Hey Everyone,
I’m beyond excited to spill all the tea on our Elev8ted Hour Austin Edition: Battle of the Sexes! This was our second ELEV8TED Hour!!
Our first lit up New York City. And let me tell you, Austin took it to a whole new level of spicy. We teamed up with the fabulous Sue Fearless from Sip Fearlessly as our panel host, and I, Laurie May, had the honor of MC’ing as Co-Founder of Passions for Elev8tion, Founder of Elev8 Your Mind, and creator of Elev8ted Hour. The vibes? Electric. The debates? Pot-stirring fire.
Our Epic Venue: A Slice of History
We hosted it at the incredible Busy Signal Speakeasy, tucked inside the legendary Victory
East Grill a true Austin landmark. Opened back in 1945 during segregation, this spot was a beacon for Black culture, hosting icons like B.B. King and Ray Charles. It’s all about resilience, music, and history, which made it the perfect backdrop for our bold convo
The Panel: Women vs. Men, more intended to bridge the gap but…
Unlike our NYC panel, Austin was straight-up spicy and everyone brought their A-game!
Here’s who held it down:
Our fierce women:
- Shantel Sanchez, Co-Founder of Passions for Elev8tion and Founder of Passions for Profits, who helped curate and create this magical night, dropped some real talk delivered with that Big Bronx Flare.
- Katiyana Katanova, a contemporary artist who slayed with points that had the guys shook—zero chance for comebacks, lol you just had to be there.
- Sol Bautista from Guadalajara, Mexico—a psychologist with 20+ years, EMDR specialist, and total gem. She kicked off with a keynote on roles in relationships and owned.. DEVOURED the panel.
Our strong men:
- Nick Gonzalez, ex-pro fighter whose sobriety story screams resilience. He had us ladies on our toes! Apparently, he wants us to make him a sandwich???
- LoverBoy Chas Moore from the Austin Justice Coalition, a community advocate who hit us with points so good, the room went quiet.. and then it got ✨chaotic✨
- David Blauer, business owner, 25+ year pro-husband, and amazing dad—super well-spoken with game-changing insights. The MIC was dropped. He came prepared to battle.
Music, Performances, and Women’s History Magic
DJ King Dynasty kept the energy poppin’ all night. We were vibin’ from start to finish.
I leveled up this Elev8ted Hour with extras: a live performance by Karl Anthony, Chicago’s lyricist extraordinaire, who did a piece celebrating women for Women’s History Month called; Aesthetic Gods (shoutout to March honoring women’s epic contributions to history, culture, and equality).
To Check out Karl Anthony's amazing music use the link below!
We wrapped up the main show with a stunning dance by Aura, Zoey, and Scarlett to a modern 1920s vibe—think Flapper era power, when women fought for the vote, broke free, and owned the jazz age. Then, cocktail hour for mingling and real connections.
Shoutout to Our Goodie Bag Sponsors
No Elev8ted Hour is complete without swag! Big thanks to:
- Rebekka Bryant
- Xo Nisha
- Amarie Touch
- Laurie May
- Shantel Sanchez
What a night!!!
Raw debates, inspiration, and pure elevation. If you missed it, stay tuned for more; we’re just getting started.
Drop a comment if you were there—what was your favorite moment?
Let’s keep rising!
-Laurie May; Passions For Elev8tion, Elev8 Your Mind