Meet Pages and Pals of Raleigh

Today we’d like to introduce you to Pages and Pals of Raleigh

Hi Pages and Pals, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Inspiration
In a time in history where real-life social connection seems to be at its lowest, Millennials and Gen Z are using social groups like run clubs, fitness groups, and book clubs to facilitate more IRL connections now more than ever, according to Strava’s annual Trend Report. #BookTok, a growing book community on TikTok, is having a huge impact on literature, boosting book sales and both birthing and reviving generations of book lovers according to USA Today. Even Barnes & Noble is reopening closed down store, according to CNN, and #BookTok is cited as playing a role in that.

The Birth of Pages and Pals Book Club
My cousins, Carla and Neinke (both women, age 27, immigrants from Saint Lucia), and I (Termira, woman, age 26, 2nd gen immigrant from Saint Lucia) were feeling the truth of these articles in real life. With a rise in other community groups here in Raleigh Durham like UrbanRunClub, we wanted a space for ourselves, too. My cousin Carla, an avid book reader and an online contributor to TikTok’s #BookTok commmunity, loved having a space to talk about her current reads, favorite authors and trending books. And I, a Marketing Project Manager who moved back to the Raleigh-Durham area following undergrad, missed having a sense of community and wanted to meet new people. She and I both have busy schedules and no time to join a book club that had strict reading schedules (ex. finish this 1000 page book by the end of the month).

So in September 2024, we created a book club where readers who wanted a space to talk about their current reads and meet new people could do just that. And enjoy this WITHOUT the pressures that come with traditional book clubs, like assigned books and reading deadlines. Some of our attendees say its like #BookTok IRL—its a social club for book readers… Truly a space for Gen Z and Millennials to connect in real life over a common interest. Our meetings are fun, intimiate, and full of discussions (ex. talking about what books are currently trending, our honest opinions about certain authors, hilarious off-topic story times, and so much more.)

Growth
TikTok is what really propelled us forward. We went from having the same three or four attendees at each meeting to now having nearly 60% of our attendees be newbies/first-time visitors each meeting. They typically find us on TikTok through our meeting recaps, which bring in over 2,000 views on average.

Neinke, our other cousin (26, Gen Z/Millennial, immigrant from Saint Lucia), was part of the journey from the beginning and was our very first attendee when we held our first meeting in September 2024. She has continued to support us in growing the club. Since our launch in September 2024, we’ve held over 15 meetings at different spots in the Raleigh-Durham area. And this month, we’re launching our membership program so those who enjoy our meetings can connect further with fellow book lovers in more exciting ways. We also plan to partner with local bookshops to host events this summer and help bring more customers to their stores. In the near future, we hope to have more chapters of our bookclub in different cities because we know our format is unique and has the potential to bring together many more readers throughout the country.

Impact
We’re truly are living in a book renaissance. Our attendees share how much they love our community and how its sparked their love for reading again. Our club continues to been a great way to meet new people, support small businesses and cafes, and explore different spots in the Raleigh-Durham area.
Carla, Neinke and I also decided to start a group brand called CNT to continue to host and faciliate those in the Raleigh Durham area with things to do and opportunities to build community.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The struggle along the way has been trying to figure out how to market ourselves and make our format easy to understand.

When people hear “book club”, they immediately think of members that are all reading the same book and attend monthly meetings to talk about said book. But we aren’t that. Similar to other community groups, like Urban Run Club, we don’t require membership, our attendees come to our meetings and events when they want. And we aren’t all reading the same book, our meetings are filled with a wealth of different book-related topics.

We’ve since then continued to reinforce this structure in our messaging and social media presence. We’ve also added a FAQ section on our site.

Usually once someone sees our recap videos or comes to our site, they typically understand.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I, Termira, am a Marketing Project Manager at Red Hat. I have 8 year of project management experience. I specialize in and have a love for process improvement and organization. I believe when people are set up for success they can deliver work that is not only good but that their proud of. I love being challenged with a new problem and finding a solution for it. I’m known for finding creative solutions to recurring problems and improving the work experience for my teams throughout the lifecycle of project. I’m most proud of the ways in which I’ve applied my project management experience outside of my day job to positively impact communities and organizations like small businesses, start ups and churches. Pages and Pals Book Club is another example of that. I believe my human-centered approach is what sets my apart from others in the project management space. Its not only about getting work done on time and on budget, its also about ensuring the people on your team are feeling cared for first.

What matters most to you?
For Carla, Neinke and I, bringing glory to God matters to us the most. Human connection is invaluable and we believe in showing love and care to His creation.

Pricing:

• Meeting attendance – Free
• Membership (optional, not required to attend) – Free

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pagesandpals.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/pagesandpalsnc
• Other: Tiktok.com/@pagesandpalsnc | Tiktok.com/@thecntbrand