Come Back to You: What Happens When Strangers Trust Each Other for One Night

Hiya~


I want to tell you what actually happened at Come Back to You, the intimate women's gathering I hosted at my own home here in Conifer, Colorado. Tara brought food that felt like it was made with intention, Kiley poured so much care into those mocktails almost like a little ceremony of their own, Megan brought a styling touch that made the room feel exactly right the second you walked in, and Katie was the calm, steady presence behind the scenes making sure every single woman got her moment in front of the camera. All of it mattered. But the part that stuck with me most wasn't any of that. It was watching a room full of strangers decide to trust each other.

Hands clinking champagne flutes in a celebratory toast, with a decorative tag on one glass at a bar.

Almost none of these women signed up with a friend. They came alone, off the strength of an invitation and a feeling, willing to bet an evening on the idea that something good might happen in a stranger's living room. That takes more courage than people give themselves credit for.


And then they just opened up. Within an hour the room felt less like an event and more like a kitchen table conversation. People intermingled, talked over good food, laughed easy. The whole night had this grounding, calm quality to it, like everyone exhaled at the same time without planning to.

Women gathered around a dining table sharing a meal in a cozy stone fireplace room with natural light.

One woman told me she almost didn't come. She'd been so stressed in the days leading up to it that she genuinely forgot the event was happening, thought it started later than it did, and nearly talked herself out of showing up at all. She said she was so glad she didn't.


When I spoke that night I got vulnerable myself, teared up a little in front of everyone. Not something I plan for, but it felt right in that room, with those women.


The photo sessions were where I noticed the biggest shift. So many women told me beforehand they felt awkward in front of a camera, convinced they'd look weird or stiff. I'd take a few snaps just to get the nerves out of the way, then let them settle. Breathe. Remember who they actually are right now, not who they think they're supposed to look like. What do you want this image to hold.

Woman in denim jacket arranging gourmet dishes on wooden bar counter with decorative lamp in background.
Woman arranging fresh vegetables and dip on a wooden charcuterie board on a granite countertop.

And almost every time, that's where it clicked. The feedback afterward said it all. I love my images. I felt so comfortable. You built confidence in me. That confidence wasn't something I added with a camera setting. It was already there, just buried under a little nervous energy that needed somewhere safe to land.


That's the whole thing I'm chasing with this kind of work. Not a perfect photo. A moment where a woman remembers she's allowed to just be exactly who she is, unguarded, and like it.


I don't know when I'll host another night like this. But I know I will. And I hope you're at that table next time.


Framing your story with purpose. ~Kristin

Smiling woman in floral skirt sitting on rocks outdoors in a sunny forest setting during a headshot session by McGlone Photography
Woman in black t-shirt and olive pants smiling outdoors in a sunlit forest setting for a headshot photo by McGlone Photography
Smiling woman in black v-neck top standing outdoors among tall pine trees in natural sunlight by McGlone Photography