When Allie Teagarden relocated to Missouri she never anticipated the career trajectory her life would take her on. After working for 11 years in higher education (four of them being in her brand new city), she found herself with an opportunity to pivot when she was offered a leadership role with The She Said Project.
Intrigued by the opportunity, Allie felt that bringing That’s What She Said to her city was a compelling idea. With her desire to work more closely with the community, partnered with her passion to lift women’s voices, it seemed like a perfect fit. So she said yes to taking on the role of Producer for That’s What She Said Columbia!
Her first challenge was to see if it was even financially viable to launch That’s What She Said in Columbia. It didn’t take long to find out that it was. Allie was able to hit her initial sponsorship goal within just a few short months. This served as tangible proof that she wasn’t alone – others wanted to see this event come to fruition as well!
Less than a year later, the very first Columbia show took the Missouri Theatre stage in April of 2023. Allie even surprised the audience by singing back-up for the final song! The show was such a success that the next one is already scheduled at the same venue for April 13th, 2024!
The community response has been outstanding, Allie shared. People are eager to hear more women’s stories told from the stage. An event that’s for the entire community and inclusive of everyone, That’s What She Said serves as an opportunity to unite the city in a unique and powerful way. There’s an excitement and synergy that is anticipated to just keep growing as she creates future She Said experiences.
For her personally, Allie says her role in this project has been a wonderful surprise allowing her to find more flexibility in her work life as well as to plug into her still relatively new community in a big way. She has had the chance to meet so many people and is motivated to continue raising support for local charitable causes, donating 25% of the show’s ticket sales each year. That’s What She Said filled a need both she and her community had for deep connection and an opportunity to come together to celebrate women’s voices and contributions in Columbia.
We’re committed to bringing That’s What She Said to even more stages! If you are interested in seeing a show come to your area, please let us know!
