counting since she founded it in February 2020.
Here is an edited excerpt from our conversation:
IN: Hi Wendy! Thank you for speaking with us. Please tell us about your group, Bryan College Station Women Connect.
WF: This is just a place for women to help each other and connect with each other. From the very beginning, kindness was the No. 1 rule. There's connectedness and shared laughter, and there's connectedness in helping each other. And when people get help, they want to help others, and it just has been growing and growing like that.
One of the ladies said to me, ‘I love this group because women know all the things.’ Women — some woman somewhere — knows the answer to this question, and we're going to help each other out.
IN: What are some of your favorite posts?
WF: The posts that I like the most are like when somebody contacted me to post anonymously — they thought their child might be autistic and [wanted to know] how to get them tested and get access to resources. There were so many great responses there that were just filled with value. That mom left that post with so much good information and so many next steps that she could take to help her son. Everybody was so caring and so supportive. Some people said ‘I don't have anything to add, but you’ve got our support’ — even though they didn't even know who she was.
And then there was that funny one — that woman who wrote: ‘I like to guilt’ when she meant to say that she liked to quilt. And that was cute. I love that one because it just took off all organic and hilarious and lighthearted — and thank goodness she was a good sport about it! But it was so fun and so funny and smart and clever. I think most everybody on there is a good sport — they're supportive of each other.
IN: Do you run this group by yourself?
WF: I'm the only admin on it and moderator. I'm a Facebook junkie, so I'm on it all the time anyway. It's very easy for me.
IN: Why did you start the group through Facebook?
WF: Facebook groups are a really great place for people to connect with each other and to support each other and help each other. … It's hard when you start working, when you're an adult. It's not as easy to meet people, and especially when you're relocating to another city, it's also not easy to meet people. And so these kinds of groups tend to draw people who are looking to connect with others. There are still plenty of women who would value this [group], who haven't discovered it yet. I would love to see it grow to 10- or 15,000!
IN: Is the group all online? Or do you meet in person too?
WF: We first launched Bryan College Station Women Connect during COVID. So many of us were feeling isolated and disconnected during that time. It started off with me just inviting my friends, and then they invite their friends, and it has just grown from there. Connecting on social media was a great way to share helpful information, have a laugh at our situations, and just generally feel more connected to others.
As restrictions during the pandemic started to lift, members started asking if we could find ways to take our connections a step further and to meet in person. It was a logical next step for our group. So, we polled our members and gave them a lot of different options of the types of events we could coordinate. By far, the happy hour/social hour event was the largest winner in the pool. So, this was an obvious choice for us to begin with. And these have been some of the most fun get-togethers we’ve had.
Often we have group members who don’t know anyone locally who come to our social hours, and they leave with a handful of friends that they’ve connected with.
IN: What other kinds of activities do you do?
WF: Some members didn’t care for the happy hour format for various reasons, so we looked to DIY events, such as parties at Board and Brush and a wreath-making workshop at Base Camp Farms. There is a small fee associated with these events. The fees are paid by those who want to attend the event, and the group doesn’t make any money from these events. These DIY workshop-type events are fun, relaxing events where group members come together to create something. We have plans for other get-togethers in the future, including breakfast clubs, lunch breaks, and member-taught how-to sessions.
IN: What charitable activities has Bryan College Station Women Connect participated in?
WF: I always wanted to be able to engage the group for the benefit of nonprofit groups locally. So far, we’ve tried this in two different formats. First, we launched a sheet collection for Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a local organization that builds beds for local children who don’t have a bed of their own. We collected 65 sets of twin sheets for Sleep in Heavenly Peace, and hopefully, our group has played a small role in helping those children have a more complete experience when they receive their new beds.
We also encouraged our group members to sign up for the monthly bed-building workshops at Sleep in Heavenly Peace. In November, a group of seven to 10 women from Bryan College Station Women Connect joined in with others from the community to help make a total of 25 beds.
IN: Lending a helping hand is not new to you…
WF: When I was a freshman in college, I was elected the social chair of our dorm council. And I was so honored, like that was the position I wanted and to organize the parties and the events and the mixers and things like that. I've just always been that kind of person that I want to create the things that bring people together.
And that's what I love about the group. The group is bringing people together for the greater good and to create those avenues where people can help and to facilitate that. I think people generally want to help, but they don't always have an avenue to help. And so what I do through my efforts is I create: Here's a way you can help.
One of the things that I've done is I said, just creatively, How can I solve this problem? Or how can I really expand on this? Or how can I optimize — optimize is a word I like a lot — how can I really optimize on this? And so I come up with creative ways to promote fun things that make people want to be a part of them.
IN: Thank you, Wendy!
Visit facebook.com/groups/bryancollegestationwomenconnect to join.
Women's Connect Member Comments
“Being a part of this group has allowed me to connect with more women in our community and therefore feel part of a village. I enjoy that we all support each other through recommendations, resources, volunteer work, and social hour events.” —Shelly Wells
“I have never felt more welcome in any other group except this one. Wendy has created a safe place for women to stand together. She is absolutely amazing, selfless, strong, level headed. To me, this is not just a group, we are a family. Thank you, Wendy, for all that you do. You are greatly appreciated.” —Marie Newton
“As a foreigner living in the U.S., this group provides me with a sense of profound belonging. I am so grateful for people like Wendy that gives away her time and talents to take care of a safe, positive forum so we women can bond, promote our business and interests, and even our concerns. This community is lucky to have her.” —Vanessa De la Llata
“I feel like this is a safe place to ask for opinions, advice, help, etc. I’ve never felt that before in a group. No drama, just women doing life at the same time. It’s refreshing.” —Martha Cunningham
“This group has an amazing spirit of community. I have been so inspired by these women selflessly helping those in need.” —Linda Whitworth
“This group is amazing at supporting one another. It is a safe space to reach out to other ladies of the community.” —Christine Boyte Buchanan
“I love this group! They have helped me find resources, and I have been able to help people find what they need since I am from here. My husband also has gotten several jobs from this group! It’s a win/win for everyone!” —Dawn Cook Hendrick
“Because of this group, I reconnected with an old friend I have missed very much. I have been able to share and “show off” my town since I was born and never left here. I am able to, however, learn about new businesses quickly because one of us always has the scoop!” —T Cherie McAdams-West
“I’ve loved this group from very early on. What an amazing culture Wendy has created and cultivated! The members have embraced it and celebrated the positivity and community that this group represents." —Sally Searles Hughes
