Sarah Patrick - Founder of Cle Gals Book Club
As women, we often find ourselves seeking like-minded people to build our dreams with but as humans, we all desire to make a meaningful connection with others. It is undeniable that the internet has played a part in bringing people together since its inception but there is still something to be said about true face-to-face interaction. At the intersection of fostering passions, stepping out of your comfort zone, and creating lasting relationships there lies one common place for the women of the world to come together…book club.
Cle Gals Book Club is very proudly not your mother’s book club. Founded by Sarah Patrick a 29-year-old nurse living in Cleveland, Cle Gals Book Club has blossomed from a small gathering of readers to a massive group of passionate women with an overwhelming love for books. Teaching tennis and Nursing full time, Sarah has tackled the creation and management of her book club as a ‘side gig’ which has quickly become its own proper organization. It is clear through her efforts that she is truly passionate about her mission to foster a welcoming environment, and she so obviously pours a lot of care and kindness into her group.
She tells us a bit about how the book club has helped her realign with her passions as well saying, “For a long time I felt like being a nurse really defined me. I let it define me. And now it is nice that nursing has become a little bit secondary to how I identify myself which was very good for my mental health. To see myself outside of the professional world in more of a hobby-like environment with other people who do different things.” One of the most special things we have seen with Cle Gals Book Club and by chatting with Sarah is how she connects deeply with the group she has created and is very much giving others an experience that once had such a positive impact on her.
Starting a book club wasn’t always the clear answer to Sarah’s questions. She began with a desire to join in with groups that already existed to help fulfill her sense of belonging. Unable to find anything that felt like the perfect fit, she set out to do things herself. “I kind of call it my happy accident,” Sarah says about starting Cle Gals Book Club, “I had some coworkers that were part of professional Cleveland area book clubs that were very small. They were very exclusive and were very limited to the number of members they would allow.”
Starting with her own online following, Sarah grew Cle Gals Book Club into a - - member organization with multiple meetings a month and various book club involvement options to fit the needs of all it’s members. Although she never imagined the success the group would see, Sarah always knew she wanted the club to be more than just her own friends. “I wanted it to be a place for people to make friends. People are at a lot of different stages so I think having something that can unite them once a month and be very laid back and not feel pressured and everyone is welcome,” she shared.
As a lifelong Clevelander, Sarah is no stranger to the power of community. Like many of us, she grew up reading fan-favorite series’ like Harry Potter and Twilight and eventually became busier and less connected to her love for reading in adulthood. After discovering the newest fantasy series available and rediscovering her love for a great story, Sarah realized that the communities she saw forming online for readers with similar interests could translate to her real life. “Finding other people who wanted to talk about popular books was important to me. To find a lot of different people from different backgrounds who can all come together over popular books was something I really wanted to do,” she said.
It is easy to see that Sarah is not alone in her journey with reading or her desire for connection. Many women not only relate to her story, but have also been seeking an outlet such as Cle Gals Book Club to help them reignite a passion for reading, meet new people, and get out of their comfort zone. Sarah and the club members all benefit from the organization and she considers herself lucky to have stumbled upon something so ‘accidentally’ magical.
What she once considered a ‘silly little idea”, Sarah now knows is a meaningful and special gathering of amazing women in the community. “We’ve been together for fifteen months and the friendships I have seen form is insane. There is one group of girls that came to Cleveland not knowing anyone and they all came to book club and became friends. They are still a core group of friends to this day. That really touches my heart,” she told us.
Sarah knows that she is far from being called the inventor of the book club, but she does take her role very seriously and is deeply invested in ensuring that the women in our community feel comfortable at her gatherings. Through various partnerships and building relationships with local businesses, Sarah has not only kept meetings fun and interesting for members, but has also exposed them to new food, drink, and businesses to support in the area. Exploring the city and its gems (both hidden and well-known) is a pillar of CGBC and its success among local women.
Sarah said, “We only have meetings at local parks, independently owned and operated restaurants, and bookstores. I am really passionate about finding places that are unique and can host us.” She is always seeking new partnerships and places to explore in order to not only continue growing the book club and reaching new members but to also expose existing members to more amazing local spots.
There are a ton of moving parts happening behind the scenes to ensure that guests at the book club have a memorable and meaningful experience. Sarah works tirelessly to guarantee that members and newcomers alike are enjoying their time in the club. Between a structured monthly book club and silent reading nights, she offers several events that have unique structures to appeal to every kind of reader. Inclusivity and comfortability are paramount to Sarah and she credits her ability to stay organized with helping her navigate the ins and outs of managing a group that continues to grow so quickly.
One of the best qualities of the way Sarah runs the book club is her commitment to maintaining consistency for the members. She understands just as much as any woman that life can be busy and knows that keeping things predictable is the key to making her events available to everyone, even with varying schedules and responsibilities. She told us, “I think one of the reasons why it really has been appealing to people is that I want to be really consistent with timing. I wanted people to know in their head that they can expect book club to be certain days of the month.”
Sarah implements various social media strategies to help her reach her audience and maintain regular communications. Her interactive account allows members to truly feel like they belong and contribute their thoughts to the group. Voting on the next book, sharing their thoughts on the latest reads, and staying in touch with other members are just some of the ways that Sarah's work to maintain an active social media page is paying off.
