Meet Kate Mefford of Big Plans

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Mefford.

Kate, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Do you remember, growing up, how you wanted to be a ballerina and an astronaut and a doctor all at the same time? Yeah. Me, too. However, I had no clue as to what it took to get there. (And sometimes still don’t!) I’ve always known that I wanted my daughter, Millie, to have the inside scoop on career options and possibilities instead of trying to figure it all out in college and end up switching majors 14 times like me.

Research suggests that unless a light is shown on a direct path of focus and exploration, middle school is a time during which girls can drop off academically and motivation-wise. I am relentless in keeping my girl on track. In nearly every moment of my motherhood, I am looking for ways to expose Millie to different ways of living and working, while on the hunt, I came across a friend’s Instagram post of pots on burners and several bottles of spices and flavorings which was captioned, “Science”. This friend is the co-owner of Emporium Pies, and was testing out new flavor combinations in their commercial kitchen. Instantly, I thought that would be an activity of which Millie would love to be a part. I added it to my list of potential opportunities. After a few minutes of wondering how I could book more experiences like this, I asked myself, “WHY CAN’T I DO THIS FOR DOZENS OF GIRLS INSTEAD OF JUST MY OWN KID?!” And, just like that, Big Plans was born.

Has it been a smooth road?
I would be lying if I said this was crazy difficult…so far. It just seems like when the premise is explained, the listener almost always responds with, “I wish Big Plans would have been around when I was growing up!” People, especially other women, get it. They want their daughters to be a part of it, and finding support by way of board members or event volunteers is effortless. Professional women are game to be speakers and mentors because they feel that the cause is worthy and they, too, believe the future is female.

One natural obstacle is fitting Big Plans into an already jam-packed schedule. Middle school aged kids are committed to so many other activities. However, those with the priority of self-growth tend to make room for our events.

To avoid administrative struggles, we are keeping things very simply structured. We are still working on our website (soon to be live, wehavebigplans.org), and will one day expand outside of Collin County. I am absolutely positive that we will eventually encounter growing pains galore, but for now, it is completely manageable.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Big Plans – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Big Plans is an organization for girls ages 10-15, offering expansive career exploration, building female empowerment, and ultimately raising self-esteem and confidence. We host 4 workshops during the school year, in which a variety of successful women in super interesting careers discuss their backgrounds, their days in the life, and answer questions from our curious girls. In addition, there is a central activity for each workshop, such as self-defense, yoga, environmental activities, or independent exploration preparation. Aside from the workshops, we host 3 Girl Power Book Club Dinner Parties during the school year and also offer Behind the Scenes field trips and Small Group Mentoring for girls who want to dig a little deeper. It all makes me wish I was 12 again.

Watching the Big Plans girls grow as people with each event is the most delicious fruit of our labor. Knowing that, by my side, the board, speakers, and mentors are delivering on our mission just fills me with all of the warm fuzzies!

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most?
Dallas has become quite a cultural hub, and has so many unique activities and landmarks to explore. I love that it is evolving and its people are becoming more and more aware of how to affect change.

Contact Info:

• Phone: 214.684.2136
• Email: wehavebigplans@gmail.com
• Instagram: wehavebigplans
• Facebook: facebook.com/wehavebigplans
• Twitter: wehavebigplans

Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.