10 Tips on Building Meaningful Connections from Real Life Sisters
By Amy and Nancy Harrington, Co-Founders of The Passionistas Project
We’re the luckiest girls in the world — truly. Not only are we but we’re best friends and business partners, we’ve been as close as twins (even though we aren’t), since the day Amy was born through our work as founders of The Passionistas Project. It’s what inspired us to build our inclusive sisterhood where passion-driven women come to get support, find their purpose and feel empowered to transform their lives and change the world.
According to our family folklore, when Nancy was heading into kindergarten, she asked our mom to have a new baby to keep her company. When Amy came along, the two of us became inseparable.
We've been each other's playmates, protectors, confidantes, adventure partners, cheerleaders and biggest supporters our whole lives. We value our sisterhood above everything else. In fact, it's our superpower.
Despite a 10-year gap when we lived on opposite sides of the country, we have always been inseparable. We spent that decade pursuing our own separate careers. Amy was the Vice President of Visual Effects and Post Production for all feature films at Warner Bros, working on movies like the "Harry Potter," "Matrix" and "Batman" franchises. Nancy worked at an ad agency where she created Academy Award campaigns for Miramax.
When our passion for these experiences faded, we realized it was time for a fresh start. So, we joined hands Thelma & Louise style and drove off on a new adventure… together.
We’ll be honest. The road was a little bumpy at times. But the ride was still pleasant because we had each other. We took some twists and turns along the way before becoming celebrity interviewers. But after the 2016 Presidential election and the advent of the #MeToo movement, we decided we wanted to do something with a little more impact.
We started The Passionistas Project to spotlight the stories of women who were following their passions to inspire others to do the same through our podcast, subscription box and annual women's equality summit. Our sisterhood was expanding.
And all along the way, the entrepreneurs, activists, artists and more that we were meeting, kept telling us they wished they had what we had. So we decided to make it official and launch our online sisterhood — where trust, acceptance and support are the cornerstones of our community.
It's all based on the many lessons we've learned through our real-life sisterhood that makes any female connection stronger:
1. Remember your sisters are your best friends — This is a lesson that our mother ingrained in us from an early age. The youngest of five siblings — we also have two other sisters and a brother — our mom would always remind us, "Your brother and sisters are your best friends." We all took it to heart and now, no matter how rocky the road may get, we have an unbreakable, built-in support system.
2. Love each other unconditionally — Let's face it, we all have our flaws. But we actually love each other more because we know what our imperfections are and embrace them. Because of this, we always feel like we can be our authentic selves all the time.
3. Always have each other's backs — as our mother used to say, "No one messes with my chickens." So, especially as sisters who work together, we always stand-up for each other.
4. Know when to give advice and when to just listen — Sometimes we go to each other to brainstorm ways to fix problems we're having. Other times, we just want to have a good cry and hear that everything is going to be alright. A good sister knows when to come up with a solution and when to pass the tissues.
5. Find your personal strengths and celebrate them — We have an amazing partnership because we have the same work ethic, are both producers by trade and love to be creative. But we also each bring something unique to the table that makes our company stronger.
6. Don't let the bad stuff go unspoken — We rarely fight (except when we're on a road trip and really hungry). The trick is not to let the little things pile up and to be honest about your feelings. Remember #2, your sister loves you unconditionally, so just tell her how you're feeling.
7. Treat each other with respect — You may not always agree with your sister's choices and it's okay to tell her when you don't. But always make sure that she knows that you respect the decisions she makes and the person she is — no matter what.
8. Check your attitude at the door — Because there's no one you feel more comfortable with than your sister, it can be easy to let the stress of your bad day out on her. So remember to always treat each other with kindness and lose the tone if you find it slipping out.
9. Know how to keep a secret — You need to make sure your sister knows she can tell you anything and it will stay between the two of you. Don't spill her secrets to your boyfriend or that other girlfriend in your circle.
10. Have fun together — Most importantly — don't forget to have fun together. We always make time to play together, just like we did when we were little girls, and they are some of the happiest times of our lives.
There's nothing better than having a sister — one you've had since birth or one that you've chosen along the way. And we believe that together, we and our sisters we change the world.
ABOUT AMY & NANCY HARRINGTON, Co-Founders, The Passionistas Project:
Sisters, Amy and Nancy Harrington, founded The Passionistas Project out of a deep desire to empower women around the world to follow their passions and fight for equality for all.
They shine a light on the positive stories of self-identified women and non-binary people as experts on Julie DeLucca-Collins’ Confident You Radio Show on 360 Talk Radio for Women. They are the founders of The Passionistas Project online sisterhood, where they encourage women to embrace their authenticity, pursue their passions and support one another along the way. They believe that by creating a space where women can connect, tell their own unfiltered stories and empower each other, they can make a positive impact in the world.
ABOUT THE PASSIONISTAS COMMUNITY
So what is a Passionista? We are a powerful force of diverse and inspiring women from the AAPI, Black, Disability, Indigenous, Latinx, LBQTQ+ and Over 50 communities who are passionate about tackling the pressing issues women face in today's world.
We are risk-takers. We are thought leaders. We are solopreneurs. We are creators. We make art that fuels the soul. We speak up for those without voices. We serve the underserved. We care for our communities. We build empires out of ashes. We learn from those who came before us. We inspire those who stand beside us and will come after us. We are diverse and inclusive.
We are passionate and we are unstoppable.