Like many of us, Sarah can relate to the feeling of struggling to trust people and allowing others to help her when she can use it. With something that you care so much about, it can be hard to let go of control and allow others to contribute to your passions. She told us that she has quickly learned that it doesn’t have to be so scary to ask for help and it can end up contributing to making the entire organization better. Especially when setting out to do something that catches on and gains popularity quickly, it can feel so difficult to let anyone else in. Sarah however understands how helpful it can be to place some trust in others and allow them to contribute to what makes something wonderful.
We asked Sarah what her advice would be for someone who is nervous about joining a book club, or really any group. It can be so intimidating to not only meet new people but to put yourself out there and adventure alone into an established group. Sarah knows the feeling well and is very aware that it is a common fear among first-time attendees, especially for women entering into a room full of unknown peers.
She shared some words of wisdom, “Just trust in yourself that you can do it. One of my biggest takeaways has been how welcoming everyone is. I used to be nervous hosting them and then I would walk away wondering why I was so nervous. It is ok to have your doubts and feel nervous. There are so many women at the events that you will find your people and it is ok if you don’t right away. You’re never alone.”
Sarah's gracious and accepting attitude makes her not only an amazing leader but also a wonderful person to ask for guidance when it comes to building a community. Uniting so many like-minded individuals is no small feat and although everyone is accepting and kind, it can still be a challenge to create a space that feels safe and inclusive to so many different needs. Hence the success of things like silent reading events which provide members with an opportunity to read the books of their choice alongside others doing the same. Alleviating the pressure to chat or to stay up to date with a certain book can help reduce the pressure of book clubs and create an encouraging and creative environment for women to relax.
Women have even started to reach out to Sarah with questions on how they too can start a club of their own whether it be in their own cities or with a specific group of people. Her willingness to share knowledge and accommodate her advice to the needs of a specific person is just a small part of what makes Sarah a wonderful person and exceptional leader.
With her traditional book club, Sarah does her best to ensure that the books chosen are chosen wisely and voted on as a group. With discussion questions, discussion time, trivia, and social time, Sarah curates a well-rounded experience to help the members in attendance connect with one another and comfortably dive into the reading and debate.
As the organization continues to expand, so does Sarah's need to grow with it. With the management of the group becoming more like a part-time job for her, she is always exploring options for changing the format and details to better fit her needs and those of the group. Merchandise, email messages, book swaps, and other additions over time have positively impacted the group so far and her innovation continues to make the group accessible and easy to navigate. Although Sarah chalks it up to trial and error, it is obvious that her hard work and dedication to curating a welcoming space are what makes the group so special. She said it best, “I want it to be structured but at the end of the day… it's a book club. Secretly I am that person, but I want to be the one to handle that and let everyone relax.”
Perhaps our most fun question of all, we asked Sarah if she could have any author attend one of her book club meetings, who would it be and why. She gave a very appropriate answer, naming Rebecca Yarros, writer of the Fourth Wing Series, as the perfect fit to excite her book club members and represent what the club itself stands for. She told us, “It was unique that this trending fantasy romance novel was picked up by our book club. It felt like a lot of readers in the Cleveland community were excited to have a place to talk about it. We also read her second in the series and that was a really fun meeting. Any book where I can get in a theme and there were so many theories about what’s next. We couldn’t chat long enough.”
This is the perfect example of the sisterhood and comfortability that comes with having similar interests and being given a place to share about them. Diving into the complexities of themes characters and all the other aspects of a great novel is what makes the discussion so impactful and keeps everyone involved engaged. The feeling of everyone in the room just ‘getting it’ is such a wholesome and inherent part of being a woman that something like Cle Gals Book Club really allows it to shine.
Looking to the future, Sarah has big dreams for the club. She has no plans to stunt the group's growth and hopes to continue getting larger and connecting with more people. Being a staple in Cleveland and looking to the successful rise of spaces like BookTok where readers can share their love for reading are some of the major things she hopes to use to her advantage. Additionally, partnering with more local spots and aiming big for the coolest and most unique spaces will lead Sarah to fulfill her dream of making book clubs ‘cool again’. Sarah couldn’t have said it better, “Books are so trendy right now and the women that read them are too.”
With no signs of stopping, Cle Gals Book Club continues to grow larger and more impactful each time they meet. Their social media presence and presence in the lives of the members is evident and the group serves as a perfect reminder of the magic that can manifest when women seek each other out. There is no denying the power of community and time and time again we see women spearheading the charge to build spaces that matter and make a difference. Sarah and her group are proof that even when you aren’t fully aware of it, there is still an opportunity for connection, support, and inspiration.
Sarah is hardworking, creative, and thoughtful in more ways than one. She dedicates herself to not only what she believes in, but to the people around her and the things that matter to them. Taking something as simple as a book club and turning it into a local phenomenon that symbolizes togetherness, womanhood, and inclusivity is not just impressive, it is an inspiration. Sarah and the Cle Gals Book Club serves the community in so many ways and her efforts are the perfect reminder to all that something that is fun, can also be meaningful and effective, without even having to try. Our talk with Sarah reminded us to take time to enjoy the little things, make an effort to step out of our comfort zones, and believe in things that make us happy. We can’t wait to see what Cle Gals Book Club does next and are so honored to be members of Sarah’s amazing community!
